Erin Paxton as Sandy tells her friends about her summer romance in “Summer Nights,” one of the highlights of CTA’s production of “Grease.”

By Dylan Roche

In the last year, Children’s Theatre of Annapolis has successfully transformed casts of youngsters into monstrous witches (in “The Witches”), historical figures (in “Night at the Wax Museum”) and lords and ladies (in 2010’s “Once Upon A Mattress”). Now, CTA brings us a cast of teenagers playing…teenagers.

The first two weekends of the year, CTA lit up the stage with a lively production of the ever-popular musical “Grease,” a rock-and-roll exposé into the life of teenagers at Rydell High School in the 1950s.

Directed by Christy Stouffer, music directed by Josh Konick, and choreographed by Jason Kimmell, “Grease” brims with energy and fun. Over thirty area youth are featured in the cast, showcasing a number of gifted performers.

Leading the ensemble are John LaRussa and Erin Paxton in great performances as Danny and Sandy. Paxton is adorably naïve as the good girl trying so hard to fit in, while LaRussa believably portrays the deep-down nice guy too cool to admit his feelings for the girl he clearly likes.

Supporting leads Mark Hollerbach as Kenickie and Mariel White as Rizzo are excellent. Hollerback delivers a well-done rendition of “Greased Lightning” and White is effectively mocking in her humorous rendition of “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee.”

“Grease” includes plenty of popular and lively musical numbers for the audience’s delight. In a unique touch, CTA’s production opens with the theme song from the film, “Grease is the Word,” featuring the entire cast.

Other songs, including “Summer Nights,” and “We Go Together” bring the entire cast together, making for lively group numbers with plenty of energy. Meanwhile, solo performances allow cast members to shine, including Isaac Simonaire as Doody, who shows excellent stage presence in “Those Magic Changes,” and Austin Heemstra as the Teen Angel, who gives a standout performance of “Beauty School Dropout.”

The 1950s setting is brought to life with colorful costumes, bold set designs, and creative technical ingenuity. Danny and Sandy’s date to the drive-in movie is created with an actual film (a black-and-white parody of a ‘50s horror movie) projected above the stage. The car, Greased Lightning, not only drives across the stage, but transforms from hunk-of-junk to a souped-up hot rod.

Altogether, the lively performances, memorable songs, and visual feats give fresh life to the world of the Rydell High students. For the young, the production is endless fun because they can relate to these characters. For the young-at-heart, the production is a reminder of what it was like to be a teenager again.

Audiences enjoyed a rare treat, a testament to all that children’s theatre can be. The brilliant leadership of the artistic crew, the commendable dedication of the volunteer teams, and the host of young talent were all something to behold.

CTA continues its 2012 season with a production of “Alice in Wonderland” in April. CTA also teaches after-school workshops for youth of all ages, and will host folk music icon Arlo Guthrie for a benefit concert on Feb. 15. For more information, go to www.childrenstheatreofannapolis.org.