Now that the first show of the Highland Summer Theatre season, “The Miss Firecracker Contest,” has closed, Dale O’Dell can leave Mississippi behind and spend all of his time in 1959 at northwest Chicago’s Rydell High School — the famed and fictional setting of the popular musical “Grease.”
It’s a homecoming role of sorts. He first played Danny Zuko in 2005, a year after he graduated from high school, basing his performance on the popular 1978 film. This time will be different, he said.
“Danny was actually my first lead in a musical,” the 37-year-old non-student cast member said. “Still being very new to musicals, I really channeled John Travolta. I became John Travolta,” down to the laugh.
“But this time around, I’m doing my own thing. I’m gonna be more Danny Zuko than John (Travolta),” he laughed.
Anyone who likes musical theater or movies has probably seen a production of “Grease.” It’s a fun look at high school through the eyes of a handful of teenagers navigating the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values and love. Minnesota State University has presented it three times, in the summers of 1986, 1997 and 2006.
While not holy ground, per se, director James Van Oort knows it holds a special place for many people, so he has no plans to change the time, setting or location, be cute with characterizations or over-conceptualize it. He earned his MFA in directing from MSU.
“You really have to just kind of dial into the story and appreciate the story and tell the story,” he said while sitting in the Ted Paul Theatre on the first day of rehearsal. On stage was a raised platform, reached by a ramp, where the car Greased Lightning will take center stage on a turntable.
In addition to directing this show, Van Oort is continuing during the summer in his school year role as scene shop manager. His morning job will give him great insight to how construction is coming along, what the set can and can’t do, and how to bring out that “Grease” ethos, he said.
Change comes to Rydell High School in the form of new student Sandy Dumbrowski, who becomes Danny’s love interest. That role is played by Sarah Potvin, a 2023 MSU graduate who has worked with companies such as Lyric Arts and Collide Theatrical in the Twin Cities.
O’Dell said he met Potvin when she attended a performance of the Mankato Playhouse production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” where he played the dentist, but that was before they knew of the “Grease” casting.
A recent addition to the Mankato theater scene, O’Dell auditioned for Highland with hopes of getting the role in “The Miss Firecracker Contest” primarily. It has been 10 years since he has been in a play rather than a musical and he wanted to test his chops, he said.
He never expected to play Danny again, in part because he is much older than the 17-year-old now, but gladly accepted the challenge of re-creating the role in the company of his talented castmates. Especially in conjunction with playing Delmount.
His experience in the first show has him excited about getting deeply engaged with this show.
“I really enjoyed working with the MSU students. They’re amazing actors. So hardworking,” he said. “My ‘Firecracker’ cast, we just instantly connected and brought these characters to life.”
Their director, who is involved with “Grease” for the first time, agrees, especially in light of the quick summer stock schedule.
“Fortunately, our cast, even though many of them are students, they are of a caliber that is very professional in the way they carry themselves and the way they approach their work,” Van Oort said. He thinks their instinctual acting will help bring freshness to the show.
As someone who has worked extensively in the hospitality industry and who also loves to perform, O’Dell said he is excited to bring his new, mature interpretation of Danny Zuko to the Mankato audiences.
“I like to entertain and put smiles on people’s faces and make them feel good, you know,” he said. He said he enjoyed sharing the journey of Delmount with audiences and has the same hopes for his experience as Danny.
“I really want to give everybody a good night,” he said. “Everybody who comes to the show, I want to give them a great performance. I want them to feel all the feels and leave feeling good.”
