Tuesday, 4/8/97
Energy is the word in production of hit musical ‘Grease!’
Mesmerizing performance abounds in neon lights, rock ‘n’
roll
By Kathleen Rhames
Daily Bruin Contributor
Get out those poodle skirts, put on a pair of shades, and get
ready to rock and roll as Broadway’s hit musical "Grease!" comes to
the Wilshire Theatre in an over-the-top display of singing, dancing
and neon lights.
"Bring your sunglasses because it’s very bright!" says wardrobe
supervisor Gerbie Connolly. "This is a rock and roll show."
Set to the be-bopping music of the 1950s, director and
choreographer Jeff Calhoun attempts to reignite the comic tale of
the Burger Boys and the Pink Ladies and the sparks that fly between
high school sweethearts Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski.
Opening Wednesday for a three- week engagement at the Wilshire
Theatre, the Tony Award-winning revival of "Grease!" features Sally
Struthers as Miss Lynch, Adrian Zmed as Danny Zuko, and Sheena
Easton as the feisty Rizzo.
"There’s such an energy level on stage – that’s what I think
keeps audiences coming to see the show," says Doug Crawford, who
plays Kenickie. "For us it’s like a two and a half hour aerobic
workout. We’re using actual tires that we throw around on stage,
not to mention hula hoops. It’s exhausting but the electricity on
stage is incredible."
And this electricity doesn’t just exist between the actors.
Crawford explains that the lighting in the show is as dynamic as
the music and dance numbers, and feels more like a rock concert
than a 1950s revival. Neon pinks, greens and yellows saturate the
stage in a flood of color, greatly enhancing the overall excitement
of the show. But while the effects have a magnetic appeal with
audiences, they sometimes leave the actors a little eye-sore after
the performance.
"I tend to wear black when I’m not performing because I’m sort
of like ‘Hello!’ from all the lights on the set," says Beth Lipari,
who plays Frenchie. "It’s like frantic energy. I think it’s
shocking – it’s definitely neon!"
Lipari and Crawford not only share the stage together each night
as Frenchie and Kenickie, but enjoy a life together as well. As a
married couple working in the same production, they get a kick out
of walking out of the dressing room each night to see what the
other one looks like.
"We look so ridiculous to one another. My wife wears five or six
different colored whigs throughout the show and I’ve got this crazy
high ’50s pompadour and we have a great time," Crawford says. "But
then the minute we get home we can like totally gossip about that
night’s show."
Although Kenickie doesn’t have a lot of direct stage time with
Frenchie, the two are both on stage for almost the entire show.
Lipari, who was cast as Frenchie after responding to an open call
add she saw in the newspaper, was hesitant to play the role of the
rainbow-haired, ditzy Pink Lady. But it didn’t take long for Lipari
to realize that sometimes ditzy can be fun.
"She doesn’t have much to do but she’s the most fun," Lipari
says. "She’s a member of a girls gang so she’s got to come off
strong but at heart she’s sort of dreamy and good-natured and her
costumes are the best. Without the ‘Judy Jetson’ outfits and the
whigs, the character wouldn’t be the same."
And the whigs are something to talk about. Balancing five
different hairstyles on her head is a challenge for Lipari but the
colors of the whigs are truly frightening. Made out of Yak hair –
that’s right, Yak hair – they range from blond hair with curlers,
to orange with yellow stripes, to blond with pink stripes.
It’s definitely a challenge for wardrobe supervisor Gerbie
Connolly, who’s responsible for making sure the actors are in the
right costumes and getting them out on stage in time for their
number. It is a challenge, however, that she enjoys immensely.
"Making the changes happen and making the show work is what I
love," Connolly says. "But it’s a constant ‘Gerbie – I have a hole
in this! Where are my bloomers, where’s my bra! There’s a run in my
pantihose.’ It can get hectic."
There may be chaos backstage, but it all makes for a show that
has filled theater seats night after night. "Grease!" is aimed at
those who want to reminisce over their childhood or for those who
simply want to laugh and sing along with Kenickie, Rizzo and the
gang.
"We all want the audience to have a great time," Crawford says.
"No matter what their age or how much theater they’ve seen, we want
them to leave our show smiling and wanting to come back."
Lipari agrees, adding "This isn’t a meaty, dramatic piece of
theater – its a good rock and roll show and I want people to
laugh."
THEATER: "Grease!" opens April 9 at the Wilshire Theatre.
Tickets range in price from $30 to $55. For more information call:
(213) 365-3500.Carol Rosegg
Mackenzie Phillips stars as "Rizzo" in "Grease!"
Carol Rosegg
"Grease!" comes to Los Angeles for a 3-week engagement beginning
Wednesday, April 9 and running through April 27.