Review: Grease the Musical at Crown Theatre

Grease the Musical at Crown Theatre
Thursday, July 4, 2024

No longer the one that I want.

Grease the Musical skidded into Perth this week, bringing the iconic ’70s movie to life at Crown Theatre. Opening with old-fashioned movie credits, the show is a celebration of an unforgettable soundtrack, jazzed up with poodle skirts and leather jackets.

Undoubtedly, the star performer is Fabian Andrés as Danny Zuko. Spanti oozes cool, charisma, and stage presence in every scene, with a smooth and sexy voice that even beats Travolta’s. Other notable performances were Tom Davis as Doody/Ronnie Dell, who was employed to serenade the audience during scene transitions; Caitlin Spears as the positive and adorable Jan; and Mackenzie Dunn as take-no-trash Rizzo, whose tough girl persona and glimpses of vulnerability shone against the one-dimensional portrayals of the other characters.

Unfortunately, the downfall of Grease the Musical is the passage of time. Grease has not aged well, and the crude jokes, toxic masculinity, homophobia, violent relationships, and slut-shaming all scream to be rewritten. Whereas young girls of the '80s idolised Sandy, she now comes across as needy and pathetic, while 'bad girl' Rizzo appears spunky, self-aware, and unashamed. Who ever thought we would want our daughters to grow up to be Rizzo? It is also difficult to believe the Sandy-Danny love story when one character is a gaslighting jerk and the other is whining and using violence—a healthy relationship this is not!

The opening technical effects are inspired, with '50s movie credits, kitschy advertisements, and the first number performed in silhouette lit by a setting summer holiday sun. While the sets and skirts spin like you would expect, there were some basic errors, like Marcia Hines' heavy bangles jangling into her microphone and big, clunky white bleachers that take up most of the stage.

The choreography is traditional but not spectacular, possibly due to the space-limiting aforementioned bleachers. Some of the accents falter in and out, most notably Marty (Brianna Bishop) when she is singing. The most expensive error is the three starring cameos by Patti Newton, Jay Laga'aia, and Marcia Hines. It feels like the producers shoe-horned in famous names for promotion value, and they add little to the onstage experience.

Thankfully, the soundtrack is still outstanding, as is the band. The big fan-favourite ensemble numbers are all well done, including Greased Lightning, Summer Nights, and We Go Together. A special mention goes to Mackenzie Dunn’s emotional, captivating rendition of There Are Worse Things I Could Do, through which Rizzo teaches Sandy the importance of self-respect. Another highlight of the show is the closing encore, Grease Mega Mix, for which the cast and audience shake, shimmy, and have fun.

Grease the Musical is a good rendition of a classic but lacks creativity and new perspectives. Perhaps this well-known musical should have remained on celluloid. For nostalgic fans only.

MELISSA MANN