Sacramento audience is hopelessly devoted
to
'Grease'
Reviewed by Sam
Morishima/Sacramento
Stage & Theatre
Christeena
Michelle Riggs as Sandy and Greg Kohout as Danny Zuko in a scene from
the Music Circus production of GREASE at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Aug.
16-21. Photo
by: Charr Crail.
The production of
GREASE at the Music Circus stills holds a kick!
The show uses the original Broadway script -- not
the motion picture version -- except for the song "Hopelessly Devoted
to You" which was written specifically for the film by John Farrar.
The two scripts have the same simple plot: Boy meets
Girl, Boy almost loses Girl due to stupid behavior on part of Boy and
then Girl and Boy come back together again due to foolish action on
part of Girl (Does a girl have to turn Bad to get her Guy?).
What the scripts differ on are such things as:
four new songs added to the movie version "Hopelessly Devoted to
You," "You're the One That I Want," "Sandy," and the movie
namesake "Grease."
In the movie, Sandy's last name is Olson and on
Broadway it's Dumbrowski (Not "Dee" that was only a tease by Rizzo).
Danny sings the "Greased Lightening" song in the Movie and Kenickie in
the stage version. The movie added scenes such as Danny going out for
the various sports and the drag race.
With a questionable ending and a narrow plot, the
Music Circus production holds a magic through its songs and this cast
of players pulled it off nicely. There is something in the play's
music that transcends generations with its energy and
youthfulness. GREASE is an American musical icon and even to this
day I hear the songs coming from my little niece's iPod.
I didn't find it a gripping musical play, nor was I
intending to see one. What I wanted and received were players who
put a face and a story line together that wove the musical tread that
is the sole of GREASE.
The musical fever really begins in the second scene
with the intermingling dual school geographical dueling of "Summer
Nights" with the Burger Palace Boys at the school bleachers and the
Pink Ladies in the cafeteria. It sets the stage with a
summer romance that creates the plays main conflict between Danny and
Sandy.
Right off the bat Danny Zuko (Greg Kohout), Sandy's
summer love affection, comes off well enough as a John Travolta version
of a hard guy. Though entertaining, I believe Greg Kohout has the
style to create his own version of Danny Zuko that would be a far
stronger character.
But, it was interesting to count the times that he
nailed John Travolta's style throughout the show. He shone in the
song "Alone at a Drive-In Movie" after a fatal attempt to score with
Sandy leaving him stranded with werewolves.
Sandy (Christeena Michelle Riggs) popped when she
sang the heart breaking "Hopelessly Devoted to You" sealing her fate to
the Pink Ladies so that she can get close to Danny.
What swells GREASE beyond the narrowness of the plot
is the depth it develops in the supporting characters. Doody
(Paul Wyatt) learning to play the Guitar, invokes the radical changes
as boys develop towards manhood (or is it hoodlum hood) slams into his
G cord in "Those Magic Changes" blossoming into a guitar playing rock
star.
Marty (Melissa Charles), one of the Pink Ladies, is
unsure of herself and, by looking for love's security in older boys in
the song "Freddy, My Love," ends up with no Prom date.
Kenickie's (Robert J. Townsend) love for the fast
and furious builds his dream wheels on this hot August night, singing
"Greased Lightning" so it's no wonder when he is pegged for Rizzo's
future dilemma. By the way, you're going to love the little
Greased Lightning car and the way it moves. Its perfect in
today's high priced gas economy and puts the hybrids to shame.
Betty Rizzo, (Heather R. Provost) the troubled teen
with the emotional roller coaster, leads the Pink Ladies and is the
antagonist to Sandy. "Look at me I'm Sandra Dee" is her classic
solo and says it all.
Frenchy (Anne Ramsey) showing that even those who
find it hard in school have dreams of making something of
themselves. With the attempted help of Teen Angel (Darin Adams)
teen life feels like swimming upstream as portrayed in "Beauty School
Drop Out."
The musical is full of nuances in
choreography, dialogue and characters that keep you amused throughout.
GREASE, though it is now 33 years old, stills holds
it's audiences devotion through its enduring music and nostalgic
characters. GREASE plays through
Aug. 21 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Ticket prices for all
Music Circus shows are
$49 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $46 for Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, and Sunday evenings and Saturday matinees, and $34 for
Thursday matinees. Tickets
can be purchased at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box
Office, 1419 H Street, Sacramento, by phone at (916) 557-1999 or online
at www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.
Tickets are also available through Tickets.com.
