By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The antics of Danny and Sandy and the T-Birds and Pink Ladies will be brought to life by students in an upcoming production by the Cherokee Central Schools (CCS) musical theatre program. The students will present “Grease” on May 8-10 at 7 p.m. nightly at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center in Cherokee, N.C. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Michael Yannette, CCS director of choirs and musical theatre, said the community has been asking the program to do “Grease” for years and he decided that this year’s students provided a great mix to give it a go.
“I’ve done ‘Grease’ a bunch…I know it well. Really, the kids have been amazing. I mean, just awesome…they’re funny and fun and they don’t take things too seriously. So, you’re just able to flow with everything so well.”
Some of the cast and directors of the upcoming Cherokee Central Schools (CCS) production of “Grease” are shown at the school on the morning of Tuesday, April 29. The shows are scheduled for May 8-10 at 7 p.m. nightly. Shown, left to right, are Michael Yannette, CCS director of choirs and musical theatre; Ada Neti, a junior playing ‘Danny’; Izabella Terrell, a junior playing ‘Frenchy’; Tyruss Thompson, a senior playing ‘Doodie’; and Toby Lawrence, CCS dance and theatre instructor. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
The students’ natural humorous nature has really shined during work on the play. “They are funny. We just laugh the entire rehearsal. We giggle the whole time. They’re actually genuinely funny…and, especially with ‘Grease’, they’re already high school kids…we wanted them to be themselves and they already are what’s there. So, all they have to do is just believe in themselves. Also, I adore them, so letting them know that all the time.”
Toby Lawrence is the new CCS dance and theatre instructor and has taken off in his role as choreographer for the show. “I think everyone has seen the movie at least a few times and I did watch a lot of ‘50s dancing and, specifically for each number, watched the way that people did it. But, I also mostly just approached it from the perspective of just wanting to make the students look really good. It is my first big musical, but the choreography that I’ve done before has been very different. So, I think I was able to come at it from the perspective of telling the story and making the students look good. I tried to uphold the rich history of ‘Grease’ and all of the tradition around ‘Grease’ – the numbers that people know and are used to seeing, but really just focus on ‘how can I make this a fun dance that looks impressive but is really also fun to do’. I tried to strike that balance as best as I could.”
Yannette praised Lawrence’s work. “He is a miracle…wait until you see this choreography. He has this natural gift…he’s an incredible teacher. This is his first school job so he’s a totally natural teacher. The kids love him and he’s so good. But, he so cleverly has made kids who have had very little dance experience look like they know what they’re doing. And to make it look like it’s more complex than it actually is just clever.”
Lawrence noted, “I think they (the kids) made our job really easy with that. So, really, all that we had to do was just provide a space for them to show their awesomeness and to show how courageous and brave and funny they are. We didn’t really have to coordinate that at all.”
Tyruss Thompson, a senior, has been involved with musical theatre and singing for about five years. He will play the part of ‘Doodie’ in this show. “There’s not many lines I have to remember which was really easy on me. But, I would say my most favorite part about playing ‘Doodie’ is definitely his solo. I was told that with how high it goes, I was one of, if not the only kid in the high school right now that could go up to those notes or was willing to go up to those notes.”
When asked what he enjoys most about musical theatre, he said, “Definitely getting out there and just kind of playing the part of someone else while incorporating how the character would go about it.”
Izabella Terrell, a junior, has also been involved in musical theatre for several years and is playing the part of ‘Frenchy’ – a role she identifies with. “I think it’s really a fun role. I love doing her a lot because, honestly, I don’t have to act that much. I don’t like doing heavy acting roles, but I really just like being comfortable in the role and portraying the best I can with just enough enthusiasm that it gets people’s attention.”
Ada Neti, a junior, has been doing musical theatre for three years and will play ‘Danny Zuko’ in this show. “I feel like I just have more fun whenever I’m acting. I try to incorporate myself into the character but also play as the character itself. ‘Danny’ is such a hard character to be. Some parts are embarrassing, but I just have a good time with that character, really.”
Each student was asked what percentage of their character portrayals would be themselves shining through. Thompson said, “Roughly 60 to 70 percent is going to be me. A lot of it is just how would I go about things. But then I have to keep in mind that it’s set in the ‘60s so how would I go about this if I were in the ‘60s? Then I have to also remove the me part and make it ‘Doodie’.”
Terrell noted, “You’re going to see 99 percent of it because I just enjoy ‘Frenchie’ a lot…I’ve seen how a bunch of other people portray her in different types of ‘Grease’, but I feel like they’re all playing her and never really playing themselves to her. I just feel like I have a lot of fun with her because she’s me. I can see myself in her and all the stuff she goes through.”
Neti responded, “It would probably be 70 until you realize how much he embarrasses himself. That could never be me. I could never do that.”
Yannette said “Grease” will be the last show that he will music direct. “I’m actually officially retiring in December. I’ll still be here for the show next year…Toby is going to be the new me and I want to make sure we get another music person to take over after next year.”
He said musical theatre is so important to the school. “Of all the places that I’ve taught, that feeling of ‘theater and singing has to be here’…it’s so important that this continues on.”
