Students shine in production of classic 1970s musical
Grease is one of those musicals that has been etched into the American zeitgeist for decades. If the 1971 original Broadway production (and 15th longest-running Broadway show of all time) by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey didn’t make it into your lexicon by the time you hit puberty, then the 1978 film adaptation starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta definitely cemented itself somewhere in your childhood, not to mention the childhoods of everyone you know.
Therefore, the news that the School of Dramatic Arts would be staging a run of Grease from April 2 to April 12 might have been met with a bit of a groan and perhaps a “Why bother?” The choice to present a musical so famous and ubiquitous within the culture might seem like an odd one, especially because audience members have so much to compare it to. SDA’s version, however, more than lives up to expectations and provides a thrilling, fun ride from beginning to end.
From the very start of the show, its clear there are professionals at play. The set and art direction (by Dreem Qin) are clear and well thought out. The set itself is able to transform easily into the various different locations — high school, prom night, bedroom, living room, diner — with ease and little to no time wasted, which is important to note since so many productions often fall prey to poor timing with scene changes leading to dropped beats and a restless audience.
The director, Jeff Maynard, has clearly put thought into every specific detail, creating a well-oiled machine with few missed moments or awkward pauses. One particular interlude involves the car Grease Lightning as it’s wheeled off stage. Instead of waiting for the vehicle to disappear, Maynard instructed a bunch of his slick, tight-pants-wearing Greaser boys to flip and tumble around the stage in an acrobatic fashion — not only showing the dancers’ exciting and impressive prowess but also proving the director’s clear skill. Another wonderful interlude happens when the set must be changed completely, and Sandy (played by breath-of-fresh-air Sidne Phillips) sings the dazzling “Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee Reprise.” Another song of note is Phillips’ chillingly beautiful “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” which brought countless cries from the audience.
The first act of the musical might belong to the character of Kenickie, however, played by Jackson White. While the rest of the Burger Palace Boys attempt a tough guy swagger or accent (with some good moments but also some misses), White actually inhabits the character of Kenickie, playing the tough and dumb but ultimately likable bad boy with ease and definite talent. White’s commitment to character and love story with Rizzo (a pretty good Perry Mattfeld, who needed just a bit more conviction and stage presence to really sell her character) almost outshined Sandy and Danny Zucko (a manly and fun Austin Humble), the couple we want to root for from the beginning. Sandy and Danny’s time definitely comes by the end of the show, however, with a fun “You’re the One That I Want” that got the entire audience clapping with joy.
In a small role, Bella Hicks as Frenchy not only effectively embraces the character but is also one of the standout dancers of the evening, infecting any ensemble dancing piece with zeal and skill. Outside of the Pink Lady’s group is Shefali Deshpande as Patty — a role with little to no reward in the film adaptation but in this rendition provides a star-making turn for Deshpande, whose voice is not only clear as a bell but also gives the best and the most perfect high-pitched shrieks at the appropriately funny time.
Tucker Aust’s nerdy and awkward Eugene is also another minor character who packs a lot of punch, peppering his too few scenes with great comedic timing. But perhaps the most standout performance of them all is Carter Shults’ in the role of “Teen Angel,” who coaches Frenchy to finally drop out of beauty school and “go back to high school.” Shults’ falsetto reaches incredible heights and then dips into deep lows without a single hitch but with a lot of perfect sass and attitude, bringing to mind a young Neil Patrick Harris if he ever donned a bright white suit and sang among a string of chorus girls dressed like hairdresser angels replete with mauve pink feathered fans that turn into angel wings at just the right moment. Shults’ last high-pitch notes sent the audience into a roar of adulation, effectively bringing the house down and rounding out the middle of the second act.
If there’s anything to be learned from the show it is that there’s just something about a group of girls in period-appropriate flannel pajamas and cotton nightgowns, clutching hairspray cans or, in Rizzo’s case, a bottle of wine as they sing a ballad about boys that still delights and satisfies the viewer. Costume designer Amelia Brookins deserves a lot of credit for the scope and detail of each of the costumes. The Burger Palace Boys uniformity in tight blue Levi’s 501s and various Converse All Stars paired with the infamous greaser leather jackets was not simply classic, but pitch perfect. The ensemble sequences particularly highlighted the brilliance of the costume design, especially on prom night, in which each actor was not only period-appropriate but interesting and different in their own ways.
The musical ran about two hours, and save for the oddly confusing choice of including the song “Magic Changes” early in the first act (that’s thankfully quickly forgotten with a particularly fun version of “Freddy, My Love”), every moment was fun to watch. The show flew by, even if we’d all seen it before.