Grease

STOKE YOUTH MUSICAL THEATRE 

GREASE

Grease created by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, opened in1971, a year later hit Broadway and has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway history.

The House of Wax Radio DJ Vince Fontaine, Leon Dykes-Meredith opens the show, linking various scenes throughout with his sleazy ‘hip-cat‘ stylized performance.

Harking back to the golden age of 1950’s Rock and Roll we meet leader of the ‘T’ Birds, Danny Zuko, Harvey Rowland; played with exuberant youthful bravado, a slightly nervy start, but grew throughout the performance, really looked the part.

Kenickie, Levi Capon, led the charge with Grease Lightening, nice interplay with Rizzo over her ‘friend’. Roger, Tristan Hood, belted out Mooning, a really neat acapella version of Hound Dog, he also added a cool harmony to Rock n Roll Party Queen with Doody, Miles Lesniak, together with Sonny, Dominic Bailey. The whole gang filled the dynamics of the group really well, bantering and bouncing off one another with a real knockabout familiarity, excellent.

The too cool for school Pink Ladies, are introduced to Sandy Dumbrowski, Keira Parker, a newcomer to town, a nice, understated performance, countering the brashness of the Pink Ladies. Really good dialogue between the girls, especially when Miss goodie two-shoes, Patty Simcock, Maddie Shenton; was with them, she and her geeky male counterpart Eugene, George Mannion added great comic elements.  

The wonderfully acerbic Rizzo, Emily Marshall, was superb, giving an utterly sublime rendition of the goosebumps inducing There Are Worse Things I could Do, the sheer aural intoxication with the sultry saxophone soloing over the tight band backing her, the number was perfection.

Jan, Jess Lello, always seems to deliver exactly what is required and more with added sparkle. Marty, Poppy Moore, self-assured, confident, bold as brass, with a subtle fragility in her performance. Frenchy, Emily Durber, brought a nuanced performance to eternal tryer Frenchy.

Great high energy choreography throughout from Natasha Dawe, spectacular moves from Charlie Stubbs as Cha-Cha Digregorio, in Shakin’ at the High School Hop/Born to Hand-Jive dance competition, plenty of visual homages to the nostalgia of the era and the well-loved film version, permanently cemented in peoples psyches.

The well-schooled singing harmonies were excellent, as were the characterisations from all of the cast. Courtesy of bopping along Musical Director Jo Smith. Her great band rocked the well-known favourites a tad quickly here and there possibly. Overall great sounds and feel giving the vocalists room to shine.

Costumes were great, Beauty School Dropout number, featuring Millie Kempson as the Teen Angel a prime example of the details, the only things sticking out for me were an ungreased hairdo, and despite looking cool, would Jan have worn ‘Bumper Boots’ (Converse to the under forties) to a big High School dance instead of the de rigueur heels of the time.

Sound issues marred the opening numbers, with backing vocals drowning out the lead lines in Summer Loving in particular. A few late microphone faders also lost some opening words from a few of songs, very likely opening night syndrome, which I’m sure will be easily sorted out.

Director James Dawe brought a warm vitality from his young cast, stunning visuals, creating a stylized slick show, a big cast giving their all.  Grease is the word.   

 

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