My Thoughts on GREASE (unbelievably long, pee before you read)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:18pm

I'll begin with a quote from Tina Fey:
The programs were really easy to read.

(The following paragraph is to be read with tiny violins playing in the background):
One of my fondest memories of the '90s theater scene was the Grease billboard on the 46th Street wall of the now-defunct Howard Johnson's, with the Burger Palace Boys and their revolving heads. To this day, the '94 revival, in all it's neon, dayglo-ed glory, remains one of the most fun experiences I've ever had at the theater. I've seen many productions and have had the good/bad fortune to work on a few (including one that's especially dear to me). Suffice it to say, Grease, as cheesy as it is, holds a special place in my heart.
(Violins slowly fade out.)

Given the pedigree of the production, I went in with unusually high expectations...directed and choreographed by 2-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, designed by Broadway stalworts Ken Posner, Derek McLane, and Martin Pakledinaz (whose over-the-top costumes were the highlight of The Pirate Queen), financed in full by British theatrical empresario David Ian, and written by one of the richest collaborative teams in theatrical history, the late Warren Casey and the alive & well Jim Jacobs (arguably the Sondheim of the rock musical genre). If that impressive list of names isn't enough, young Max Crumm and Laura Osnes were hand picked by middle America to star in this production. Patti LuPone and her little production of Gypsy have nothin' on this show. (Rim shot.)

That said, what's playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre ranks high on my list of great dinner theater productions of Grease that I've ever seen. Oh wait, that isn't a good thing. Not for $111, not for the $71 that I paid. It's very easy to pinpoint the problems, and they begin with Kathleen Marshall.

I've been a fan of her's for quite some time. Pajama Game was fantastic, Wonderful Town was thrilling, and Two Gentlemen of Verona was one of the most fun shows I've seen in my years of theatergoing. It's a shame that she's gone back to square one with this production. Her rudimentary choreography neither thrills nor astounds, it's simply just there, adding nothing to what should be a great dance show. More on her overall direction in a bit.

The cast is a mixed bag of good, gooder, and goodest. A delicate mix of Broadway stalworts and newcomers, only one of said newcomers truly achieves what I consider to be a Broadway-caliber performance. His name is Daniel Everidge (Roger), and, with Lindsay Mendez (Jan, goodest), he stops the show with his powerful, spirited rendition of the best secondary song in the show, "Mooning." Also on the goodest list are Jose Restrepo as Sonny (great deadpan delivery), Kirsten Wyatt as Frenchy, and Ryan Patrick Binder as Doody. Binder's "Magic Changes" should stop the show, but it just doesn't.

On the gooder list falls Matt Saldivar as Kenickie (who, goatee-less, bears a striking resemblance to Jeff Connaway), Allison Fischer as Patty (with the most expressive face on stage). Jeb Brown is very good as Vince Fontaine on crack and Stephen Buntrock is an appropriately cheesy Teen Angel.

Delivering decent enough performances (falling on the "good list") are Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, hereby subtitled "America's Choice." Well, America's Choice don't have much chemistry or charisma. In fact, they have the least chemistry and charisma on that stage. Laura has a pleasant, crystal-clear, Disney-quality voice (Belle in the "B&B" revival?), but, to put it plainly, she can't act her way out of a paper bag. Granted, Sandy is the least developed character and has about 20 minutes total. Anyhoo, there's Max, who seemed to flub a lot of lines, but managed to cover very well (only someone who knows the script would figure that out). He can't act very well, either, but, like Laura, he's got a pleasant enough singing voice. He uses a visibly put-on "tough guy" accent that really takes away from his performance.

I think the best word to describe their performances is "wooden." Still, the audience went apesh*t over them, so who am I to judge? Maybe I missed something.

Not mentioned above were Jenny Powers and Robyn Hurder, who were leagues better then their colleagues. Hurder (Marty), drop-dead gorgeous, is a complete knock-out (Brantley will have a love letter for her, I'm sure). Powers, playing Mama Rizzo, is also a knock-out, her big numbers flying out of the ballpark. The problem is that they have her dressed so matronly (and that wig is awful) that she looks 10-20 years older than everyone else.

The ensemble, whenever we see them, is great. Standouts include Natalie Hill as Cha-Cha and Christina Sivrich (who I just enjoy very much).

Act I zips along, Act II is worse than torture. Marshall has constructed a very well paced first act. That pacing dies when the story (aka Act II) kicks in. Too ballad-heavy, it's slower than a snail. Move "Hopelessly Devoted to You" to Act I, (right after "Freddy"). Not only does it give Sandy a chance to shine (seriously, she's there for ten minutes), but it adds a much-needed ballad to the overly-peppy (yet very enjoyable) first act. In it's present location, it just boggs down the show, no matter how good or bad her delivery is (it's actually quite pretty, though not what Seth Rudetsky would call AMAHzing).

Kim Grigsby is a delight, as usual, conducting a very tight band. Chris Jahnke's orchestrations are nothing to write home over, but I did love that medly of songs that begins the show. Derek McLane went to Party City again to create his sets, Marty Pakledinaz's costumes are good enough, Ken Posner's lighting is very good, and Paul Huntley's wigs are just plain bad.

PS: The finale-ultimo is great.

My overall verdict? Who gives a crap what I say? It's gonna run for years. Updated On: 8/1/07 at 06:18 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:21pm

To sum it up, for those who don't want to read so muc:

Dinner theater quality production. Laura and Max are decent, Daniel Everidge and Lindsay Mendez are great, Jenny Powers and Robyn Hurder are knock-outs. Kathleen Marshall's choreography isn't up to par with her previous theatrical outings. Band is great. Ballad-heavy second act KILLS.
Updated On: 8/1/07 at 06:21 PM

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:24pm

Thanks for the detailed and entertaining review Yankee. I've never seen the stage version of Grease but it Sandy really only on for 10 minutes (maybe an exaggeration) in the first act? Also, does anyone have the song list? I'd be interested to see the differences between the movie and stage version in that respect.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:30pm

Good review! Definitely waiting for SRO. I'm not shelling out tons to see GREASE.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:32pm

Yes, they will have SRO, after it opens.

Gypsy, Sandy really is on stage for about 10 minutes of Act I. Maybe 20, tops. She's the least drawn out character in the show.

Song list:
Act I -
Prologue, Grease, Summer Nights, Magic Changes, Freddy My Love, Greased Lughtnin, Rydell Fight Song, Mooning, Sandra Dee, We Go Together.

Act II -
High School Hop, Raining on Prom Night, Hand-Jive, Hopelessly Devoted to you, Beauty School Dropout, Sandy, Rock n Roll Party Queen, Worse Things I Could Do, Sandra Dee reprise, One That I Want, We Go Toghether reprise, finale-ultimo.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:43pm

"Jim Jacobs (arguably the Sondheim of the rock musical genre)"

That IS a joke, right?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:44pm

Very entertaining review, Yankee. You were way too kind. I'm (sort of) sad to hear that it's still as uninspired as it was at the first preview. Marshall really had every opportunity (money) to go all out and create an off the charts production, even if the actors weren't the best, but she appears to have fallen asleep at the wheel.

One week left until the first press preview...

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:46pm

I'm sorry to hear that especially about the choreography. After seeing everything that Kathleen has choreographed, I really thought she would have nailed this one, too.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:49pm

Sueleen - Yes, 100% definitely a joke. Along with the LuPone-Gypsy comment.

Foster - There are a lot of people busily taking notes, but I can't help but wonder what they're writing. Joyce Chittick (the asst. choreographer) sat up in the mezz. for most of Act I. Marshall stood watching the bulk of the 2nd act downstairs (I happily moved to the empty last row).

Dottie - Yeah, it's too bad.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 6:56pm

Thanks for posting, yankee! I was waiting to hear what you thought. So you didn't much care for it either, huh...

[TapTapTapioca]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:00pm

and written by one of the richest collaborative teams in theatrical history, the late Warren Casey and the alive & well Jim Jacobs (arguably the Sondheim of the rock musical genre).

What else did they compose together besides Grease? I thought the only musical Jim Jacobs wrote was Grease.


Edit: I didn't see that you said it was a joke.

Updated On: 8/1/07 at 07:00 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:00pm

To quote Allison Fischer as Claudia in Lestat, "I want(ed) more."

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:15pm

Seriously, that it probably my favorite review ever written on BWW.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:26pm

>One week left until the first press preview...<

They open on August 19. I don't suspect the critics will be in until around August 16 or so. So, they have two weeks from tomorrow.

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:34pm

ok, is this-

If that impressive list of names isn't enough, young Max Crumm and Laura Osnes were hand picked by middle America to star in this production.

supposed to be a *good* thing? I don't mean specifically coming from you, yankeefan, I just mean in general...Middle America is the reason that crap like "Yes, Dear" stays on the air for six seasons, (no offense to anyone reading who may have worked on "Yes, Dear" :)), and I don't know that I really want them picking out the Next Big Thing on Broadway for me. I never watched the Grease show, I guess a lot of people watched it and liked it and voted (?), but I just don't get how the public 'casting' stars they see on the tee-vee automatically translates to good onstage talent, chemistry, persona, etc. Stage is so different- ie I adore (most) Julia Roberts films, yet I could barely sit through one performance of Three Days of Rain- and I just don't get how/why I'm supposed to be OMG all excited about people who were 'voted' for.

I think I realized this while reading that horrible NYTimes fluff piece from the other day, where there was made mention of "Spiritual Sandy" and "Ballerina Sandy" and such, as if discussing a line of Barbie dolls. These names meant nothing to me, I inferred it was because I never watched the show, yet there was no explaining of what these different Sandys were, why bring them up at all...Grease is (to me) *only* being sold on "America voted" for the two leads, and so there's no trying to draw in anyone who didn't watch the casting show- I've seen Grease in dinner theatre, I own Grease and Grease 2 (don't judge) on dvd, but I didn't watch any of the casting show, and since I didn't watch the casting show there is just no marketing of Grease to me, it seems.

Sorry- that got way more ramble-y than it sounded in my head. Thanks for the detailed review!

[JRybka]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 7:49pm

Well I cannot wait to see what La Lloyd Webber does with his "america's vote" for his shows when he brings it to America. I hear he is going to do Joseph that way.....

[postergirl]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:00pm

I haven't seen Grease since the 20th century, but when did "All Alone at the Drive-In Movie" disappear from the score? It was one of my favorites.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:02pm

Anakela - I know what you're saying. I wrote that in the same sarcastic tone that I used for a lot of my comments. This revival doesn't need marketing - there actually are enough people who watched the show that will see it. I happened to ask a few of the people seated around me whether or not they watched the show. To my amazement, everyone gave me a resounding YES. Good thing or not, agree or disagree, it's the "future" of Broadway.

Just an anecdote...during Beauty School Dropout, when they got to the line "unless she was a hooker..." and then silence...all you heard during the pause was the little voice of a young boy saying "A WHAT?"
Updated On: 8/1/07 at 08:02 PM

[shiz_student94]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:04pm

great review! I enjoyed it a lot--Thanks!

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:16pm

I happened to ask a few of the people seated around me whether or not they watched the show. To my amazement, everyone gave me a resounding YES. Good thing or not, agree or disagree, it's the "future" of Broadway.

Yeah, I guess...*sigh*...I mean, it's always a good thing to get new people to the theatre, yadda yadda, I mentioned in another thread here how a friend of mine who almost never goes wants to go see 'the Jennifer Garner show' when it opens, but I guess I just wish they'd also market Grease to those of us who didn't watch the casting show. If you're gonna mention "Ballerina Sandy" in the NYTimes, I wanna know why.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:22pm

We ain't the target audience. This isn't a show for people like us. This is a tourist show, plain and simple.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:51pm

Yankeefan- Thanks for your great review !!
Oh my ! This is definitely bad news for me !

Anyone here wants to buy my ticket for September ?

Whoa ! like you said ....To sum it up, for those who don't want to read so much... Dinner theater quality production. I should just probably settle for a show in North Shore Theater, instead of driving 4 hrs to NYC this September

J*





Updated On: 8/1/07 at 08:51 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:57pm

Hey, you may like it.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 8:59pm

Hopefully ! like Xanadu

What do you think ? I know its like comparing apples & oranges.. Which is a
better production .. Grease or Xanadu ?

Edit : Sorry to put on the spot ...It seems to me that you were more enthusiatic about your review with XANADU than this one

J*


Updated On: 8/1/07 at 08:59 PM

[Candleshoe2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 9:03pm

Just wondering if someone could explain how they open the show? Is it like the European shows, where they start with Danny and Sandy singing a verse of "Sandy", and then goes into "Grease is the Word"?