There's few magic changes, but Grease is still as automatic, systematic, and hydromantic as ever. The recent Broadway revival of Grease races into Chicago's Auditorium Theater an energetic cast and sparkles aplenty. This production rides in from the reality show "Grease: You're the One That I Want" where contestants competed for the leading roles.
There are few surprises to Grease's return to the touring Great White Way, making the lack of the Grease reality show winners slightly disappointing. 1950's greaser Danny Zuko pretends he never fell for goody-two-shoes Sandy Dumbrowski. Amid the drama of high school, from pregnancy to fast cars to mooning, Sandy and Danny find their way to go together. It's time for all High School Musical fans to see where the inspiration came from. While the movie is classic and amazing, it's missing so many great songs, the live-production is a must for every tween and teen, assuming your high school isn't already performing it.
Other reality show veterans pull up the hype-slack. Taylor Hicks, winner of "American Idol" season five plays the crooning Teen Angel complete with his trademark microphone and harmonica. Hicks injects exciting star power and unique vocal style into an otherwise conventional production. It would have been nice if Hicks could have performed without the microphone, as it sometimes made it hard to understand his words (assuming you don't already have them memorized). Allie Schulz, another contestant from "Grease: You're the One That I Want", made it into the Broadway production, now featured as a Stockard Channing channeling Rizzo with comic attitude.
Eric Schneider plays a capable Danny, with quality pipes and impressive dancing, but lacking convincing machismo for the gang leader. Emily Padgett's Sandy was a convincing deception of a bad girl waiting to explode. The leggy star was desperate to let out her dancing feet, leading to an explosive climax of a finale where she was set free, high heels and all.
The real gems were the memorable supporting cast. Will Blum (Roger) and Bridie Carrol (Jan) were a hilarious pair with their song "Mooning." Brian Crum (Doody) made "Those Magic Changes" one of the highlights of the entire production. Kate Cadwick's bubbly Frenchy was a stage treat, especially in her scene with Taylor Hick's Teen Angel. Best of all, the show emphasized the doo-wopiness of the music, with great ensemble choreography and staging. Song earned special treatment making each one a singularly exciting experience. With all the attention to the comedic songs, emotional songs took a bit of a back seat. "It's Raining on Prom Night" especially seemed to be on the backburner for direction.
With a cast of amazing singers, the downer was the uneven sound. It was hard to hear Danny for the first part of Act I. David Ruffin (Kenickie) was drowned out during "Greased Lightning" not for lack for skill, but because or flaw mics (maybe they needed Hicks' microphone more).
While sound was lacking, the staging was wonderful and shows why it's worth seeing Grease outside a high school auditorium. The dancing was exciting with colorful costumes and rich sets packed with lights and sparkles and elevators. Even though "Greased Lightning" was hard to hear, it was one of the most fun to watch; not just because of Kenickie's muscles - the muscle car was nice too.
Grease's revival is perfectly timed for a new generation of High School Musical excitement and a classic show for parents and children. The overall exciting and energetic production is a worthy predecessor to High School Musical (that's how you convince kids to go to it), filled with timeless music and a rockin' good time. Plus American Idol synergy never hurts.
