REBECCA Hardy is proof that dreams can come true.
"The first time I watched Grease I decided one day I would like to audition to be Sandy in the musical," Rebecca said. "I've been singing as long as I can remember but have never acted in front of anybody - until yesterday."
Callaghan College Jesmond year 11 students Rebecca Hardy and Sam Walters, both 16, play the lead characters Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko in the college's production of Grease, which is the first musical to bring together students from the Jesmond senior campus and Wallsend and Waratah junior campuses. It is also the first to be performed in Jesmond's new auditorium.
Sam has performed in venues including the Sydney Opera House as a musician with the Marching Koalas but never acted before.
"I was actually going to try out for the band but I got the lead!" he said.
"It's been a great confidence booster.
"Once you become the character it follows you around, I feel like I'm slowly turning into Danny Zuko."
Senior campus principal James Ostermann said the college originally planned to stage the musical in 2020 but had endured more than two years of COVID-19 related delays. He said more than 100 students started work in term two to bring the musical to the stage, including 28 in the cast, 12 in the production crew, 10 front of house and another 50 behind the scenes, including construction and visual arts students who helped to build the set and props. "This is a memory they will keep for life - and a challenge," he said.
Grease is playing at 6.30pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday, tickets trybooking.com
