Like their later version of Hair, it also wasn't -- strictly speaking -- the original Grease exactly. See, for reference, their program note (thank you, Internet Archive!):
"This version of Grease is derived from several sources. A majority of the material is based on early rehearsal and production drafts of the original 1971 production of Grease produced at the old Kingston Mines Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Revisions to that draft have been based on the 1972 Broadway production and subsequent versions over the last forty years. The creative team hopes to present a new version of the original Grease, true to Jim Jacobs' and Warren Casey's vision of 1950's life on Chicago's Northwest side.
Chicago audiences might have attended Grease at the Old Kingston Mines Theatre on Lincoln Avenue in the late winter and spring of 1971. If memory serves you well, you will notice some differences in this version. Jim and I wanted to address those now to set your mind at rest or engage the dramaturge in you.
In 1970-71, the play's conceit had the audience attending Rydell High School's ten-year reunion. Today, it would be Rydell's fiftieth-year reunion. Originally, Miss Lynch and Dr. Devlin, the school principal, presided over the festivities. Unless they were sipping from the Fountain of Youth, they unfortunately wouldn't be available to host this reunion. Therefore, we cut Dr. Devlin and let Miss Lynch make her first appearance when the story returns to 1959. Also, the actors playing the Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies played their older selves for the reunion. We opted for nixing the age make-up and getting the real thing. The age-appropriate Greaser cast allowed us to reexamine the opening and ending. Coincidentally, in October 2010, some of the creative team attended the Fiftieth-Year Reunion of Jim's alma mater, Taft High School. The event was quite emotional for the alumni, in particular, when the group acknowledged classmates that had passed on. We believed that sentiment should be captured in someway in this new production.
For the most part, the characters are all the same (for the record, Sandy is not from Australia but is the daughter of a factory worker from Joliet.) In the original version, Danny's best friend and second-in-command, was originally named Miller and there was a sixth greaser called Kenickie. When the show moved to New York, the sixth Greaser was cut and Jim and Warren decided to change Danny's best friend's name from Miller to Kenickie (hey, it's a cooler name). When we decided to restore the sixth Greaser, we renamed him Miller, since Grease enthusiasts are now so used to Danny's second being called Kenickie.
Throughout the script, we included material right from the very first sketch of the pajama party scene (the first scene written for the play) all the way through the final Broadway draft. We wanted to include and adjust material that could further ground the characters and communicate a working-class teenager's life on Chicago's Northwest Side. You will hear places like Polk Bros., Carson's, the Palmer House, Elmer the Elephant and Jim Lounsberry. You will also hear some period slang as well as some colorful metaphors that might rattle some politically-correct ears. This version reflects the period with all its nostalgia and all its inequities. The largest addition to the text is the boiler room scene in the second act that was cut during rehearsals for the original Chicago production. Otherwise, all of the other scenes are intact and, without exception, all contain restored material from various versions.
The most notable difference in this new version is the score. All of the original material has been restored from the changes made for the Broadway and movie versions: Foster Beach was the predecessor to Summer Nights; Grease was the predecessor to Barry Gibb's opener for movie; Kiss It and All Choked Up were the predecessors to You're the One That I Want; and Alone at the Drive In Movie replaces Sandy (and has been restored to the car's rightful owner, Kenickie). Patty and Miss Lynch also have their songs back. The only exception is that we included both Boogie Man Boogie and its successor, Born to Hand Jive, as a way to end the dance. In addition, we revised and restored Comin' at Ya', Tattoo Song and All Clear, all of which had been cut before the show opened in Chicago. The score has been entirely re-orchestrated by Malcolm Ruhl to reflect a more authentic 1950-early 1960's sound (there's no disco in this score). Once we had completed the restoration, we realized that Danny never had a solo. We were resigned to this fact until we stumbled upon a title-less song that Warren had sketched on a scrap of loose-leaf. The song (with only chords written over the words) explored a Greaser's idea of success and seemed a perfect response to Sandy's challenge; that Danny do something with his life. Jim grabbed his guitar and using Warren's lyrics, penned the first new Jacobs-Casey collaboration for Grease in 40 years. Like Comin' at Ya, Tattoo Song and All Clear, How Big I'm Gonna Be makes its debut in this new version.
Finally, the stage directions reflect the aesthetic nature of this new production. Grease has often been produced as a saccharine-sweet amusement park ride through the 1950's. This version reflects the real working-class environment of Chicago's Northwest Side in 1959. We have made these revisions to this American icon in order to present a more authentic look at both the play and the period. Any great piece of theatre stands the test of time and no other American musical on film or on stage has had the enormous success that Grease has and will continue to have. We hope that The Original Grease is yet another milestone on that journey.
American Theater Company would like to thank the Chicago Performing Arts Archives at the Harold Washington Library and the estate of the late Warren Casey, and, of course, Jim Jacobs, who carries the spirit of Grease forty years later and bravely and boldly was willing to return to where it all began: a warehouse theater in Chicago.
So… **** you! Offended? Outraged? Then you should stop right here. Don't say we didn't warn ya'. Enjoy The Original Grease!"
Also, if anyone has yet to send you the recording, drop me a line.
Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05
Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28
on YouTube, but can't find any for the other numbers. Anyone know if there's any talk of Jacobs releasing a recording of that version of the score, or aware of places online I might hear some of the other numbers?
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
