Catholic Memorial High School Presents 'Grease'

Catholic Memorial High School’s (CMH) student production of the Broadway musical, Grease, opens February 8-10, with additional shows on February 15-17 and 21-24. Advance tickets are on sale to the public during school days through the Catholic Memorial High School main office, $12 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens. Limited seating tickets will be sold at the door on the day of each performance. All performances will be held at the CMH auditorium/Grasch Family Stage.

Performances are:

• Feb. 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 7 p.m.


• Feb. 10, 17, and 24 at 2 p.m.  

The musical is being produced and directed by 2012 Wisconsin High School Forensic Association (WHSFA) Theatre Directors Hall of Fame inductee and CMH full-time staff member and coach, Christopher Andacht. In total, he has directed or produced 33 productions at CMH, 17 of them being musicals.

Pete Lange, full-time instrumental and choral director for Catholic Memorial, is the vocal director for the musical. Choreography for the musical is being done by Doug Reed, 2011/12 Tommy Award winner in Outstanding Choreography (State Fair). Reed is also the choreographer for the Fireside Theater in Ft. Atkinson, Wisc.

Grease is set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School. It follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love, cars, and drive-ins. Wholesome girl, Sandy (Emily Esser/Becky Calhoun) and greaser renegade, Danny (Dan Engsberg/Tyler Agnew) fall in love over the summer and go their separate ways when summer is over, never expecting to see each other again. Once school starts in the fall, however, they later discover that they attend the same high school. What follows is a struggle of social differences that challenges their romance.

The musical boasts song favorites and high energy choreography. There are two main casts and three children’s casts that alternate performance dates. The children’s casts are comprised of 100 children from schools located throughout the Waukesha and Milwaukee areas.

“I applaud the dedication of the all students, staff, parents, and others involved in this musical,” said Fr. Paul Hartmann, president of Catholic Memorial High School. “Their efforts align with the values that CMH pursues every day – memorial, faith, trust, respect, inclusiveness, professionalism, excellence, and caritas in omnibus [genuine care and interest in the lives of others].”

Last year’s student musical, State Fair, received Tommy Awards for Outstanding Musical Scene, Choreographer, Dancer, Lead Performer and Supporting Performer.

For more information on this production and to find out more about Catholic Memorial High School, call (262) 542-7101 or visit the Web site at www.catholicmemorial.net.