It's highly likely that out of the over 2,000-strong turnout at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre last Friday, most didn't quite live the '70s, much less the '50s, where the story is set.
So even with this generation's unadulterated obsession with nostalgia, plus the assumption that members of the audience had watched the successful movie version starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John at least once, the Australian production had to get a lot of things right to make sure Grease was still the word.
Unfortunately, the cast while characterful lacked chemistry, especially lead roles Danny Zuko and Sandy Drumbowski, played by Stephen Mahy and Gretel Scarlett respectively.
Mahy, who switches back and forth between the roles of Thunderbirds frontman Danny and his buddy Kenickie during the tour, looked the part, but lacked the panache. The sprightly Scarlett came on a bit too strong for a transfer who'd just been snubbed by her summer fling Danny, so that when the big ingenue-turned-bombshell climax came round, the impact was minimal.
These, plus the measly 'stage time' they got together, knocked them out of the spotlight. If I had to pick a memorable couple at all it'd be Jan and Putzie, who brought genuine comic relief to the evening.
There were other noteworthy performances.
Lucy Maunder was a vision as resident b-iatch Rizzo with her heavy strut and slow, condescending drawl. And despite occasionally being on stage only to set the scene, like when she was cosying up to Kenickie in a dark spot on the bleachers whilst her friends talked up the big school dance, she never let up. Incidentally, Maunder outshone the rest vocally with "There are Worse Things I Could Do".
Jason Capewell was also excellent, supplying delightful amounts of camp and sass to Act Two as hotshot radio personality Vince Fontaine and the crooning Teen Angel.
Lucy Maunder was a vision as resident b-iatch Rizzo
Visually, Grease was beautiful, stunning even. Terry Parsons' Burger Palace (where the dandy "Beauty School Dropout" is executed), girly girl's bedroom and late-night drive-in were all a sight for sore eyes and could probably hold their own in a museum exhibit.
But the pace could be improved. Lines that were such killer cues they made film and theatre history were treated like hot potatoes — Sandy's "tell me about it, stud" for example, barely rolled off the tongue before the band started up the first few notes of "You're the One that I Want".
Overall, David Gilmore's Grease is fun and entertaining — after all it boasts a soundtrack that still rakes in the royalties after more than 30 years — but if it's going to be a winner, more attention must be paid to the leads, as well as the script's best-loved moments.
Grease is showing through May 18 at the Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Tickets are $60 — 700 (VIP box with four seats) from Sistic.
Photos: Grease is the Word / Jeff Busby
It's highly likely that out of the over 2,000-strong turnout at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre last Friday, most didn't quite live the '70s, much less the '50s, where the story is set.
So even with this generation's unadulterated obsession with nostalgia, plus the assumption that members of the audience had watched the successful movie version starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John at least once, the Australian production had to get a lot of things right to make sure Grease was still the word.
Unfortunately, the cast while characterful lacked chemistry, especially lead roles Danny Zuko and Sandy Drumbowski, played by Stephen Mahy and Gretel Scarlett respectively.
Mahy, who switches back and forth between the roles of Thunderbirds frontman Danny and his buddy Kenickie during the tour, looked the part, but lacked the panache. The sprightly Scarlett came on a bit too strong for a transfer who'd just been snubbed by her summer fling Danny, so that when the big ingenue-turned-bombshell climax came round, the impact was minimal.
These, plus the measly 'stage time' they got together, knocked them out of the spotlight. If I had to pick a memorable couple at all it'd be Jan and Putzie, who brought genuine comic relief to the evening.
There were other noteworthy performances.
Lucy Maunder was a vision as resident b-iatch Rizzo with her heavy strut and slow, condescending drawl. And despite occasionally being on stage only to set the scene, like when she was cosying up to Kenickie in a dark spot on the bleachers whilst her friends talked up the big school dance, she never let up. Incidentally, Maunder outshone the rest vocally with "There are Worse Things I Could Do".
Jason Capewell was also excellent, supplying delightful amounts of camp and sass to Act Two as hotshot radio personality Vince Fontaine and the crooning Teen Angel.
Lucy Maunder was a vision as resident b-iatch Rizzo
Visually, Grease was beautiful, stunning even. Terry Parsons' Burger Palace (where the dandy "Beauty School Dropout" is executed), girly girl's bedroom and late-night drive-in were all a sight for sore eyes and could probably hold their own in a museum exhibit.
But the pace could be improved. Lines that were such killer cues they made film and theatre history were treated like hot potatoes — Sandy's "tell me about it, stud" for example, barely rolled off the tongue before the band started up the first few notes of "You're the One that I Want".
Overall, David Gilmore's Grease is fun and entertaining — after all it boasts a soundtrack that still rakes in the royalties after more than 30 years — but if it's going to be a winner, more attention must be paid to the leads, as well as the script's best-loved moments.
Grease is showing through May 18 at the Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Tickets are $60 — 700 (VIP box with four seats) from Sistic.
Photos: Grease is the Word / Jeff Busby