It sizzles, it thrills, it rocks! Grease needs no introduction. Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, directed by David Gilmore and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, the musical features all the memorable songs from the hit film including ‘You’re The One That I Want’, ‘Sandy’, ‘Grease Is The Word’, and many more. Set in Rydel High School in the glorious days of early ‘rock ‘n’ roll’, Grease takes you on a jiving journey into a lifestyle revolving around slick hairstyles, cheap hamburgers & fries, ‘cool’ gunk cars, high school crushes and smooth but self-consciously ‘who cares’ attitudes. It’s ‘Grease’ all the way! South African Craig Urbani (Buddy, Fame) plays the role of hip shaking, cocky Danny Zuko (complete with a weird, apparently ‘cool’ snigger) who, as leader of the T-Birds, can have any chick he desires. (And this seemed to include the Apollo audience members as well!) High School is the flirting ground, where daring to break rules, smoking cigarettes and looking cool are order of the day. Enter Sandy Dumbrowski (Haley Flahrety), a simple, beautiful, innocent but ‘real square’, who met Danny at a beach earlier in the summer: the chase is on! Sandy is all that is uncool, especially to the female counterpart of the T-Birds, the Pink Ladies, led by sizzling Rizzo (Nina French). The stage is set for romance, fights, heartbreaks and teenage awkwardness. There is a favourite Grease character for everyone and in all fairness, the non-lead characters steal the show many a time: proud, fiery Rizzo with an attitude all of her own, Doody (Jason Packett) with ‘Those magic changes’ and his nervous love for Frenchy (Tanya Caridia) and Frenchy herself with the song ‘Beauty School Dropout’ featuring the crowd favourite Vince, played by Paul Burnham. Most of the show is great, though it misses a bit of ‘oomph’ in some parts and one is left desiring a somewhat crisper performance, particularly in the first half (yet what opening night doesn’t have its glitches). The brilliant orchestra (Musical Director Stephen Owens and enthusiastic Assistant MD Steve Geere on Keyboards) deserves a huge round of applause. Don’t go to watch Grease expecting a profound social message that will change the world. In a sense, Grease is about not knowing, or rather about trying not to know. Instead, escape into a world of 1950s teenage angst, young love and simple dreams, and leave the cynic in you at the door. In Grease, happiness triumphs and stories end with a song. As co-creator Jim Jacobs puts it: “What Grease is really all about - more than anything else - is having fun.” Gayatri Singh, 10.06.02 |
