Students ready to shake it up

Any sixth-grader who's had Mary Jean Bankmann for language arts knows one of the first rules of the classroom: all must hail to the king.

That would be "king" as in Elvis Presley, the king of rock 'n' roll. Should you not be aware of the longtime teacher's affection for the King, the full-size cutout in her classroom provides a clue.

Given her love of Elvis, it's probably no surprise that her final Geneva Middle School musical is "All Shook Up," with definite Elvis overtones. Bankmann -- after nearly 20 years directing both the musical and the annual Variety Show -- is retiring at the end of this school year.

The play has a kind of "Footloose" plot, Bankmann said, referring to the musical in which kids just want to dance, but it's against the town rules. "It's a little square town in the middle of the country with a mayor who's trying to enforce the Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act," she said.

The show is the first of three consecutive weekends of Geneva school district musical theater performances. "All Shook Up" is Friday and Saturday; "Oklahoma!" will be performed by GMS North students March 7 and 8; and Geneva High School puts on "Grease" March 13 to 15.

Are South kids getting all shook up because it's Bankmann's final musical? "Of course!" she said.

Bankmann's director/producer partner Dottie Finatri told Bankmann the rights were out for the play, and they decided it would be good for her finale.

A synopsis says the show "tells the romantic tale of how a young girl's dream comes true when a guitar-playing roustabout rides into a square state and turns the town upside down with his hip-swivelin', lip-curlin' and sexy song singin'." It features such Elvis classics as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Don't be Cruel."

Jack Vogelsberg plays the Elvis character, Chad. Other male lead performers include Connor Colbert, Jordan Graber, Ben Chally and Jacob Chally.

Bankmann and Finatri decided to double-cast some of the girl leads. "I have so many talented females," Bankmann said. "I just couldn't bring it down to one cast."

Female lead characters are being portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez, Sarah Davison, Becca Grischow, Meredith Dillon, Felicity Albright, Janelle Glod, Doria Spiegel, Tori Conlon, Elise Watson and Kelsey Jaffer.

Together, with the remaining cast, and all the crew, they are creating a new world, and learning much in the process.

Students get so much out of performing, Bankmann said.

"There's a certain camaraderie -- it's like being on a team," she said. "They get such pleasure out of being up on a stage, and hearing that applause. And they gain an appreciation of how difficult it is to put on any type of a show.

"All in all, they really have fun with it."

While Geneva Middle School South is featuring Elvis as the king of rock 'n' roll, GMS North is reaching back to the classics to stage "Oklahoma!" The show was the first Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration.

Nick Bianchina plays Curly, the ranch hand who turns heads, while Clare Stribling plays the beautiful Laurey. Chelsea Lydon is Laurey's Aunt Eller, while Megan Grant is Ado Annie, who just can't say no to men's advances. Luke Totman is Jud and Matt Rogers is the simple, yet happy Will Parker. Other leads are Josh Harper as the peddler, Hannah Kilroy as the flirtatious Gertie Cummings and Brandon D'Amore as Ado Annie's father.

"Oklahoma!" is being directed by Jessica Ramos. Anne Krahulec is vocal director, Chrissa Flaks is directing the pit band, and Carol Ann Page, as producer, is in charge of costumes and sets.

Ramos and Page are putting on the show for the first year. "I really am enjoying it. It's very different from anything I've ever done," said Ramos.

"The kids get to experience teamwork; they get to be part of a group working toward a common goal," she said.

She pointed out that many middle school students are looking for new experiences. "They can try something new and completely out of their comfort zone. They may find they love it," she said of performing.

In an effort to get more kids involved in the production, Page is directing students in set design, with painting sets and obtaining the other touches that will make the show real. "We forget there are so many other parts to a play -- not just the people onstage," Ramos said.

Both Ramos and Bankmann hope that these middle school experiences will be the spark that propels these students to do more theater, within the community and at Geneva High School.

"It's just a marvelous, marvelous experience," Bankmann said. "I've seen a lot of kids go on from here to the high school and appear in shows there."

Indeed they have. Once these middle school students finish with their shows, they have chances from March 13 to 15 to watch their elders -- Geneva High School students -- hit the stage with "Grease."

Sandy (Brook Goodman) and Danny (Nick Orbell) and all the gang at Rydell High will be there, singing and dancing and reliving the '50s with music that is upbeat and catchy.

And, as it's currently 7 degrees out, with a wind chill in the minus category, it's fun to think about "those summ--mm---er night--gh--ts; (tell me more, tell me more)."

For more, see the show! Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. all three nights.