Lace up your saddle shoes, brush off your leather jacket, and get ready to be transported back to 1959 when Kahilu Theatre presents “Grease the Musical” tonight through Sunday in Waimea. The wildly popular Broadway musical and charming movie classic takes center stage along with fast cars, T-Birds, Pink Ladies, and electrifyin’ dance numbers.
“I chose Grease because it was the first musical the Kahilu did over 30 years ago,” said the show’s director, Beth Dunnington. “It just seemed the right time to go back to our roots. It’s fantastic to have some of the older kids who have done several musicals with us and are now enrolled in performing arts programs in college, with the younger, first time kids.”
PT Mahoney, a performing arts major at Oklahoma City University, plays the lead role of Danny Zuko.
“This is my second time playing Danny,” said Mahoney. “The first time, was my first musical theatre role ever back when I was 16. The people of Hawaii and the people of the cast are just amazing. We have 10-hour rehearsals every day, yet we still want to go and hang out with each other when rehearsals are over.”
“Rizzo,” sassy leader of the Pink Ladies, is played by Noelani Anderson.
“Rizzo is such a fun role to play,” she said. “The teamwork involved in this show makes for something really magical and synergistic that you don’t always get to see.”
Dunnington has put together a top notch production team to ensure this production of Grease is the best it can be.
“Dr. Angela Alforque, the artistic director at Parker School, is a great choreographer,” said Dunnington. “Phil Kadet is a musical director from the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and has come in from New York for this production. Val Underwood is our vocal coach, and Kat Rose Sullivan, who is our Cha Cha, is also the dance captain. She was a big find, so I’m thrilled to have her as well.”
There was no skimping on the sets either. This production of Grease has 10 different sets, as well as a vintage convertible Mustang, owned by local film producer Richard Gonzalez, that will be used for “Greased Lightening.”
“This isn’t your typical production of Grease,” said Dunnington. “We’re really going for it. And if we’re having this much fun, I think the audience will too.”
Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range in price from $16-$33 and can be purchased online at www.kahilutheatre.org. ■