Members of the cast of “Grease” rehearse in the Southland Auditorium recently. The cast, consisting of players from Southland, LeRoy-Ostrander and Sacred Heart School, have dedicated the show to memories of Tess Landherr and Phillip Richer. Photos provided

Three area schools are combining their talents, not just for a large-scale performance of the musical fan-favorite “Grease” but as a tribute to Tess Landherr and Phillip Richer, students of Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander.

Tess Landherr

Students from Southland, LeRoy-Ostrander and Sacred Heart Elementary in Adams are dedicating the March 6 and 7 performance to the two area teens that passed away in 2013.

The play has taken more than a year of planning, but it’s been worth it, said director Madlain Vander.

“We’re at maximum occupancy,” Vander said. “We have more than 40 kids on stage, and that’s pretty amazing for a small community.”

Many of the students involved have never acted before, but wanted to be part of it because of their classmates, Landherr and Richer.

“What’s amazing is 80 percent of my cast are students that haven’t acted before and it rocks,” Vander said. “It’s really neat and meaningful to have these kids from these classes.”

Special pins and colored ribbons will be worn by the students during the song, “We Go Together.”

As another tribute, Landherr’s classmate Cody Jones, with help from Lukas Hardecopf and John Cox, isconstructing the car featured in the scene, “Grease Lightnin.” Landherr was originally signed up to help with the car before

Philip Richer

passing away in a car accident.

The car will feature personalized license plate that will read, “Love You … Tess Landherr-We Go Together.”

A version of “The Wolf Man” will also be featured in the production during the drive-in movie scene and is filmed by students and finished by a media class featuring teachers as the actors.