Grease was the first live show I ever saw, as an arena spectacular at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1998. It seems fitting, then, that it should not only be the first show I review on this blog, but that it itself is the first 'senior' musical production put on by the Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council.
This, to me, is incredible; the energy, enthusiasm and professionalism that was displayed by the entire young (13-25yo) cast was phenomenal -- and that's an understatement. Together, they presented a fun, funny, and at times genuinely touching romp through Rydell High.
The focal point of this whirlwind of '50s teen culture was head greaser Danny Zuko, played by Brett Johnson. Johnson's slick movements and powerful voice were the perfect catalyst to propel the show forwards, and the energy never once flagged or failed with him on stage. His lovably goofy antics created a character more flawed, human, and ridiculously, hilariously proud than the standard John Travolta performance with which most are familiar, and the entire show benefitted as a result of it.
Similarly, his opposite Sandy Dumbrowski (Amanda Aitkin) was a gutsier, stronger interpretation, with a gutsier, stronger voice to match. Well known ballad 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' stood out as an example of her more mature voice, which served to present Sandy as a more mature young lady who had made her own decisions of how to run her life, rather than a timid daddy's girl who had had her decisions made for her. It was a refreshing, powerful performance, and every moment of her stage time was a joy.
Likewise, their respective gangs, the T-Birds (Burger Palace Boys? I always get confused as to what to call them in which version) and Pink Ladies contained memorable personas reinforced by strong characterisation. Each performer had their time to shine, and each knew when to let their peers take the spotlight. The Pink Ladies in particular were strongly differentiated from one another (sorry fellas), simply by virtue of the script giving them more individual nuances. I honestly want to list you each by name and go on at length about how amazing every single one of you was, but there simply isn't that much room on the internet.
Along the same vein, though, Melissa McShane did an outstanding job of turning annoying cheerleader Patty Simcox into someone I could believe existed, and Matthew Flaus as Eugene... I mean this as a compliment to his characterisation, but even I wanted to punch him in the face and steal his lunch money.
All of his lunch money.
These brilliant performances were supported and enhanced by one of the more intelligent set designs I've seen in recent years; a minimalist white space with a hefty lighting grid transforming a corner of the Mittagong RSL club into... well, just about anything. White blocks created cars, chairs, tables, beds, and Greased Lightnin' herself was a sight to behold.
The entire creative team should be patting themselves on the back; director Adam Fisher is no stranger to bringing out the best in a young cast, and the band lead by MD Michael Cooper was flawless. The music just sounded good; it sounds simple, but there's no other way to succinctly describe it. It was just so good, and perhaps more importantly, true to the show and to the era. By the way, band, your bow ties looked magnificent.
I've saved my most praiseworthy comments for last, though; the choreography by Kelly Duroy. An explosion of colourful costumes enhanced by simple but effective (and in many instances complex and mindblowing -- I'm looking at you, Cha-Cha, a.k.a. Demi Turner) movements turned the ensemble into a well-greased (pun always intended) musical machine. The dancing was just so tight and well done, you had to look closely to try to determine who was a trained dancer and who had just thrown themselves into the moment.
As always on opening night, there were a few glitches present, but a couple of hiccups from mic feedback weren't enough to hold this explosive cast back from showing all present why, all these years later, Grease is still the word.
Grease is playing at the Mittagong RSL Club. Tickets can be purchased by phoning 4872 6700 or online from their website.
Remaining show dates are:
Saturday, 15th of October - 8pm
Sunday, 16th of October - 2pm
Friday, 21st of October - 8pm
Saturday, 22nd of October - 2pm and 8pm
Sunday, 23rd of October - 2pm
Additional information is available on the Facebook event page.
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