Grease

Set in a fictional school named Rydell High, the musical Grease is where we learn about teenagers during their senior year of 1959, where hot-rodding greasers, loving Burger Palace Boys, and the adolescent Pink Ladies get ready for a world full of peer pressure teenage rebellion, pregnancy, and sexual discovery—and teenage smoking, which was prominent in the 50s when tobacco companies used movie stars like Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Bette Davis, Betty Grable, and singer Al Jolson to endorse their products— and about 15+ years before Congress required all cigarette packages distributed in the United States to carry a health warning. 

The main characters are Danny and Sandy, who reunited at Rydell High after having a summer fling. Danny, Kenickie, Sonny, Doody, and Roger make up the Burger Palace Boys— Rizzo, Marty, Jan, and Frenchy are the Pink Ladies who allow Sandy into their sophisticated lady's club. Throughout the storyline, Sandy clashes with Danny over his cool greaser reputation with his boys over his true feelings for her. Each of the teenagers attempts to understand love, life, and friendship while endeavoring the anxieties of high school under the ever-watchful eyes of Miss Lynch. Based on Taft High School in Chicago, Grease is a musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Jim Jacobs, who attended and graduated from Taft in 1960, and Warren Casey. Drury Lane's version of Grease followed more of the made-for-television family-friendly play, removing the vulgarity within other productions and dramatically more toned down than the original Grease, performed at Kingston Mines nightclub in Chicago, which was more suggestively aggressive. You can, however, still enjoy some great blues music at Kingston Mines. Chicago actor Doug Stevenson and Leslie Goto played the original Danny and Sandy. Some may remember that TV heartthrob Richard Paull Goldin from All My Children played Danny with Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo and Billy Porter (Teen Angel) in the 1994 Broadway revival and U.S. tour. 

Still, most people remember the iconic 1978 movie where John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John played Danny and Sandy—a time when teenagers like my wife Brenda and her childhood friend Sandy could escape their parents and see adolescent mischief—providing an electrifying and exciting experience. So you can imagine the exhilarating anticipation that other teens, now 45 years older, felt seeing the iconic movie played on stage with all the memorable songs and dances. But, unfortunately, with all those wonderful memories, this two-act, two hours, and ten-minute production of Grease weren't as memorable.  Although they performed well, none of the guys (except for Billy Rude) in this play reminded you of the Burger Palace Boys— more like the glee club boys. They didn't have that rugged look or edge about them. Likewise, Jake DiMaggio Lopez, who plays Danny, didn't have that John Travolta flare or looks that you saw with pretty boy Billy Rude, who played Kenickie. With the production being at Drury Lane until June 4, the Burger Palace Boys casting needs revamping. However, the Pink Ladies held their own with Emily Schultheis, who, moderately with her blond wig, reminded you of Olivia Newton-John minus her Grammy Award winner vocals. Other than Kyra Leigh, who played Miss Lynch, and Evan Tyrone Martin as Teen Angel, no one and nothing in this performance stood out and felt more like an upscaled high-school production. And even though I was close to the stage, the sound seemed distant, and I had to get a hearing device to hear some of the actors speaking and singing on stage.  

The audience did hear great songs like Grease, Hopelessly Devoted, Beauty School Dropout, Grease Lighting, and the hand Jive song. And the Costume, Hair & Wig, and Scenic Design by Rachel Boylan, Emily Young, and Jeff Kmiec were amazing and period correct.  Grease does have some entertaining moments but needs work to have that grease-lighting appeal.   

Let's Play Theatrical Review Somewhat Recommends Grease At Drury Lane Theatre. 

Drury Lane Theatre

Grease

Book, Music By Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

Direction & Choreography By Paul Stancato 

April 12 - June 4, 2023