Grease is the word, is the word that you heard, it’s got groove, it’s got feeling! This March, Lewis Cass will be putting on a show. This year’s musical choice is Grease. This show is attention-grabbing, eye-catching, and overall an amazing show for everyone to groove along to. The high school students at Lewis Cass cannot wait to perform for the community. With all sorts of twists and turns, you will surely love the show!
In 2022, Lewis Cass began putting musicals back on the stage after many years of waiting. The first show they put on the auditorium stage was Into the Woods. A fun and adventurous show that takes you through storybook features. In 2023, the choir department continued the tradition by putting on OKLAHOMA. A country-themed love story about two long-lost lovers. In 2024, they presented Seussical. A fun and bubbly musical about many Dr. Seuss characters who encounter their own problems along the way. This year, Lewis Cass is presenting Grease. This show is spunky and fun and has such a love story touch that makes it an amazing show. Auditions were hosted on January 7, and January 8, and callbacks were on January 9. Casting will be released on January 10 at the end of the school day. This show is one of the bigger shows Lewis Cass has put on the stage. It has more challenging pieces of music, and dancing, and many big pieces of set that need to be built. Although this could be something that could set them back, the choir program is recruiting as many people as possible to make this show one of the best.
The directing staff this year is looking slightly different because of new teachers, and some other directors. Ms. Joyce Bower is the director of the show this year, along with Mrs. Abby Guy as the vocal director, Lilly Hammond as the student director, and Katie Lopez as the costume designer. Being the director, Joyce Bower has to cast and block the entire show, along with other things. This is a challenging role, but it is what makes the show so special. Joyce Bower was asked what musicals she has been in, or directed, and which was her favorite. She responded by saying, “I have been involved with musicals since I went to Lewis Cass! My first lead was here at Cass. I got to be Dolly in Hello Dolly and then I got to be Nancy in Oliver. Then I was hooked. While in college I was given the opportunity to participate in Kokomo Civic Theatre. I was Eliza in My Fair Lady, Ado Annie in Oklahoma, and then Sandy in Grease! I can’t really say that I have an exact favorite, but I do have wonderful memories from all of them.” Ms. Bower definitely has some experience when it comes to performing and pleasing a crowd of people, especially in a small town like Walton. Being a teacher at Cass for multiple years could help her to teeter the choice of the musical towards what the community would enjoy. Joyce chose to work with the choir and was asked why. She answered with, “Mrs. Guy and I have been talking since the beginning of school about directing a show together! When she asked me…I automatically said “YES”! To be back at Lewis Cass and to direct with her….what a blessing!” Directors have a very different perspective of the show, compared to the actors in the show. They are able to see the outcome on a deeper level and watch their visions come to life. Bower has many excitements, one of them being, “ The talent that this school has is amazing…and I can’t wait to be a part of that! I can’t wait to help these young adults tap into their talent and watch them blossom!”
Abby Guy is the vocal director of Grease, and she is also the choir teacher. This is helpful because she knows each student’s voice that is in the choir, is able to help each student, and has past experience teaching songs. Although she has never directed a show, she is still a big helping hand. Abby Guy was asked what she was most nervous about since it was the first show she had directed. Guy said, “ I think I am the most nervous about pacing our rehearsals. I don’t want to move too quickly, but also, we need to get through all of the materials in a timely manner.” Having to organize rehearsals around all of the student’s sports practices could be extremely stressful. Many of the students who are in the shows have athletic events to attend, while also trying to make good attendance at rehearsal. Having flexible directors who are able to work with other coaches is very necessary, and these directors have been doing amazing. Abby was asked what made her choose Grease as this year’s musical. She responded with, “I was unfamiliar with the musical that was previously selected. After talking with Mrs. Bower, we felt like Grease is just a fun musical and a great way for us to start this journey. She and I are both familiar with it and who doesn’t love the songs and costumes?!” Grease has so much space for opportunities like costume design, movement choice, and song choice. Since Lewis Cass is doing the school version of Grease, there are some songs that can be traded, or you can exchange songs. Grease has many hidden messages that the audience and students can take away. Abby was asked what she wanted students to take away from this musical. She said, “ I want this cast to feel incredibly proud of their performance! There is a sense of accomplishment when you spend hours rehearsing something and then get to piece it all together. It’s really special and unique. I’m excited for that moment!”
From a student standpoint, this show can be really exciting. The ups and downs of the show really make it a fun one to participate in. Brecken Smith is a freshman at Lewis Cass and has been doing musicals for two years. He has had past experiences with roles that are more independent and ensemble roles. Smith was asked how excited he was to audition for this show. He said, “I’m pretty excited for the auditions!” Every musical piece, in or out of a musical, can have its own challenges and things that can be tough for someone who has not had too much experience. Brecken was asked what he thinks his biggest challenge will be during auditions, and in the show. He replied, “I think the memorization aspect will be the most challenging part for me.” As mentioned before, each musical has hidden messages and themes that can teach the audience, and the actors a lot. Also during the rehearsal process, many actors will gain skills. What will Brecken take away from the musical experience? Smith said, “I hope the musical helps me with my musicianship and that it can help me understand things a lot better!”
Throughout the learning process, and audition process, the students will be learning many new skills, and working extra hard to make this musical a hit for the community. Many people have already expressed their excitement over this show, and cannot wait to experience Grease. So rev up your engine, and head on over to Lewis Cass Auditorium on March 14, 15, and 16, for the amazing presentation of Grease.
