Classic musical opens at college’s theater May 5 — click HERE for tickets

Photo courtesy John Lawton Haehl
Brian Carmack (director and choreographer) talks to Grace Zendejas (Sandy) and PJ Crocker (Danny) during a recent rehearsal. The show opens May 5 and runs through May 20.

 

By Marty Cheek

Grab your poodle skirts and saddle shoes and get ready for a night of 1950s at the Gavilan College Theater. In partnership with Christopher High School, the college’s theater art department will showcase the talent of young performers in the iconic musical “Grease.”

Opening May 5, the joint production promises to transport audiences to a bygone era of leather jackets, slicked back hair and teenage romance. With catchy tunes and electrifying dance moves, this collaborative effort celebrates the spirit of youth and the magic of theater.

Performing as the virginal “Sandy,” a new student at Rydell High School, Gavilan student Grace Zendejas said she admires the lead character’s compassionate nature, her gentle personality and her ability to stay true to herself despite the ridicule and bullying she faces from her peers.

“Sandy is the new girl at Rydell and she is very wholesome and pure, which causes her to get made fun of by the not so nice Pink Ladies,” she said. “She doesn’t really fit into the group and is seen as the “good girl” by everyone at Rydell, despite being in love with the school’s biggest bad boy, Danny Zuko.”

Talking about the ending of the show, where Sandy changes her appearance from goody-goody to a bike chick to impress Danny, Zendejas said that in 2023, this idea of changing for a guy is outdated. It’s most important for someone to love a person for their authentic self, she said.

“I feel we can now appreciate the ending of the show for how iconic it is (mostly due to the beautiful Olivia Newton John in the movie), rather than the meaning of changing yourself for a guy,” she said. “For me, I portray the ending as Sandy reclaiming her power from everyone and finally breaking out of her shell to show Danny how much respect she really deserves. The ending is really a way of Sandy telling everyone how she isn’t going to take anyone’s crap anymore.”

Zendejas encourages everyone in the South Valley to come watch the show to experience an classic story of the past with fresh new actors – including 16 from Christopher trained in singing and dancing — from the South Valley.

“The show is filled with high energy songs and dance numbers, as well as costumes and sets that are eye-catching,” she said. “‘Grease’ is so fun to watch because we all know and love the movie, so it is super cool to experience the love story of Danny and Sandy live on stage. Although we have known and loved these characters for years, watching them onstage allows us to have a deeper understanding and connection with them we have not been able to get from the movie.”

Christopher senior PJ Crocker plays Danny Zuko as the paramount “ladies’ man” of the 1950s. He is the natural leader of the pack, known as the Burger Palace Boys in the original stage production, but Danny can be a bit of a goofball at times, too.  Entrusted me with this lead role, Crocker felt hesitant in his abilities to portray a character that differs from his off-stage personality.

“Not to mention, Danny’s likeness and recognition in pop culture is so great that I feel I have HUGE shoes to fill,” he said.

Despite having performed and directed locally for several years now, channeling such a character challenged him as an actor. He drew on media and personal observations of misogyny and gender disparities he has seen and used “method” acting techniques to get into the character.

“The line between PJ and Danny is blurred, so much so that I think people might wonder if I am just another man who underestimates and objectifies women,” he said. “I’m happy to attest that I am not one of those guys!

While getting into the character has been a bit uncomfortable for him at times, playing alongside Zendejas, his real-life girlfriend, has made the performance much easier.

“Our innate chemistry plays well on stage, and even in the more emotional scenes between us, I have felt genuine feelings of love, hurt, and prevail,” he said.

Despite its dated tropes and message, “Grease” will bring a smile on the faces of all ages, he said. He hopes audiences will recognize Americans have progressed as a society from days that once celebrated cohesiveness and “fitting in,” to a modern day when individualism and diversity is cause for joy.

Show producerJohn Lawton Haehl couldn’t be more excited about the May 5 opening night, an extra special performance for him personally because it falls on his birthday.

“We decided on ‘Grease’ as a show that has one of the best demographics in the casting for high school and junior college students,” he said. “It’s a funny, lively musical with lots of wonderful talent from the South Valley area in it. The students have been working super hard rehearsing to give the audiences a great time.”