‘Grease’ is still the word

Danette Goulet

Parents cut, pasted and painted sets amid racing T-Birds and gum-chomping

Pink Ladies at Harbor View Elementary School on Thursday.

It was the final dress rehearsal before the weekend performances of

“Grease,” this year’s school play.

With 140 students in grades three through six vying for roles, Harbor

View created two entire casts -- the Purple Palominos and the Red Hot

Racers.

The result was dozens of pink vinyl jackets and poodle skirts and the

sticky sweet smell of bubble gum permeating the air.

“It’s really fun to be in a play,” said fifth-grader Kessa Palchikoff,

who plays the character Rizzo. “It’s kinda hard, though. You have to rush

to change.”

No one had to think twice about what their favorite scene was.

“Scene seven, when I get to sing my song and and I get to push him down,”

Cess said, pointing at Scott Sanford, who plays Kenickie.Strangely

enough, that was also Scott’s favorite scene.

The Pink Ladies’ arch enemies -- Cha Cha, played by Michaela Dichiro, and

her “girls,” Annie Klaster and Hannah Dean -- had a favorite of their

own.

“Doing the ‘Hand Jive,’ ” Michaela said. “We take the T-Birds to the

dance, which is at Newport Harbor in the play.”

Her “girls” both agreed.

Darla Dreyer, director and choreographer of the play, has students

looking and sounding like the real thing.

“The kids have been working on this since the end of September, early

October,” said Mari Jane Palchikoff, the parent producing the play.

“They’ve worked so hard and are so excited.”

FYI

Harbor View Elementary’s performances of ‘Grease’ will be at 5 and 7:30

p.m. Saturday, and 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, in the multipurpose room

at the school.