Tuesday, 4/15/97 Actors sing, dance down memory lane in ‘Grease’
Fast-paced, energetic musical spoofs excesses of ’50s culture
By Cheryl Klein Daily Bruin Senior Staff You’ve gotta love a
decade famous for big hair, tight pants and Spam. No, not the ’80s,
although children of that particular time period grew up on the
movie version and will have no trouble waxing nostalgic over the
latest stage revival of "Grease." The production, playing through
April 27 at the Wilshire Theatre, is a loud, fun-filled romp
through the ’50s. The younger crowd will enjoy watching the kids of
Rydell High belt out familiar songs against a background of neon
and glitter, while baby boomers can treat the whole experience as a
sort of gilded high school reunion. In fact, the play begins with
just that in mind, as a school bell rings and Miss Lynch (Sally
Struthers) comes storming down the aisle, screeching at the
latecomers. "We’ve been waiting for you … Haven’t you learned to
tell time yet?" Struthers is delightfully grating as everyone’s
least favorite high school teacher, proving that there is life
after infomercials. She singles out a gum-chewing audience member
in the front row and demands, "Did you bring enough for everyone?"
Later in the show she hams it up at the "Night in the Tropics"
dance when she consumes a wee bit too much spiked punch.
Eventually, Miss Lynch sobers up, loosens up and does a very
respectable rendition of the hand jive. The other cast members also
have the energy it takes to pull off a musical with virtually no
plot. While the movie may have seemed fluffy, it is a documentary
compared to the stage version. This "Grease" mentions the rival
gang only in passing, forgoing the suspense of a showdown for a
chance to sing and dance a little more. Along the same line, the
puppy love affair between Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski is played
down, while other characters become more than sidekicks. But they
work well as an ensemble, reminding the audience of everything that
was great about the ’50s and horrible about high school. Adrian
Zmed is solid as Danny, and does his best to overcome the fact that
he is not John Travolta. Opposite him is Lacey Hornkohl as Sandy,
appropriately wide-eyed and blond but with a voice that can belt
out "Goodbye to Sandra Dee" with meaning. Lungs are crucial in this
production – the cast members have to compete with the loudness of
the sets, for one thing, but they are up for the challenge. Sheena
Easton lends her powerful and throaty voice to "Greased Lightnin’"
as she climbs on top of the boys’ dream car, but for sheer vocal
skill, Kevin-Anthony as the Teen Angel steals the show. As a
dejected Frenchy (played adorably ditzy by Beth Lipari) ponders her
future at the Burger Palace, the Teen Angel descends from the
heavens clad in an Elvis-esque jump suit and a glittering, orange
plastic wig that is easily two feet high. "Hair by Dairy Queen," he
flamboyantly declares of the frozen yogurt-chic ‘do. He is RuPaul
meets the Jetsons. His "Beauty School Dropout" combines teen idol
sappiness with glorious gospel as he milks the closing "Go back to
high school" for a good five minutes. The Tommy Tune production of
"Grease" takes costuming to new heights. As if shiny jump suits and
leather jackets weren’t enough, the girls of Rydell High sport
every imaginable variation on the poodle skirt. Among them: Scottie
dog, flamingo, palm tree, tennis racket, telephone and (for the
cheerleaders) megaphones. At any given point, the set is jiving
with a hundred colors and at least a few pairs of swinging hips.
Dance fans will perhaps wish for one or two more choreographed
numbers, but the talent and vibrancy poured into what’s already
there make this easily forgivable. The male cast members offer an
unspoken explanation of their buffed-up arms as they toss real
tires effortlessly around the stage, while the entire ensemble
accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of synchronizing more
than a dozen spinning, glow-in-the-dark hula hoops. The only
awkward moments are a few crowd scenes performed in slow motion –
it looks somewhat unnatural given the fast pace of the rest of the
musical. "Grease" celebrates all that is cheese, from the
archetypal nerd getting slammed in a locker to radio DJ Vince
Fontaine’s (Brian Bradley) classic pickup line: "Do your parents
know I come into your room every night? On WAXX, that is!" Wink
wink. Nudge nudge. Audience members can’t help breaking into a grin
as soon as they hear the familiar opening chords of "Summer
Nights." A few "tell me mores" and they’ve concluded that "Grease"
rocks. And rolls. And reminds everyone how much fun an evening at
the theater can be. THEATER: "Grease" runs through April 27 at the
Wilshire Theatre. Tickets range from $30 to $55. For more
information, call (213) 365-3500. At any given point, the set is
jiving with a hundred colors and at least a few pairs of swinging
hips.