The first showing of the NVSS production of well loved musical ‘Grease’ goes ahead tomorrow, despite director Erin Baker suffering a broken leg at the beginning of February.
The theatrical term ‘break a leg’ came all too literal for Baker, when she did just that after slipping on some ice two weeks before curtain call.
“But the show must go on,” said Roz Harper, a teacher at the school who was originally doing costumes for the production.
“I am the show must go on helper,” said Harper.
“Erin Baker is the director and everything you see is because of her … Libby Hart the principle at McLeod … and I have stepped up to the plate to help out because the show must go on but this is Erins show,” she emphasized.
Baker, who hopes to be able to go back in to help before the first production says she picked Grease because it has always been a popular choice from students at the school.
“Every year since I’ve been there its always come up as an option as something that the kids want to do,” said Baker.
“But you want to make sure you have enough kids auditioning, and I just decided after speaking to the kids last year that there was a lot of them that really wanted to do the show,” she said.
The production of Grease has also attracted a whole different crowd into the drama department, according to Baker.
“Auditions really brought out a different group of kids so we have a really neat variety of veterans and rookies which is kind of cool,” she said.
Baker said the biggest challenge has been working with the music but thanks to the help of musical director Thea Doyle and student Danni Fehr , they have made it work.
“We’re lucky because we have Thea Doyle…she’s really good and we have Danni Fehr who’s a high school student and an unbelievable piano player so she was able to come in and take the music and adapt it for the students – she’s been really amazing,” said Baker.
Although Baker says breaking her leg has been a real disappointment she says she felt she had most of the hard work done before the incident.
“We had the framework of the show pretty much done,” she said.
“They have been recording rehearsals for me and then I have been watching them and giving my notes to Roz so that she could look at things with the kids,” she said.
Brandon Pelletier, a grade 12 student who plays one of the lead roles ‘Kinicki’ in the production says he has loved every minute of the play and can’t wait for the performance.
“I’ve loved every minute of it…as soon as I put this leather jacket on I knew I was ready for this,” he said.
NVSS student Hannah Harper says her favorite part of being involved has been playing her character in the production ‘Marty.’
“It’s been really cool … in the past I’ve always been cast as the old crotchety woman … but Marty’s really flirty and quirky and tries to be something she’s not so its an interesting dynamic,” said Hannah.
“It’s been fun getting to play with the attitude – you put on the pink ladies jacket and you just want to strut around … it makes you feel like a different person,” she said.
The NVSS production of Grease runs on February 17, 18, 19 and February 24, 25 and 26.
