Grease

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

October 21, 2009

GREASE ROCKS!

Director/choreographer, Nick Sugar rocks.

Carla Kaiser Kotrc rocks.

Musical director, Donna Kolpan Debreceni rocks, even in the can.

Cast of Grease in Town Hall Arts Center?s production of Grease. photographs by Sam Trojanovich, and Beverly Larson

It all takes place at Littleton?s Town Hall. The walls rock, smiling with delight.

Sugar fed the beloved musical with a cast of highly talented young actors who grabbed the characters by the nape of the neck, claiming, "You're mine. I own you." You can see it in their eyes, expressions, and sharply calculated dance moves. Fun and memorable, they greet high school exploited emotions with honesty.

Make reservations early. Grease has been playing to sell out houses. From the energy and smiles, the trend indubitably promises to continue.

When Grease is treated, as this cast treats it, as though it is excitingly brand new, Grease will cling to its beloved status for quite some time. Although set in 1959, anyone who ever went to high school can, and will, identify with the specific characters. You know these kids. You can give your own names to them. The songs may not have been written quite yet when some of us went to high school, but we all sang them, perhaps with different words and different tunes, but the intent was there. We sang them long before Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey set words and music to paper.

Beautiful, blond, naive, and innocent, Sandy Dumbrowsky, believed Danny Zuko when he told her he loved her during their summer rendezvous. Cali Freyschlag gives Sandy a refreshing open, honest demeanor, with believability, without pumping her up to stand out and be what she is not. She is the new girl in school at Rydell High. She is hurt when Danny brushes her off. She doesn't just point to the feelings. She invites everyone in to feel what she feels. Her invitation so valid, you can't resist the invitation. Ryan Turner gives us the Danny who is the cool guy, tall, handsome, and emulated by his friends. Of course, he has to brag. He has to keep up his image. Image is everything in high school. Yes, he's the center of attention with his high school gang, as leader of the Burger Palace Boys, but Ryan doesn't play the star of the show. There's a big difference. Danny doesn't expect to see Sandy again, freeing him to blow up the summer escapades any way he wants.

Cast of Grease in Town Hall Arts Center?s production of Grease. photographs by Sam Trojanovich, and Beverly Larson

When the Nuns at the catholic high school object to Sandy wearing black Patton leather shoes (of course we all know what that means), her father sends her to Rydell. There we meet the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies proudly sporting pink jackets, intrigued with Sandy, taking her under their wing.

Deven Shaff as Eugene, the nerd, brings out a great quality in this awkward, wanting-to-be part-of-not-quite knowing-how.

At times it is difficult to keep the eyes off of Kurt Tucci as Roger. His rhythm is spectacular. Every muscle in his body flows in choreographical rhythm to the hip music. Tucci is a dancer par excel lance. Doody, played by Nick DeWitt, as the youngest member of the Burger Palace Boys, rocks the stage as a wannabe rock star especially when he presents an impromptu concert in the hall with his new guitar, playing Those Magic Changes.

Frequently in Grease productions, the character of Rizzo is played over the top, part of and yet separate, treated with star-like quality. Kia Chapman makes her real and believable, a little on the wild side, and yet wanting to belong. Scared of being pregnant, she shows her anger toward Kenickie (strongly played by Nick Henderson), telling him he isn't the father. Chapman's strong voice plays well for Rizzo with her reprise on Greased Lightening, taunting Sandy with Look At Me. I'm Sandra Dee, and There Are Worse Things I Could Do. Yes, she stands out, but also neatly folds herself into the identity of the Pink Ladies, giving her a more honest, more realistic, identity. As Rizzo, Chapman is a breath of fresh air.

Frenchy, deliciously played by Briana Gassner, shows the internal struggle wanting to belong, not academically motivated, bragging about going to Beauty School, feeling the acceptance, but has to drop out when she fails the classes. She shows the confusion in her eyes, which alone, makes her stand out. Gassner gives us a frightened, holding on tight to belong somewhere, hopeful teenager. She makes you feel for Frenchy, and you can't help but wonder what will happen to her. That's a unique quality given to this character.

In spite of what's going on stage-wise, in spite of the tingly thrill of absorbing Debreceni's exquisite brand of music, in spite of the outstanding young cast giving 150 percent to their characters, the songs, and the dances, there remains a secret wanting for the no nonsense English teacher, Miss Lynch to appear far more often than she does. Simply because Kotrc disappears behind the teacher's facade in a brilliant performance of grace, seriousness, and actor's expertise. At the beginning of the school year, you hear the characters grumble they "have Miss Lynch for English again." You hear the groans coming from the characters, and down through the years when some of us said exactly the same thing about other teachers. On the other hand, you just don't want Kotrc to leave, or stop being Miss Lynch.

Cast of Grease in Town Hall Arts Center's production of Grease. photographs by Sam Trojanovich, and Beverly Larson

There was a nano moment of creeping disappointment when Kenickie's greased lightening appears on stage. The car doesn?t have the shiny chrome demeanor featured in many productions. After a nano second, it fits. This is a high school kid's car, not a streamline vehicle with years and dollars being poured into it. Consequently the existing greased lightening, is what it is and still contains the pride of a greaser's car. In all of the productions seen, this one probably is the most realistic, deserving of the pride of young high school greaser. Funny how this works isn't it?

The high school experiences play well together, folding into the lives of these memorable kids: teen pregnancy, rejection feeling sorry for oneself (Sandy sits home alone on Prom night feeding her wounded heart with her song It's Raining On Prom Night), the pairing of the nerd, Eugene with Marty who earlier achingly wanted the others to believe she was in love with a marine singing Freddy My Love during her slumber party. Ah, the slumber party where the girls tease Sandy into experimenting with booze and cigarettes bringing peer pressure to life.

Along with gang violence, this production meets love friendship, teenage rebellion, conflict, and sexual exploitation head on performed in such a way it all becomes palatable, even though the issues live right outside the front door of Town Hall. Ownership is the reason this production stands head and shoulders over others.

Tina Anderson's set design works believably well for the fast paced musical. Her design matches the tempo of the show. Linda Morkin's costume designs captures the moods and time period. Jacob Welch's lighting design keeps the beat of the music and the flavor of the kids.

No matter how many times one has experienced Grease; Sugar's production is stunning. Herein lies a production begging to be experienced more than once.

Grease
Book/Music/Lyrics by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey
Directed by Nick Sugar, Musical direction by Donna Debreceni