Actress Kat Palardy has wanted to play the lead female role in "Grease" since she was in the fifth grade. Now in the Wagon Wheel's production of "Grease" she gets her chance.
"Grease" opened at the Wagon Wheel Wednesday and will run through June 30.
Palardy is playing the role of sweet, innocent and naive Sandy Dumbrowksi.
Actor Michael VanGemert will play Sandy's love interest, Danny Zuko.Palardy said she has dreamed of playing the role of Sandy since she was a young girl.
"I have a videotape of myself putting on a production of Grease for my parents with three of my friends when I was in fifth grade," Palardy said.
"I always had to play Danny Zuko because there were not enough girls to play the male roles and never had the opportunity to play Sandy and now I finally get my chance."
Palardy, from Boston, Mass., will be a senior at Northwestern University this fall where she is studying music and theater.
This is her first time performing at Wagon Wheel.
The show is set in the 1950's and tells the coming-of-age story of characters Sandy and Danny.
Palardy said she can relate to her role as Sandy.
"I was a late bloomer like Sandy and didn't have my first boyfriend until I was a freshman in college," she said.
Palardy said in high school she was friends with girls who were into drinking, smoking and boys, similar to interests in Sandy's friends "The Pink Ladies" in the show.
Palardy said she recalls even switching to another table during lunch because she was intimidated by the other girls.
Palardy will sing solos "Hopelessly Devoted To You" "Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee" and "It's Raining On Prom Night" during the show.
She described the production as fast-paced with a lot of dancing, singing and comedic scenes.
The show opens at a 10-year reunion for the class of 1959 at fictional Rydell High School in Chicago.
In a flashback on the first day of school, Danny tells his buddies about his latest girlfriend in "Summer Love."
Danny, having exaggerated his conquest to his friends, brushes Sandy off by being "cool" and rude.
VanGemert, 24, from Monona, Wis., said he gets into his character of Danny by wearing tight jeans, a leather jacket, white t-shirt and of course, sideburns.
"I have an accent, a strut and put lots of grease in my hair to make my character believable," VanGemert said.
He said the set makes the production unique by taking the audience back to the1950s with a raised stage with a black and white checkerboard print and parlor stools to represent "Burger Palace" from the movie.
A car that turns into "Grease Lightning" is made of steel with real doors and is used in the show.
VanGemert described the production as a show where characters experience a coming of age.
"It is a show of firsts that the audience can relate to whether it be a first boyfriend, first girlfriend, first sip of wine, first cigarette or first kiss at the drive-in," VanGemert said.
"Everyone can relate to at least one of the characters in the show because there are lots of types of personalities."
Although the characters experience new circumstances for the first time, playing the role of Danny is nothing new to VanGemert.
He played Danny in another production of "Grease" in January in Wisconsin.
The actor and actress said their favorite scene is the drive-in scene when they are watching a movie at the drive-in and Danny tries to put the moves on Sandy.
"Danny tries to go farther than Sandy is comfortable with and she jumps out of the car and slams the door on him," Palardy said.
Skye Scott, a Warsaw High School graduate, will play Eugene, a goofy, nerdy comedic role.
Grease was nominated for nine Tony Awards in its original production and received five more in its revival on Broadway in 1994.
A few tickets are left for Friday's show and Saturday and Sunday's performances are sold out. Tickets are still available for the performances Tuesday through June 30. Wagon Wheel officials say tickets are selling briskly and recommend that people reserve tickets for the shows.
Evening performances are at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets for adults are $30; students over 13-years-old are $16; and tickets for students under 12 are $12. Call 574-267-8041, toll free 866-823-2618 or visit www.wagonwheeltheatre.com to purchase tickets.
