SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A little more than two years ago, Olivia Newton-John sent a virtual message to the graduating seniors at Yankton High School.
The message was related to the high school students and seniors who did not get to perform their production of the musical “Xanadu.” The movie version starred Newton-John and Andy Gibb. The high school musical was canceled because of COVID.
Newton-John, 73, the longtime singer and actor died of cancer today in her home in southern California.
“I just keep coming back to what extraordinary kindness she showed to us,” said now retired teacher Amy Miner. Miner was the director of the musical in the spring of 2020. “It was a nice bright, light in what was a dark world,” Miner said.
Newton-John encouraged students and said although they were disappointed, this would pass and hoped they would eventually get to do the musical. She added that she had a lot of fun doing the movie “Xanadu.”
“We were so excited and surprised, we were all watching,” said Kathyrn Reimler said. Reimler was the choreographer for the halted production of “Xanadu.” “We were screaming and crying, we were so excited,” Reimler said of Newton-John’s surprise message.
The singer’s stage and movie presence cemented her pop history presence enough that kids today, even their grandparents, still sing Newton-John’s songs from the musical “Grease” and “Xanadu.” Newton-John is also known for her hits including “If Not For You,” “If You Love Me Let Me Know,” and “Let Me Be There.”
“Our (high school ) kids knew who she was,” Miner said. “They all knew her from “Grease.” I feel like “Grease” is a right of passage as a teenager in America needs to watch.”
But, it’s also “because she was special,” Reimler said.
“I was a child of the 1970s and 1980s,” Miner said. “Everybody wanted to be her.”
And there was a likely a time when anyone with roller skates or inline skates, skated to a “Grease” or a “Xanadu” song.
Reimler is younger than Miner but she was still roller skating to Newton-John’s songs in the 1990s.
“I’ve danced my whole life,” Reimler said, and that included dancing to Newton-John songs. She and her sister would also sing along to Newton-John songs.
It’s her “Grease” role as Sandy that has transcended the generations, Miner said.
Miner is convinced that Newton-John was a lot like Sandy when she first entered the fictional high school Rydell in the movie musical “Grease.”
“She was humble, kind, unassuming,” Miner said. “Authentic.”
Miner took a chance when she contacted Newton-John’s agent about the cancelation of the high school production of “Xanadu.” She got a response the next morning saying “‘Olivia would love to do this…,'” Miner said.
A partial cast did perform several songs from Xanadu in the summer, Miner said. It was fun but it still wasn’t the whole production, she said.
Miner and Reimler said “Xanadu” the musical is different than the movie as it pokes fun of the odd and even weird movie. Oh, but that Xanadu movie soundtrack, is something, Miner said.
Reimler said she hadn’t much time to listen to any of Newton-John’s songs as of late this afternoon.
It’s likely that listening will happen later today. It may not be the vinyl records of her youth but it will be Newton-John.