I just read in the Sunday Tribune that the creator of the play Grease, based it on the people he went to Taft High with in the late 50's. I was just wondering if maybe some of our older alumni might actually be characters in Grease. Or maybe they knew Jim Jacobs. All the characters were kids that lived in the Norwood Park area and went to Taft.

What did you do in the Corps? baritone and Drum Major

What years were you a Corps member? 1968-1972

Fascinating! This should get the 50s alums out here talking!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

I went to Taft. Started at Taft as a freshman in January 1961 and graduated in January 1965. That was sometime after Jacobs had graduated but I do remember reading that one of the characters was based on Miss Haddie Marquart who was a teacher at Taft. She was the faculty sponsor of the dances and proms and had done that for quite a while before I went there. I recollect there is a part in Grease of a teacher who had a similar role.

Also there were a number of guys at Taft who dressed like the guys in Grease (leather jackets and coats, longish hair that required a lot of grease, and tight fitting black pants) and drove Chevy and Ford coupes with a lot of horsepower. Usually hung out in Norwood Park during lunch period where they could smoke. They also had girl friends who were similar to the characters in Grease.

I seem to recollect hearing about Grease as I was finishing college. I guess it started in Chicago and when I went to Broadway they changed some things. The Chicago original had a song called "Foster Avenue Beach."

At Taft there were probably three groups of kids. Although I don't recollect them been called anything in particular I suppose you could classify the groups as greasers (lots of Vitalis), the collegate group (which included the jocks) and the others who were the average kids.

As noted above, I said I graduated in January and not June. At the time I went to school they started kids in kindergarden in September and late January. Suppose it had something to do with the post war baby boom and kept class size smaller. Anyway the last January class at Taft was January 1966. I recollect that when my sister started at Taft (Bill Blomquist was also in her class) they combined the classes so the freshman class in the fall of 1963 was twice the size of the normal class and they converted the Norwood Park Elementary School into a school that had just freshmen (9th grade).

Actually, the role of Danny Zuko was an adaptation of the actual teen years of our own Rich Tessitore!

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62 Cadets 63-67 Imperials

Thanks for the info about the article. It was very interesting to read about my high school, although it was way before my time.

Actually, the part of Danny was based on Jim Jacob's cousin. But the name of one of the Greaser groups was "The Imperials". Coincidence???

What did you do in the Corps? baritone and Drum Major

What years were you a Corps member? 1968-1972

I believe there was another group called the Imperials back in those days .. it was either a gang or a form of elite teen "club". Not sure now, but I remember the name and that OUR Imperials were sometimes confused with that group. Maybe someone else has a better memory on this?
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What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

Bill,

Rich Tessitore was too young to have gone to school during Jacobs' era at Taft (Rich graduated a year ahead of me in January 1964).

When I first saw the show "Happy Days" I thought the Arthur Fonzerelli ("The Fonz") was based on Rich.

I would imagine "our" Imperials were confused for a gang on more than one occasion...

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

Bob, that was my thought, too, except I was there when the "confusion" actually happened. 1965, World's Fair in New York. Norwood was kicked out of New York after a rumble with locals in the parking lot. Some others that post here occasionally would be able to provide a more first-hand account because I wasn't really qualified to participate in the action.

I do recall hearing that at the NYPD where the participants were taken, the cops in the station asked our guys where they were from. Upon hearing the reply "Chicago" the cops turned to the NYC locals, noticing how they were a bit bloodied and bruised, and they said "Maybe this will teach you not to mess with Chicago boys!"

What did you do in the Corps? Drumline

What years were you a Corps member? 1960-1965

Anyone who knew Rich Tessitore in the 60's knows that the role of Danny Zuko "could" have been Rich! I'll going to try and provide photographic proof!

(my original statement was obviously tongue-in-cheek)

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62 Cadets 63-67 Imperials

Re: Rich Tessitore.....

well, Billy, what you said was: "Actually, the role of Danny Zuko was an adaptation of the actual teen years of our own Rich Tessitore!"

And the key word was ADAPTATION! That is, the story could be "loosely based on" a character (such as) Rich ....

In any event, we all understand what you meant. And, I am sure that Rich views this as a compliment!
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What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963

I started my freshman year at Taft in the fall of
"58" and what I remember after all those years that
have past,there were some,a group,gang or how ever
you want to describe them,that could have been
characters in that movie.

My brother Ron went to Taft a year ahead of me and
became involved with a certain group that had what
you would call a reputation.And some of his friends
dressed that way as well,Ron to except for his hair
He was in the Norwood at the time.

The so called leader of this group,his name was Tom
Meyers,considered to be the toughest in the school
at that time,and from what I seen him do I had to
say he was,well to make a long story short,when I
started Taft I didn't realize my brother Ron and
him were good friends ,and one day he and a couple
of others came up to me in school and I thought,I
didn't do anything wrong did I?

He said to me I here your Ron's brother,I said yes
I'am and he said if you have any problems with any
one or need something just let me know.The only
words I could get my mouth to say was Thank you I
will.I was so nervous standing there with them,I
could feel the sweat dripping down my legs into my
shoe's.True story.

What did you do in the Corps? French Horn

What years were you a Corps member? 1957 thru 1963

Rich .. I hope that was SWEAT dripping down into your shoes!

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963