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After an 18-month hiatus, Luverne High School drama students will perform “Grease” to a live audience starting June 3.
Director Shawn Kinsinger chose this spring’s production from student feedback.
“Last summer, the students asked me if the next musical could be ‘Grease,’” he said. “They really enjoyed producing ‘Footloose’ in the fall of 2019 and wanted a similar experience.”
However, the coronavirus pandemic canceled all in-person performances since that 2019 production. As of Friday, all capacity restrictions related to the pandemic are lifted.
“We’ll be able to put ‘Grease’ on in front of a full house,” Kinsinger said.
Students began practicing in March for the six performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on June 3-5 and 10-12. There is no Sunday matinee.
The extra practice time was built into the schedule due to all school activities shut down last fall, and winter activities were pushed forward into the early spring months, Kinsinger said.
The calendar cleared in June for the later-than-usual musical performances.
“June provides a few advantages,” he said. “It is after most of the other school activities have wrapped up, but most importantly it allowed us more time.”
He said the time has allowed for vaccine distribution and, in case of a COVID-19 outbreak, the production could shut down for a couple of weeks without losing the overall number of rehearsals.
The musical coincides with Luverne’s Buffalo Days set for June 4-6. Luverne Area Chamber assisted in covering some of the costs for costumes.
Kinsinger said the local production captures elements from the 1972 broadway play and the 1978 movie.
“Recreating the iconic moments from ‘Grease’ is a lot of fun,” Kinsinger said. “In some instances, we put our own spin on it, in others we try to stay as faithful to the movie as possible.
“There are so many moving pieces to this show. When it all comes together and I see the students making it happen — how excited they get — it’s contagious.”
The production received a special license to include four of the movie’s most recognizable songs, “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Sandy,” “You’re the One that I Want,” and “Grease.”
“It’s worth it because the audience expects to hear those songs,” Kinsinger said.
The musical, set in 1959, begins with summer romance between two incoming high school seniors: A greaser named Danny (portrayed by LHS senior Xavier Carbonneau) and a good girl named Sandy (senior Josie Golla).
After believing their summer love is at its end, they both end up at Rydell High School where they navigate highs and lows of school while trying to recapture that summer romantic magic.
The LHS production brings in “The Burger Palace Boys” or Danny’s group of friends. In the movie they are called “T-Birds.” The local production won’t include the cinematic drag race.
“The show is so good that the audience won’t miss it,” Kinsinger said.
Character names (and the students portraying them in the local musical) include:
Rizzo (Rylee Gee), Kenickie (Pierce Cunningham), Frenchy (Mia Wenzel), Marty (Sophie Holmberg), Jan (Zoe Perkins), Doody (Parker Carbonneau), Roger (Luke Thorson), Sonny (Griffen Jarchow), Eugene (Chance Tunnissen), Patty (Miles Trimble), Vince Fontaine (Camden Hoven), Cha Cha DeGregorio (Anna Boltjes), Johnny Casino/Teen Angel (Simon Boyenga) and Miss Lynch (Joelia Lopez-Bomstad).
Ensemble members are Grace Ingebretsen, Elise Jarchow, Grace Sandbulte, Destiny Matthiesen, Jocelyn Hart, Hannah Vaudrin, McKenzie VanGrootheest and Zoey Berghorst. Egypt Forrest handles light production along with Creedence Petroff.
Assisting with the production are band instructor James Jarvie and choir instructor Seana Graber, who are working with individual students during lesson times during school, and workshop instructor Darrell Van Aartsen whose students are building the sets during their class time.
Tickets can be purchased at the Palace Box Office or online at palacetheatre.us. Cost is $4 for students and $6 for adults.