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It seems hard to believe it was 20 years ago we started this run of musicals.  GREASE has been a big part of that history both in 1998 in our homemade theatre, “Studio 212”, here in the Reynolds Theatre in 2005, and now back again once more.

Why is Grease so popular?  It’s not because it’s filled with role models—these kids are not respectful to their teachers or one another—and it’s not because the story has any surprises for most of us, since we’ve seen it before.  Then it must be something else that draws us back.

Grease is the story of kids who are desperate to be accepted, and ultimately loved.  The banter between the characters reveals parents who don’t care much about whether their kids get lunch, and teachers who are creepy or simply mean.  But they do care about one another, and their sarcasm doesn’t hide the friendships that have developed over their years together.

We can enjoy the music, the dancing and the familiar characters without embracing all of their values.  It’s a slice of the 50s as created by nostalgic writers in the 1970s, and it’s fun to don a leather jacket or a poodle skirt and remember a time when every embarrassment or hurt wasn’t spread instantly on social media.  Our students recognize, in the week following “Pink Shirt Day”, that we don’t want to act like these teenagers in real life, but it’s fun to travel in time for a couple of hours and we hope you enjoy coming along for the ride.

Thanks again to the amazing team I get to work with—Dave Flello and the pit band, Nette Martin our choral director, and Kanika Jackson, our choreographer.  Thanks also to the team of costume moms (dads are always welcome too) who make everyone look so good out there.  We’re also indebted to the silent auction team who help keep Music Theatre afloat and to those who donated or attended the event. 

Thank you as well to Ken Packford for his help with sets over the years, and with some of our stage props this year and to April Oldford for her work on the stage art.  Additional thanks to Mandy and Jon-Mark Wiltshire for their photography and Neta Herage for her production assistance.

We are also very grateful for the commitment of our program advertisers to support Music Theatre at Reynolds.  Please thank them if you have a chance for what they’re doing for so many young people.

I won’t be directing the show 20 years from now, but I hope Music Theatre is still going strong at Reynolds for a long time to come!  Enjoy the show!