Girls get ready to put on your poodle skirts and guys slick back your hair because it could be systematic, hydromatic, ultramatic, why it could be Grease the Musical!

The Toll Gate High School Drama Club will stage “Grease” next week and started dress rehearsals Tuesday night.

On the stage, students could be seen practicing the hand jive, moving their hands to an unheard beat while the hand-painted brick walls of Rydell High School sat on the corners of the stage, and student director Natasha Granger, 11th grade, gave out orders for dance moves.

Although those in the auditorium worked on separate things, when they came together to practice the famous Rydell Dance competition scene they all wore large smiles.

The cast still is excited for opening night. Isaiah Jackson, 9th grade, and Sarah Johnson, 12th grade, will play the iconic couple, Danny Zuko and Sandra Dee. Johnson could not be at the dress rehearsal because of an earlier commitment, but Jackson said initially it was a little weird because he was a freshman and she was a senior, but the two have really found they have some chemistry on stage.

He said, “It’s pretty awesome that as a freshman I got to play such a big part. It’s been a lot of fun to play. I think I bring the soul of Danny, his attitude and style to the stage.”

What makes Toll Gate’s production unique is that the entire production is student-run. Although Timothy Hayes is the faculty advisor, he says students are the driving force behind the show. They chose the musical and put together all the casting and choreography. Hayes said his role is to coordinate practices, handling finances – “the adult stuff” – but the students make all the creative decisions.

“There can be a lot of voices in a room and I can be someone to look to for help, a source of direction when figuring out what to do next,” Hayes said.

With the students making decisions, director Granger said communication was initially a problem between coordinating when students could get together and setting up everyone’s job.

“Divide and conquer,” Granger said with a laugh, “that’s how we settled that problem.”

Granger explained that once everyone knew their place and what they were responsible for, rehearsals quickly became smoother.

Sarah Coutu, 10th grade, the assistant director, said that having a student-run production will make the musical more “believable” for the audience.

She said, “We are the age of the characters in ‘Grease.’ More input from kids makes sense. It’s closer to real life than if we just had teachers telling us what to do. We talk together to make decisions.”

Hayes said, “It’s a small group, but they are really passionate. They have been working really hard and I’m proud of them.”

The drama club began auditions in late November and is coming into the final stretch of rehearsals.

Granger and Coutu, who have both been in the club since their freshman year, agreed that the club as a whole has come together for this production and have really grown.

The students are really excited for opening night and hope to fill the seats in the auditorium this year.

For last year’s production of “Legally Blonde,” 200 people came out to see the show. Students say if they can bring in more this year they may raise enough money to put on a bigger show next year.

Coutu said, “We bring in our own costumes and props. If more people came to our shows maybe we would have enough money for the next production to make it even better.”

The club received a $1,000 donation from the Robert J. Shapiro Fund, but between renting scripts and equipment there was little left over for costumes and props, which the students all made or brought in from home.

Also, having more people in the audience may help other students interested in joining the drama club.

“This show means a lot to us. We’ve really worked hard on everything. It would mean a lot to us to have the community come out and support us,” Jackson said.

Hayes said the “high energy” and nostalgia that comes with “Grease” is going to make this production a good time for the audience.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s a musical everyone knows the songs and they can really get into it,” Granger said.

The production will open March 13 and have two showings, the 13th and 14th, at 7 p.m. in the Toll Gate High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7 in advanced and $10 at the door.