Today I saw the current revival of Grease. It was certainly not the first choice of the day, but seeing as the show is not a main contender to win the Tony Award for Best Musical (like our first choice was), it was easier to get tickets to Grease. If you’ll remember, the leads in the show were cast from the not-so-popular reality show “Grease: You’re the One That I Want.” The production is directed by Kathleen Marshall, and blends the film and theater versions of the music (and the story).
I was not so excited to see this production, partly because of the poor-ish reviews that the show received. And I mostly agree with the reviews. The show seemed to rely on so many cheap thrills, I couldn’t tell if there was a genuine artistic effort that went into the show. When walking into the theater, I was immediately overwhelmed by the doo-wop playing over the speakers, the teenagers taking flash photos of the cheaply sketched main drop. The house seemed like utter chaos. And the chaos didn’t stop until after we left the theater. There is a certain demographic the show appeared to cater to: the first timers, who don’t necessarily have the exposure to the theater culture that is appropriate on Broadway. Singing, dancing, talking, cell phones going off, you name it. I can’t help but wonder that this was planned.
In terms of the actual production, it all seemed so two-dimensional. The arrangements (both instrumental and vocal) were flat, the performances largely weak, and the emotion—non-existant.
Max Crumm won the role of Danny Zucko on a reality TV show. That is the only way he could have possibly won this role, and it shows. His acting was robotic, his voice weak unless he was obviously pushing too hard, and his stage presence not strong enough to embody the spirit of a T-Bird. Laura Osnes, while also shy of coming through and standing out as the best one onstage, still lacks the star quality necessary to be separated out as a Broadway diva. Her acting, while borderline cheesy (and that’s not to say the book itself is not ridiculously cheesy), was perfect for her role. Additionally, her voice, as pipsqueaky and pretty as it is, was wonderfully suited to Sandy.
I was not so excited to see this production, partly because of the poor-ish reviews that the show received. And I mostly agree with the reviews. The show seemed to rely on so many cheap thrills, I couldn’t tell if there was a genuine artistic effort that went into the show. When walking into the theater, I was immediately overwhelmed by the doo-wop playing over the speakers, the teenagers taking flash photos of the cheaply sketched main drop. The house seemed like utter chaos. And the chaos didn’t stop until after we left the theater. There is a certain demographic the show appeared to cater to: the first timers, who don’t necessarily have the exposure to the theater culture that is appropriate on Broadway. Singing, dancing, talking, cell phones going off, you name it. I can’t help but wonder that this was planned.
In terms of the actual production, it all seemed so two-dimensional. The arrangements (both instrumental and vocal) were flat, the performances largely weak, and the emotion—non-existant.
Max Crumm won the role of Danny Zucko on a reality TV show. That is the only way he could have possibly won this role, and it shows. His acting was robotic, his voice weak unless he was obviously pushing too hard, and his stage presence not strong enough to embody the spirit of a T-Bird. Laura Osnes, while also shy of coming through and standing out as the best one onstage, still lacks the star quality necessary to be separated out as a Broadway diva. Her acting, while borderline cheesy (and that’s not to say the book itself is not ridiculously cheesy), was perfect for her role. Additionally, her voice, as pipsqueaky and pretty as it is, was wonderfully suited to Sandy.
Matthew Saldivar slipped by unnoticed and unthrillingly as Kenicke. The moments when he showed his toughness blended in with the rest of the production, but it was his lack of ability to act genuinely compassionate that made his performance unbelievable. Ryan Patrick Binder and Brian Sears demonstrated impressive vocals throughout the show as Doody and Roger, and had as much fun as their characters allowed them to have, but Jose Restrepo's cheap humor as Sonny annoyed me. The Pink Ladies as a whole demonstrated much more talent and sparkle, most impressively by Robyn Hurder as Marty. Both Lindsay Mendez and Kirsten Wyatt had fun as Jan and Frenchy. If I were in the show, I'd want to hang out with them.
The true standout of this performance is Jenny Powers, who portrays Rizzo. Her attitude (or lack thereof) and individual character arch was so pristine and thought out. She remained just subdued enough throughout the show, and then came “There Are Worst Things I Could Do.” This 2 minute song stands out as the single most brilliant moment in the show, and judging from the rest of the direction, I’m sure it is all Powers’ doing.
Unfortunately for this production, the flaws stand out more than the accomplishments. While it may have been an intelligent move in terms of seeking out a commercially successful production, this production reverts to cheap thrills and easy laughs rather than delving into the meat of the project. With a few exceptions, few characters really show a journey or an arc or any sort.of effort into their development. The production made a very smart move in gearing towards an arguably less exposed, less cultured audience looking for a memorable and entertaining theatrical experience. They shoot for the bells and whistles, rather than striving for a moving piece of theater. For most of the show, a great portion of the stage goes unused. The band is located on a platform at the top of the stage, which limits the amount of stage space to be utilized, and it shows. The choreography of the show, with the exception of the gym dance scene at the top of Act 2, sneaks by with virtually no thrills. The ensemble pops up here and there to only fill the stage with more bodies, and rarely contributes to the show. The set was cheap looking, and it appears as though most of the budget went towards multiple bedazzlers.
Can you tell I didn’t love this production? I feel a little tuckered out on Grease as a franchise anyway, and I’ll admit that my opinion may be skewed by this. And judging from the cheers and size of the crowd, this show is successful in its own way and will be around for a while. But I felt myself craving to be moved by something, anything. And there was nothing there to move me. Yes, I think there can be a future in reality television voting on Broadway, but from here on out, it will take a lot to get me to the theater to see its result!
The true standout of this performance is Jenny Powers, who portrays Rizzo. Her attitude (or lack thereof) and individual character arch was so pristine and thought out. She remained just subdued enough throughout the show, and then came “There Are Worst Things I Could Do.” This 2 minute song stands out as the single most brilliant moment in the show, and judging from the rest of the direction, I’m sure it is all Powers’ doing.Unfortunately for this production, the flaws stand out more than the accomplishments. While it may have been an intelligent move in terms of seeking out a commercially successful production, this production reverts to cheap thrills and easy laughs rather than delving into the meat of the project. With a few exceptions, few characters really show a journey or an arc or any sort.of effort into their development. The production made a very smart move in gearing towards an arguably less exposed, less cultured audience looking for a memorable and entertaining theatrical experience. They shoot for the bells and whistles, rather than striving for a moving piece of theater. For most of the show, a great portion of the stage goes unused. The band is located on a platform at the top of the stage, which limits the amount of stage space to be utilized, and it shows. The choreography of the show, with the exception of the gym dance scene at the top of Act 2, sneaks by with virtually no thrills. The ensemble pops up here and there to only fill the stage with more bodies, and rarely contributes to the show. The set was cheap looking, and it appears as though most of the budget went towards multiple bedazzlers.
Can you tell I didn’t love this production? I feel a little tuckered out on Grease as a franchise anyway, and I’ll admit that my opinion may be skewed by this. And judging from the cheers and size of the crowd, this show is successful in its own way and will be around for a while. But I felt myself craving to be moved by something, anything. And there was nothing there to move me. Yes, I think there can be a future in reality television voting on Broadway, but from here on out, it will take a lot to get me to the theater to see its result!
2 comments:
the photos from the show annoy me. and i thought those two were so cute before...
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