Holley Middle School/High School (MS/HS) has announced Grease as its 2024-25 musical production. Teacher and Holley alum Kayla Thrower has been selected as the school’s musical director. She succeeds MS/HS teachers and siblings Dan and Kellie Burke who co-directed Holley’s musicals for over 30 years; both have now retired from the district.
Thrower is a Holley 2017 alum who notably played the role of Ursula in the school’s 2016 production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She began teaching social studies at Holley MS/HS in 2022. Thrower previously served as musical assistant, vocal coach and head of stage crew for the school’s musical production of Little Shop of Horrors in 2024.
“I am incredibly excited and thankful to lead this year’s musical production,” said Thrower. “As a student, the musical was an integral part of my life. The experiences I had on stage brought me out of my shell and taught me valuable life skills. I am immensely grateful to have the opportunity to give that experience back to my students, who continue to impress me with their talent and dedication to the arts.”
Holley MS/HS chorus teacher Kelly Marzano, who has taught at Holley since 2006, will take over the role of vocal director this year.
“The music in Grease is not just integral to the storyline; it’s the hallmark,” said Marzano. “I look forward to helping the cast gain confidence in their singing through good vocal technique and applying that to their character portrayals. We’re fortunate to have so many creative and talented students here in Holley; this is sure to be a production for the record books. I am honored to be a part of it.”
Band teacher Zach Busch will support this year’s production as pit director. Grease was performed at Holley in 2017, and it was the first musical he was involved in when he began teaching in Holley that year.
“I am very excited to bring this iconic production back to the stage at Holley,” said Busch. “My goal is to provide the best musical accompaniment possible for our students on stage. I also look forward to welcoming student-musicians into the pit to learn from and play alongside our adult musicians.”
Performances will be held at the Holley Middle/High School Auditorium on March 14, 2025, at 7 p.m., and March 15, 2025, at 2 and 7 p.m. Ticket information will be shared on the HCSD website at a closer date.
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