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]