Grease

Opening one week later than originally scheduled (because of Covid lockdown), this year’s major production of the Griffith Performing Arts students, Grease, was one of their best.

With a towering four-level scaffolding-type set with multiple staircases by Adam Gardnir, a plethora of late fifties dance-moves by Dan Venz, and a kick-ass band under Heidi Loveland, Rydell High buzzed with life and energy.

This version’s score included the popular songs from the movie, which helped lift the show out of the ordinary. With a cast of over sixty on stage, ‘We Go Together’ and ‘You’re the One That I Want’, and the cast doing their choreographic moves in unison, the excitement level was off-the-charts. Add in the show’s mid-second act showstopper, ‘Beauty School Dropout’ and you have total audience enjoyment.

The story of high-school greaser Danny Zuko falling in love with Sandy Dumbrowski is as well-known these days as Romeo and Juliet, and with its leather jackets and poodle skirts, we’re back in the era and milieu of West Side Story. We’ve all seen Craig McLachlan and Rob Mills, as the greaser, and of course, the gold-standard - John Travolta’s movie performance, but young Sean Johnston, who played the role last night, could give them all a run for their money. And what’s more he put his own stamp on it in a carefree, nonchalant and totally winning performance. Annelise Hall was a sweet and innocent-appearing Sandy, and when required, could she belt out those numbers. Their ‘Summer Nights’ was electric.

Liam Head’s Kenickie had all of the slicked-back hair attitude and nailed ‘Greased Lightnin’, whilst Abigail Dixon as the ‘Pink Lady’ leader Rizzo, had a fine spotlight moment in ‘There Are Worse Things I Could Do’. Hanlon Innocent as Doody continued to impress, and although his fabulous baritone didn’t have the opportunity to soar like it did in the QSO’s Broadway To West End, he brought a nice gauche humor to the part.

This show was cast against gender type, with some female roles played by boys and some male roles played by girls. Beau Wharton did a great job as the stitched-up Miss Lynch, and Carla Beard was perfect as Sonny, a clone of Anybodys in West Side Story. In the cameo roles I liked Genevieve Langford as the flamboyant Cha-Cha, Nava Revalk’s silver-lame jumpsuit-ed Teen Angel, and Nate Stevenson’s radio-jock, Vince Fontaine.

Director Smith used every inch of Gardnir’s set in his don’t-stop-for-a-moment action, Venz’ dance-moves were a fifties salad of styles, complimented by Keith Clark’s lighting and Steve Thornely’s sound, with Loveland’s band a class-act in itself.

I don’t remember high-school reunions being as much fun!

Peter Pinne          

Photographer: Nick Morrissey.