The Middlebury College Musical Theater Club’s rendition of the musical “Grease” left everyone in Town Hall Theater (THT) “Hopelessly Devoted” to the talented cast and crew this past weekend.
The club captured the vibrant energy of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll with their spring musical, which ran from April 10–12. Despite managing one of their largest productions to date, MCMT showcased remarkable skill in directing a sizable cast while delivering flawless renditions of the iconic soundtrack and perfectly executed technical transitions. The production was directed by a Creative Team consisting of director Zoë Predmore (’27.5), co-director Chandni Desai (‘25), and choreographer Zoe Park (‘27.5). The Technical Team was led by stage manager Anna Armstrong (’28) and assistant stage manager Lilah Farrow (’27).
Grease follows the romance between greaser Danny Zuko (Graeme Evans ’28) and transfer student Sandy Dumbrowski (Campbell Keller ’26). In the wake of a summer fling between the two, Sandy unexpectedly enrolls at Danny’s school, Rydell High. As they both try various strategies to win each other over, their journey is complicated by social pressures from their respective friend groups — Danny’s Burger Palace Boys and Sandy’s new friends, the Pink Ladies.
The musical is characterized by humorous quips and plot devices, hormonal teenagers, unspoken feelings, flashy dance moves with just as flashy jealousy and the right amount of drama. The secondary storylines centering other Rydell students add depth to this iconic tale of teenage love and identity in 1950s America. The energetic atmosphere was further brought to life by these supporting characters who each delivered standout performances.
Marty (Annalise Houghton ’28) commanded the first half of the show, delivering one-liners with an unshakable accent that gave the audience a taste of the humor to come. Roger (Nathan Bernazzani ’27) and Jan (Regan Boord ’27) portrayed the vibrant cross-group romance that felt natural from their first scene together. Doody (Jonathan Mount ’25.5) and Frenchy (Patrice Cahill ’25.5) put their co-president chemistry on full display with eclectic flipturns and perfectly synchronized dance routines, naturally drawing the audience’s attention whenever they appeared on stage.
“Finding those places to color in [Doody] and how that deepens the dynamic with Patrice’s character, Frenchy, was really fun to explore,” Mount told The Campus.
The story culminates at the school dance, enhanced by creative staging elements, strategic spotlight work, and the charismatic presence of Vince Fontaine (Max Blumenthal ’27) as the event’s energetic announcer.
The musical numbers were nothing short of breathtaking, as a mix of technical prowess alongside raw vocal power showcased the production's ability to balance humor with poignant moments. I particularly enjoyed the dramatic lighting in “Alone at the Drive-In Movie,” performed by Evans and featuring the Burger Palace Boys, who used flashlights to heighten the tension of the scene against a dark blue backdrop.
“There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” a solo performance by Betty Rizzo (Jamie Schwartz ’27), was accompanied by soft, orange lighting which enhanced the soulful vulnerability of the moment, helping audiences develop sympathy for the tough leader of the Pink Ladies.
The production team largely preserved the original script, making only minimal changes. However, they did reinterpret some character motivations and personalities to add depth where the script felt underdeveloped to not risk falling into two-dimensional tropes.
Despite working with a limited budget for set design, the production team displayed impressive resourcefulness in building and sourcing set pieces. One standout example was Kenickie's car, built by Quinn Donaldson ’26.5, who also played the character.
“He has basically been the uncredited assistant set designer for the past two shows,” Mount noted. “When he’s not onstage, he’s back there building and drilling the car back together.”
Special recognition was also given to Technical Director of the THT Stefan Örn Arnarson for contributing materials and constructing the distinctive checkered floorboard pattern.
The show featured a large number of first years in the cast, which was an exciting aspect of the annual spring production. Since fall productions cast only returning students, the spring show represents the first opportunity for freshmen to audition, and the new talent certainly didn't disappoint.
Coordinating the large cast proved challenging at times. The most difficult musical numbers to perfect were “Shakin’ at the High School Hop” and “We Go Together” due to their fast pace and need for precision.
“We have the entire cast on the stage. You have to make sure all those claps are all on the same time,” Mount explained.
Despite these challenges, the shared goal of creating a successful production brought everyone together during tech week and the performances. During this time, cast members could also witness what their fellow cast members had been working on, allowing them to watch the show come together in real time.
“Even though you're in the same production, you still get the excitement of seeing something new because it’s so split — there’s always more people,” Bernazzani said.
The audience delivered a standing ovation to the energetic and visibly excited cast as they concluded their closing night with “We Go Together” with a series of bows that only fueled more applause. The energy was contagious as I left the theater with a jig in my step, humming the catchy refrain of ‘chang chang changity chang shoo bop’ under my breath.
Correction 4/17/25: This article has been updated to better reflect the names of the production and technical team members.
