Northwood details “Grease” revival

By Lori Major Carlin
Posted Friday, March 7, 2008

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Pittsboro, NC - Break out those poodle skirts, peter pan collars and saddle oxfords! It’s time to join the gang at Rydell High when Northwood turns the clock back to 1959 for the spring musical revival of Grease!

This third Northwood production of the 1972 high school classic was staged previously in 1988 and again in 1998. The 2008 edition features Silvan Goddin as Sandy, Garret Wolfe as Danny, Andrew Southerland as Kenicke, and Reema Khrais as Rizzo.

The Northwood spring musical is an annual tradition, involving the entire arts education department. In addition to director/producer Lori Carlin, who is involved in her eleventh Northwood musical, the production team includes visual arts instructor Leslie Burwell overseeing set design and decoration, dance instructor Leah Smith designing choreography, instrumental music director Eugene Cottrell rehearsing the pit band and performing on trumpet, and choral instructor Ryan Ostrander preparing the singers and conducting the band.

Students not only comprise the cast, but serve as technicians, stage managers, musicians, set decorators, graphic designers, costumers, and makeup artists. Jack Read, who plays DJ Vince Fontaine, is creating a glossary to translate the characters’ “50s-speak” for their twenty-first century counterparts. For example, there are many references to pop culture icons of the day, such as “Little Lulu,” a mischevious comic strip character and “Kookie,” the wacky sidekick on the detective TV program ’77 Sunset Strip, whose constant obsession with his hair caused comb sales to skyrock among teenagers!

The cast will tour area schools and make a stop at Galloway Ridge on Friday, March 7. This is part of a continuing series of outreach efforts by the Northwood Arts Education Department to introduce students and community members to the wide variety of high school arts programs available at Northwood. The Marching Charger Band visited schools in November, and the Northwood Concert and Jazz Bands toured schools February 29.

Sandy, Danny, the Greasers, and the Pink Ladies will “Rule the School” for three performances, March 13, 14, and 15, each night at 7 p.m. General admission is $8. Tickets are $6 for senior citizens and children under 5 years of age. Costumes are welcome! Before the night is over, you too may be dancing in the aisles with the rest of the kids from Rydell High.