Grease

Author: Terry Harrison

Information

Date
23rd October 2024
Society
Harrogate St Andrews Players
Venue
Harrogate Theatre
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Louise Denison
Musical Director
Jim Lunt
Choreographer
Louise Denison
Producer
Liz Lancaster
Written By
Jim Jacobs/Warren Casey

There’s a song in “The King and I” called “A Puzzlement” and that’s a word which seems appropriate to me about this show.  I don’t mean the plot; that’s a fairly straightforward story of boy meets girl, mixed with a bit of teenage angst and, of course, some songs with which most of us are pretty familiar.  Perhaps it’s because of those songs that audiences seem to flock to see the show; as the curtain rose on the first night of this production only one seat out of almost 2500 available over five performances remained unsold. It seems to attract all ages, some remembering their own youth perhaps, some having grown up with the show and/or with the film. By Harrogate standards those around me were somewhat younger than is often the case. Why, then, is it a show which seems to be performed fairly infrequently these days?  Is it considered a little dated, a bit too sweet and lacking the sort of message which many more modern shows seek to convey?  Apart from the two main principals, there are a number of other parts which provide several members of the cast with opportunities to impress in song, dance or both and so it seems a good choice for amateur companies.  All a bit of a puzzle.

In any event, this group tackled the show with all their usual verve and enthusiasm, especially in the production numbers in which this experienced director/choreographer always excels.  It’s hard to believe that it’s almost thirty years since she and the musical director first collaborated in a show for this company.  As ever, they were able to extract some good performances from their cast.

Luke Wilby as Danny had the unenviable task of taking a role which will always be associated with John Trevolta but had no difficulty in capturing the essence of his character, always with a self-assurance and a swagger in his walk as befits the “cool” image he seeks to display.  Caitlin Magee is a newcomer to the company but gave an excellent performance as Sandy as she progresses from her somewhat sheltered life, adopting the philosophy “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”,         a route on which it turns out Danny has also entered, losing his beloved leather jacket in the process.   

Chris Mooney appeared as Kenickie, Danny’s right-hand man, clearly enjoying his song “Greased Lightning” and       Kirsty O’Sullivan also impressed as Rizzo, the most street-wise leader of the pink ladies and the complete opposite of Sandy in outlook, all of which was readily apparent from her performance. Her song “There are worse things I could do” was delivered with skill and meaning. I enjoyed Kelly Amy Johnson’s performance as Frenchy, whose dream of attending a beauty school is shattered, an event which gives rise to the appearance of Teen Angel, a brief but excellent cameo role for Jac Ellis, accompanied by a number of the heavenly host in one of those colourful production numbers.  Lynette Leigh in a strikingly red flamenco-style outfit stole the hand jive competition with her performance as Cha-Cha and Jack Moran made the most of his role as a character described as the “naïve, gullible nerd”, Eugene Florczyk.  Other members of the respective boys and girls groups gave valuable support, Joshua Steer as guitar-strutting Doody with his song “Those magic changes” and Charlotte McCamley as Marty, confessing a love for Freddy, her marine boyfriend who bestows various gifts to compensate for his absence. Casey Heeley as Roger and Lauren Dunwell as Jan provided a little fun with their song “Mooning”.  Alex Hogg and Dan Stanford as Vince Fontaine and Jonny Casino respectively gave a good lead at the school dance and now and then the teaching staff at the school added to the ensemble.

Scenery was minimal except for a few props but the lively action on stage, especially in those big numbers, made more than enough of a visual impact. The M.D. led a small band, occasionally enhanced by backing tracks, which never overwhelmed the singers.   As ever, an excellent production from this company and we look forward to next year’s “Everybody’s talking about Jamie”, one of those shows which should satisfy those seeking a message.                       

      

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