After 16 months of pandemic induced silence, the Dixie Theatre in Lewisburg returns to life tomorrow with a musical classic.

The Marshall County Community Theatre production of Grease opens Friday for a six show run.

Allison Mulliniks, who is producing and directing the show, has wanted to bring Grease back to the Dixie stage for a while now.

As happy she is with the show and returning to the Dixie, Mulliniks is also pleased that almost half of the young cast is performing with MCCT for the first time.

“It always amazes me how much talent we have (in Marshall County),” she said.

Carson Boyd and Brady Phillips fill the roles of Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski as they navigate their senior year and all of its pitfalls at 1950s Rydell High School.

The pair are supported by their friends, who are also figuring out adulthood.

Annabelle Mulliniks as Jan, Leavie Solomon as Marty, Bella Tepedino as Rizzo, and Caroline Bailey as Frenchy are the Pink Ladies, who befriend new student Sandy.

Danny’s Burger Palace Boys (not the T-Birds of the movie)-- Bryson Whaley as Kenickie, Kade Adcox as Doody, J.W. Beasley as Roger, and Anthony Smith as Sonny,-- spend their rebellious year on girls and cars.

Keely Grover plays Miss Lynch, the principal who tries to keep them all in line, and Emily Watson and Garrett Webster play Patty Simcox and Eugene Florcyzk, students who better fit Miss Lynch’s ideal of model students.

Garon Castillo plays fast talking DJ Vince Fontaine and Darius Robinson brings the hand jive as Johnny Casino, with Henry Pearson and Will Beasley as his back up band.

Melia Young stirs up the Rydell prom as Cha-Cha Digregorio, and Colin Harris serves as Frenchy’s Teen Angel.

Coco Allen, Hannah Grover, and Hannah Lewie are Rydell cheerleaders, with Lily Grover, Chloe Martinez, Katie Mertens, Lillian Mitchell, Jayla Fitzgerald, Jaz Fitzgerald, Reagan Harris, and Lillie Newton rounding out the ensemble as Greased Lightnin Girls or Beauty School Dropout Girls.

The original stage production premiered in 1971 but the overwhelming success of the 1978 movie version, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, added songs to the original production while retaining songs and characters cut from the film version.

The movie soundtrack was the second highest selling album of 1978, after Saturday Night Fever, which also starred Travolta, and the movie was the highest grossing movie musical in the United States until Beauty and the Beast in 2017.

As always, the backstage crew brings the show to life.

Caleb Boone provides musical direction for this MCCT production with Naphtali Rothrock assisting. Angie Bass serves as stage manager and Nick Phillips steps in as assistant director.

Choreography is courtesy of Madeline Hawley, assisted by Bella Tepedino and Emily Watson.

Costumes are managed by Christy Robinson and Shannon Zuniga.

Sets were designed by Charlotte Zajac, Scott Harris, Ashley Harris, and Reagan Harris.

Sound design and tech are run by Randy Saddler and Anthony Hobbs with lighting design by Joseph Mulliniks.

Showtimes are Friday, July 30, Saturday, July 31, Friday, Aug. 6, and Saturday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.

Matinee shows are scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 1, and Aug. 8, at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the shows are $20 and can be purchased from the box office one hour prior to showtime or online from dixietheatre.org.

After far too long of a wait, make it out one weekend for another excellent MCCT production.