The Chapel Hill High School Theater Department presented its most expensive show in six years—an adaptation of the movie Grease, from April 27-29 that cost more than $10,000 to put on.
Theater Director Thomas Drago’s flamboyant production, complete with a full-sized prop car and intricate wiring work, had a runtime of just over two hours.
Drago said that the Theater Department had not put on such an elaborate show since Shrek the Musical in the spring of 2017.
“While challenging, [Grease] was a rewarding experience for all those involved,” Drago said. “We created an original concept to give our audiences more than just what they remembered from the classic 70s movie.”
The production tells the story of a 1959 post-summer high school romance between Sandy, a sweet and naive girl portrayed by junior Eliza Miller, and Danny, a tough greaser played by junior Jaylen Hill. Sandy is a new member of the Pink Ladies, a mean-spirited girls’ group; and Danny is the leader of the Burger Palace Boys, a gang of troublemakers. Danny and Sandy stray from the norms of their respective cliques and fall in love with each other.
Grease involved more than 60 students from the school’s drama and music programs.
Sophomore Micah Elia worked on Grease as assistant lighting designer, helping to design color combinations and establish upwards of 70 unique lighting cues.
“Trying to get everything done in time was a bit of a scramble because we started working on everything late due to various delays in constructing the set,” Elia said.
Many of the set pieces were to scale, including the red Greased Lightning car and moveable walls, which allowed actors to interact naturally with their environment.
Junior Eliza Hedeman-Brown played the role of Marty, one of the story’s protagonists and a member of the Pink Ladies.
“It was a really positive experience, and everyone was so incredibly talented. We all loved getting to know one another,” Hedeman-Brown said.
Hedeman-Brown choreographed a handful of dance numbers, some of which can be seen in the Theater Department’s trailer for the musical.
“Getting to watch my choreography on stage was a privilege in itself,” Hedeman-Brown said. “Grease was incredible, and I’d 100 percent do it again if I was given the opportunity.”
Senior Wes Heitz played guitar with the pit band on stage during the play.
“It was great to see all the hard work that the band and the rest of the company put in pay off firsthand,” Heitz said. “We were nervous, but [band director] Doc Carmichael had us prepared, [and it] was an amazing experience.”
The production marked the final performance of senior Amelia Brinson—who played the role of Betty Rizzo, the rugged leader of the Pink Ladies—after four years with the theater program.
“I have never played a really mean character, so it was exciting to play a completely different type of role,” Brinson said. “Grease was also such a great experience for my last show. I loved the company: everyone was so kind and supportive to each other. It really felt like a huge family.”
During curtain call on the third and final night of the show, junior cast members surprised graduating seniors with kind words and personalized gifts.
The program sold roughly 1,400 tickets at $10 a piece, and Drago said the department broke even on its investment. He expressed satisfaction with the production.
“We wanted to be true to the ‘50s era, but more importantly, to infuse our performances with the soulful magic of the music,” Drago said.
