Quaker Valley Middle School presents 'Grease' as this year's musical

Quaker Valley Middle School musical producer Megan Mueller believes the power her student cast and crew are supplying will be electrifying when they present “Grease” later this month.

“I’m extremely excited,” Mueller said on Oct. 29, nine days before opening night. “They’re very talented. I’ve enjoyed working with them. I’ve been with the current eighth graders since they were in sixth grade. It’s nice to see them grow as musical actors and actresses.

“It’s kind of a big thing for me because I was in the musicals at (high) school, and now I’m sharing my passion for musical theater with these kids. They’re a great group of kids.”

Mueller, a 2002 Quaker Valley graduate, was in her high school’s “Grease” production. This is her third year as middle school producer.

The show was announced in May. Auditions took place in August and practices began in September.

Thomas Forrest is directing his ninth middle school musical performance.

He’s been putting the young performers through their paces with the help of assistant producer Makenzie Snarey, music director Chad Toporski, high school student choreographers Sally Riordan and Mackenzie Felouzis and fellow high schooler Evelyn Bertiaux on costumes.

Parent Bill Eichert and several other parents have volunteered to build and paint sets.

“I have no doubt things will be ready when the curtain opens because they always are,” Forrest said. “I used to get really panicked about this around this time of year. The way I look at it is, when someone asks me, ‘How’s it going?’ I say, ‘There are many miles to go.’

“One day at a time. Everything will get solved by the end because we have so many people working on it. They won’t let it fail.”

The school version of “Grease” is a bit more family-friendly and has less runtime than its Broadway production or 1978 movie version starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton- John.

“It’s a cleaned-up version, but it still tells the story,” Forrest said.

There are 112 middle schoolers in the cast and crew, a mix of sixth through eighth graders. It’s one of the school’s largest student production groups in recent years.

The show has several audience interactions. Attendees should expect to see some students in the crowd.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Nov. 7, 8, 14 and 15 with a 1 p.m. matinee Nov. 9. All shows are in the middle school auditorium, 618 Harbaugh St. Tickets are $9 for children and $14 for adults.

More information is available at tinyurl.com/qvgreasetix.