Parting Shot: Scenes from Boyertown High's Production of Grease

by Lesley Misko

STUDENTS  from Boyertown Area Sr. High (BASH) performed the hit musical Grease for three sell-out crowds Feb. 17-19.  Audience members cheered on the cast as it retold the story of summer lovers Dany Zuko (Jack Burell) and Sandy Dumbrowksi (Grace Major), their fun-loving friends the T-birds and Pink Ladies, and the rest of the gang at Rydell High.  The show  also paid tribute to the original BASH production of the show staged 25 years ago, by inviting members of the 1998 cast up to the stage to perform a special encore.  

Check out some behind-the-scenes photos from what will surely be one of the most memorable events of the year. 

Students put the finishing touches on the show at one of the final dress rehearsals. They had less than two months to produce the show and rehearsed tirelessly in recent weeks. (Photo from Facebook)

Rydell High teacher Miss Lynch (Anna Hartman) takes T-bird Sonny LaTierri (Joey Casey) to task for skipping out on her English class. (Photo from Facebook)

The Pink Ladies sing "Tell me more!" as Sandy (Grace Major) recounts her dreamy summer meeting Danny at the beach. (Photo from Facebook)

Members of the cast lament Frenchy's (Emily Gates) newfound status as a "Beauty School Dropout." (Photo from Facebook.)

Disc jockey Vince Fontaine (Mathurtion Rajendrackumaar) judges the hand-jive contest, the main event at Rydell High's prom. The show featured a colorful set designed and constructed with care by a team of community volunteers. Yet other community members volunteered their time to help outfit the cast's many costumes and provide other essential backstage support.(Photo from Facebook.)

Rizzo (Olivia Helmer's) rendition of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" was one of many strong vocal performances by the talented cast that had audience members leaping to their feet. (Photo from Facebook.)

Kaitlin Hipple Robinson, who played the role of Sandy in the 1998 BASH production, sings on stage with Grace Major, who took on the same role in this year's production. Hipple said she was "excited to be able to reunite with the original cast of Grease! We all worked so hard to prepare in 1998. We spent a ton of hours together and became a family of sorts as a result. My love for theatre and music continues to live within me and any chance to get to do something that I love with people that are dear to me is a blessing.” (Photo by Kevin Byrne.)

BASH student Nicholas Myers, who played the role of Teen Angel, poses after the show with Jeffrey K. Brunner, BASH music director. Brunner, who also directed the pit orchestra, believes the show "captures many teens’ feelings about their high school experience. “It’s a love-hate relationship,” he says. “We can all remember our struggles to fit in while trying to figure out who we were as individuals.” Reflecting on his current crew of students, Brunner observes that like their counterparts from Rydell High, BASH students "always say they can’t wait to graduate, but then they end up missing their friends and the good times. Many people cherish their high school years.” (Photo from Facebook.)

Mathurtion Rajendrackumaar, who played the role of Vince Fontaine, and members of the ensemble were all smiles after an energetic production.

Lead Jack Burrell (Danny) and childhood friend Ava Puleo (Jan) were excited to be in the show together. The BASH juniors have known each other since kindergarten. They are glad to give some credit to Ms. Krista Gallagher, their elementary music teacher. (Photo from Facebook.)

Photos from Facebook pages; also, Kevin Byrne.

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