‘Grease’ is the wor By JAMES SPEED Staff Writer JKSSI6I@PSU.EDU Hey Eugeeene, did you happen to catch the Capital Players production of Grease, or were you shocked, and bummed out when you learned that tickets were sold out for all four shows four days before opening night? That’s right, the Capital Players packed the house April 16 through the 19 lh with its rendition of the Broadway smash hit “Grease.” With twenty-four cast members, all students at PSH, “Grease” was the largest production ever done on the Penn State Harrisburg campus. Many long, hard horns went into making it a success including building the set, which was a team effort of the entire cast and crew. Dances were learned, lines were memorized, and songs were harmonized, but all that hard work paid off when cast and crew showed off in front of a packed house. Jim Johnson, the director of the show, said he thought “Grease” was a huge success and that he is very proud of how the cast came together and put on a great show. The six-piece orchestra headed up by Penn State’s adjunct music professor, David Deitz was a phenomenal addition to the stage and really brought out the energy in the crowd and the cast. The standing ovation the show received on Sunday is testament that “Grease” was a success and the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. Some standout performances include Eugene, played by Kevin Conti, who could not walk on stage without getting a barrel of laughs. Another gut buster was Frenchy played by Neferteri “Nefi” Shada Zula, who had the perfect Frenchy voice and a spunky attitude to boot. Teen Angel, Leon Voughs was another hit with the crowd with his sparkling white angel costume and Little Richard hair and Steven Williams, who played Danny Zuko, showed no signs of being a rookie on stage and wowed the audience with his shrieking version of “All Choked Up”. Eric Stump gave his last performance at Penn State Harrisburg as Kenickie - a part his hair was bom to play. There were also some amazing full cast dance numbers choreographed by Melia Tucker including the “Hand Jive”, a real crowd pleaser with cartwheels, lifts, and spins, and of course “We go Together.” The highlight of the night, or should I say the “moon’Tight of the night, was when Roger and Jan bore it all for the audience to There were shouts of horror amazement; shrieks of laujj and bewilderment and mayl camera flash or two.
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