On the nights of March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, the Upper School performed their rendition of the popular musical “Grease” by Jim Jacobs and Warren Case. Directed by Greg Spencer, this wonderful cast had three fantastic shows, all with amazing turnouts from fellow students and family!
“Grease” has been a fan favorite for years, from the release of the musical to the famous movie-musical starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in 1978. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Original Song, and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, it was no surprise that everyone was excited to find out that Newman would get a chance to show their twist on “Grease”.
“Grease” follows the story of Sandy Dumbrowski (Lilly Gorman ‘24) and Danny Zuko (John Sanpietro ‘25) who meet one summer and fall in love. Set in the 1950s, the two unexpectedly reunite at Rydell High; as they navigate complex decisions on peer pressure, identity, and love, they struggle to maintain their relationship in their respective cliques; the T-Birds: Kenickie (Nick White ‘25), Doody (Cooper Rubin ‘26), Roger (Onyx Kukuy ‘27), and Sonny (Drew Sonnier ‘25) and the Pink Ladies; Rizzo (Morgan Price ‘26), Jan (Eliana Hermann ‘26), Marty (Kamryn Murdock ‘27), and Frenchy (Eve Freyou ‘25).
Cast:
Sandy: Lilly Gorman
Danny: John Sanpietro
Rizzo: Morgan Price
Kenickie: Nick White
Frenchy: Eve Fre you
Doody/Teen Angel: Cooper Rubin
Jan: Eliana Hermann
Roger: Onyx Kukuy
Marty: Kamryn Murdock
Sonny: Drew Sonnier
Patty Simcox: Georgia Biever
Eugene Florczyk: Edwin Salisbury
Vince Fontaine: Colin Rills
Johnny Casino: Maslen L’Esperance
Mrs. Lynch: Mrs. Adams
Ensemble:
- Jerron Adams
- Josh Chaney
- Sabie Debiase
- Daniela Coby-Del Toro
- Helen Gong
- Amy Jones
- Sara Lovell
- Netta Magnus
- Vivan Zhou
Crew:
Stage Manager: Catelyn Coffin
Assistant Stage Manager: Cricket Graff
Props Master: Aria Jolly
Lighting & Design: Catie Hughes
Lighting Tech: Stella Joyce
Sound Tech: Life Sacco
Sound Assistant: Charlotte Norwood
Spotlights: 
- Maya Harris
- Zoila Linares
Turntable Operator: William Pitts
Backstage Crew:
- Valerie Zhou
- Bryce Martin
- Rohan Reddy
Costume Crew :
- Ellie Hughes
- Evie Bigelow
- DeLeah Mathis
- Sara Ochoa
The cast and crew worked tirelessly to bring this production to life. Starting in late January and working to the last few weeks of March, this show took many hours of hard work from our directors and students. Psalm McClellan ‘26 who plays the character “Cha Cha” remarks: “It seemed like we wouldn’t finish, but we pushed through.” Many in the cast had doubts about whether they would finish blocking and choreographing before opening night on the 21st, but ultimately, the Newman Players finished strong and performed well.
[Pictures taken by Maggie Richardson ’26]
