Sentinel photo by JOSH YODER
Pictured in costume Thursday following rehearsal for an upcoming production of Grease the Musical are, front, Josef Book, Wesley Somers, Logan Strawser, Addison Benner, Rebekah Ehrisman and Nina Malocu; back, Joseph Kahley, Devin Graybill, Shirley Symmerman and Hailey Yeater. The musical will be performed beginning Thursday, March 2.

COCOLAMUS — East Juniata is looking to remind everyone that Grease is still the word in the theater program and is ready to perform its latest production Grease the Musical.

“Definitely excited to do Grease at EJ,” East Juniata Musical Director Jacqueline Malocu said. “This is a show that hasn’t been done here in a very long time. We are super excited about it.”

Productions of Grease the Musical will be performed at 7 p.m. March 2, 3 and 4 and at 3 p.m. March 5.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door an hour before each show at https://tinyurl.com/ejhstickets or go to ejhs.jcsdk12.org.

The musical that was created by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey back in the early 70s has had several adaptations throughout the years. So when it was time to pick a musical, it was a no brainer for Malocu and her team.

“We chose Grease because it is a well-known musical. There are a lot of fun, upbeat songs,” Malocu explained.

“We just came back into the theater full swing this year from a long break.

We wanted to pick something fun and that would bring a lot of kids out to join us.”

Malocu said she is grateful for the efforts of staff and students for putting in a lot of time and effort into the production.

“Being a first time musical director is definitely different from directing a play. There are a lot of components involved,” Malocu said. “I have an amazing team. There is no way I can do this myself. But it has been a lot of fun. I really enjoy working with the kids, they have a lot of heart, they have a lot of dedication, they all work very hard so it makes it easy for me to direct them.”

Due to the pandemic, the theater program took a hiatus, which created some challenges, but Malocu continues to be impressed with a strong work ethic and cheerful attitude of her cast, crew and fellow staff members throughout the whole process.

“For the kids, I would say that rehearsals have been tense. We kind of got a bit of a late start in rehearsing, so we really only had two months to rehearse this musical so that has been interesting,” Malocu said. “But I would say even the rehearsals have been long and hard. We’ve been having a lot of fun and it has been a really great experience.”

When it is all said and done, Malocu encourages audiences to see the efforts East Juniata students have put into the musical. Malocu hopes that people will come out with a new perspective and also hopes that everyone involved can learn a very important life lesson.

“Grease has a lot of entertainment value but one thing we have been talking about with the kids is just the idea of acceptance and friendship,” Malocu said. “And that is the message we are trying to drive home with them. These kids have worked their hearts out. You definitely don’t want to miss this show.”