Sometimes all it takes to put on a good show is to have enthusiastic actors and a bunch of lively songs. That can be said for Millikan High School's latest production, which took the 50's pastiche musical Grease and brought it to life one classic song at a time. With an expansive cast, the story unfolded on stage at the Robert L. Brigham Performing Arts Center with a production put on entirely by the student body. While the story may be a bit goofy (there's an entire love song about "Mooning"), the sincerity at the center of the show manages to outshine its flaws and makes for a pretty fun afternoon of theater. It may not be the greatest show ever set to stage, but it's through no fault of the students who gave it their all and made Grease hip and cool once again.
To modern audiences, the musical Grease is often mistaken for the later film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. While it's true that both share similar fabrics, the story on display here takes more from the stage version, which misses a few now iconic songs (including the Frankie Valli titular number). Still, those wanting to hear "Summer Lovin'" and "You're the One That I Want" will not be disappointed. The story may be shifted to compensate for stage requirements (sorry, no aqueduct racing), but the heart of the show is still here with the entire cast of Rydell High's senior class getting into crazy hijinks as they navigate their final year together.
The romance is also central again with greaser Danny (Bryan Rosales) and goody-goody Sandy (Stancie Holder) discovering that they love each other in spite of their differences. The story does everything in its power to keep them apart, swaying them between comically worse relationships that allow the young cast to vamp onstage. There's a confidence in the performers that shines through as they tackle the tougher subject matter, which includes unwanted pregnancy, dropping out of beauty school, and the general maturity of youth through sexuality. While it's a high school production and some elements are tamed down, there's still a fire to each character's inner lives. The passion shines through enough to entertain, capturing the essence of what it means to be young and not entirely sure of what the world has to offer.
With an expansive cast that sometimes features over 90 on stage performers, the musical numbers are lavish despite often minimal uses of set design. "Summer Lovin'" of course has bleachers for Danny to dance along. The school dance scene that accompanies "Born to Hand Jive" has a colorful backdrop of painted vinyl. But what keeps the show moving is the generally upbeat nature of the cast, able to make the dance moves of the '50s come to life in their own ways. Even with a massive onstage cast acts like hand jiving become highlights of the show's rich energy. While the story plays too much like vignettes for some of the deeper dramatic elements to work, the enthusiasm from the cast shows potential in making this silly love story into something grander.
It's true that high school productions often have limitations that are expected and Grease definitely has that. However, it should be noted that Grease was produced in a moment of transition with important figures behind the scenes. With the unfortunate passing of stage manager Bob Brigham earlier this week, there have been many figures behind the scenes learning the ropes to help put on the show. While the show worked rather well, it explains the small hiccups that happened throughout the show, including scene transitions that carried too long. With that said, the fresh faces weren't without enough success to imagine more confident productions in the future. Consider Grease a learning curve that was made better by the sheer enthusiasm of the people making the show. It shined through in every single moment.
Grease may be a goofy and sometimes risque musical for a high school to put on, but it allowed for them to put on a show that exudes energy. It's hard to ignore the magic of young actors being allowed to do fantastic work on stage, such as Holder's rendition of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" during a minimalist scene. For whatever faults kept the show from being great, it didn't feel that way when things clicked when the performers got to make this story their own. They gave the show personality and reminded audiences why Grease has resonated with high school audiences for so long now. With all things considered, it was a fun evening of theater that highlighted some of the catchiest songs in the zeitgeist. It's hard not to find some joy when singing "We Go Together," and that is reflected in this show's execution. It may not be perfect, but it definitely was fun.
Comments
Post a Comment