Congratulating each other as they take their final bows to theater seats occupied by stuffed animals, the cast of Piedmont High School’s musical has just completed their dress rehearsal. Exiting the stage, they shed their leather jackets and satiny pink bombers to return home, eagerly preparing themselves for the riotous applause they will soon be receiving from a more human audience.
This spring, PHS will be performing the musical “Grease” from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 in the Alan Harvey Theater. The performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will take place at 7 p.m., and the Sunday show will begin at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 for students and can be purchased online or at the door for an additional $2 per ticket.
In PHS’s long-standing musical tradition, a production has never been repeated until now. Dance and musical theater director Amy Moorhead said that although she didn’t originally expect to select “Grease” again, she decided to do so because she believed students would enjoy its characters and that many of its central themes are uniquely relevant to students’ lives today.
“I didn’t think I would ever repeat ‘Grease’, honestly, but I decided to repeat it, because I think students enjoy playing teenagers, enjoy playing the age that they are, and in spite of being written in the 1970s and set in the 1950s, I think ‘Grease’ still really resonates today,” Moorhead said. “Honestly, especially in 2026, perhaps more than, say, five or ten years ago, because of some of the issues of identity and peer pressure.”
According to senior Theo Ferguson, who plays Danny Zuko, the musical centers on two high school students, Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, who develop a summer romance and later discover they attend the same school. As the story progresses, Danny and Sandy are forced to learn to navigate their romantic relationship while contending with the pressures of expectations from their school and the vastly different cliques they belong to: the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies. First appearing on Broadway in 1972, the show has become a cultural touchstone known for its hit soundtrack and high-energy dance numbers.
“I would say my favorite moment is either the closing number of Act One or the starting number of Act Two because it’s a big dance number, everybody’s involved,” Ferguson said. “We’re doing crazy moves, there’s jumps and flips and all sorts of stuff, and that’s been super fun.”
Sophomore Zayd Mahmood, who plays the character Kenickie, said that bringing the show’s iconic characters to life is key to connecting with the audience.
“This show is especially difficult because so many people know it, but I’ve definitely learned to fully embody this character because it’s [one where] it’s really important to get into the mood of the character,” Mahmood said. “We’ve [used] techniques such as for the entire day, you have to stand like your character and things such as that.”
Beyond individual acting strategies, Ferguson also said that Moorhead, as the director, devotes particular effort to ensuring that all cast members have a comprehensive understanding of the 1950s period in which the play is set, helping them better grasp the nuances of their roles.
“One thing I think Ms. Moorhead does a great job at is that she really provides a lot of the historical context from all these shows. So we get to sort of explore and learn what this time period was like,” Ferguson said. “We’ve definitely put in our work to understand who our characters are, which is an important step before you can become that character.”
Mahmood said that the ongoing preparations for opening night don’t just stop with the actors, however. Crew members have been hard at work constructing many set pieces and props, including the car that will appear in the iconic musical number “Greased Lightnin”.
“It’s on wheels and everything, and the hope is [that] we can wheel it on stage, and we’ll have an actual car, so I’m really excited about that,” Ferguson said.
Moorhead said she hopes audiences enjoy both the more lighthearted moments of “Grease” and appreciate the underlying messages.
“It’s just a super fun show, and gives audiences a lot to think about, in addition to being a very fun rock-and-roll musical, and no matter when it’s done, it just brings people out of the woodwork,” Moorhead said.
