‘Grease’ is the word at Monticello High School

Smash musical brings the packed house down

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY — One could quickly run out of superlatives when talking about Monticello High School’s production of “Grease,” which played to packed houses in the Arnold Packer Hughs Auditorium on March 23-24.

With music provided by Theatre Orchestra Director Kevin Dirth’s ensemble, led by accompanist Ken Uy, affording the show its rock, and the direction/choreography of Jennifer Romano empowering the musical hit with its step, pizzazz and style, “Grease” electrified an interactive audience that responded with laughter, applause and delight to the production’s crispness and allure.

Monticello students who immersed themselves in the zany characters of Rydell High School superbly performed all the principal roles. Leads included Erik Mayberg as Danny and Chante Simon as Sandy. Both were outstanding, as was Emily Billig as the hard-edged Rizzo. Billig’s singing brought the house down, especially her impassioned rendition of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.”

The Burger Palace boys included Adam Feinberg as Kenickie, Brendan Ference as the guitar-toting Doody, Frank Segro as the slick Sonny and Tyler Salovin as the mooning Roger. The audience loved the inclusion of a real Corvette, lent to the show by Bill Sedlack Jr., which added a great prop to “Greased Lightning.”

Salovin’s appearance in the production brought in a whole cadre of audience members from the Rock Hill Fire Department to the show.

The Pink Ladies, including Billig, Tiffany Mack as Frenchy, Jennifer Shickle as Marty and Rachel Zager as Nan, were a great foil to the Burger Palace Boys. Their singing of “Freddy, My Love” and their dancing in the ensemble numbers of “Shakin’ at the High School Hop,” “Born to Hand Jive”“Beauty School Dropout” and the finale of “We Go Together” had the audience swaying and smiling.

Other great character performances were turned in by Rebecca Perlman as Miss Lynch, Daniel Cunningham as Eugene, Juliana D’Abbraccio as Cha-Cha, Heather Rosenbaum as Patty, Christian Giunta as Teen Angel and Joshua Oates as Johnny Casino.

Splendid costumes chosen by Ann Carmeci, vocal music direction from Snezana Lazich, directorial assistance from Danielle D’Abbraccio and set design and construction by Tim Lewin were part and parcel of the show’s appeal, as were the supporting cast, pit orchestra and stage crew, who fused their energy into one of the most memorable productions in recent years.

Monticello High School sets the standard for fine dramatic productions in this county, and this show set the bar at a new height.

Congratulations to the cast, crew, directors, parents and community members who made this great show possible.

As a former actor and director, this writer left the theatre “All Choked Up.”

Click here to access an album of nearly 300 pictures from the show.