What's the Word?: Despite Sharp Turns, 'Grease' Makes for a Fun Ride at Marriott Lincolnshire -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Grease
Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL
Thru March 15
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"Fun."

That was the word I predominantly heard as patrons were filing out of the Marriott Theatre after having seen Grease.

Certainly there are far worse things audiences can say about a show, and I would concur that "Fun" is an apt summation of the musical itself and Marriott's well-cast new production.

We go to theater for other reasons as well--in this case, perhaps including a bit of local nostalgia, as I'll expound upon below--but we obviously want to enjoy ourselves.

And I definitely did, as I'd guess likewise for most in attendance.

Within its in-the-round auditorium, Marriott routinely does a stellar job in adapting musicals of various vintages, and under the direction of Scott Weinstein with choreography by William Carlos Angulo, Grease works well upon its stage.

Bringing some Broadway experience, Jimmy Nicholas is good as Danny Zuko, leader of a high school greaser gang called the T-Birds, and with a bubbly voice and sweet smile, Leryn Turlington well-enacts Sandy Dumbrowski's myriad emotions as Danny fiddles with her heart.

Fine talent abounds throughout the cast, with Michelle Lauto (Marti), Jacquelyne Jones (Rizzo), Landree Fleming (Frenchy), Kevin Corbett (Kenickie), Jake Elkins (Roger) and Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Teen Angel) all demonstrably good.

So whether you're a Marriott subscriber or just looking for a "fun" show to see, Grease should certainly be a good time.

But while many may well have liked, even loved, the show more than me, I don't see as incidental what I didn't hear afterwards.

"Amazing," "awesome," "fantastic" nor "great" were not uttered by anyone within earshot expressing an opinion.

Mainly just "fun."

Which, as effusive but not exorbitant acclamation, I ascribe more to the source material than this nicely-rendered production or any of the fine performances.

Before I continue with this thread, let me say that I do appreciate the importance, originality and verve of Grease in the annals of musical theater history, particularly as it pertains to Chicago.

With deference to West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and other earlier musicals about teenagers, Grease--whose book, music & lyrics were written by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey about the former's days at Taft High on Chicago's Northwest Side--was rather progressive in focusing on cliques, gangs, popularity, peer pressure and even teen pregnancy.

And I have to imagine that some of the more mature folks in the audience at Marriott--20 miles up Milwaukee Ave. from Norwood Park, where Taft H.S. still exists--are quite familiar with the show's geography and/or 1959 setting.

Or perhaps, the original 1971 staging of Grease in Lincoln Park at Kingston Mines (not the same location as the still-operating blues club of the same name).

Jacobs' & Casey's creation obviously struck a nerve, and was taken to Broadway in 1972, where it ran for a then-record 3,388 performances over nearly 8 years.

But, having been born in 1968, my initial familiarity with Grease came via the 1978 film adaptation, a huge hit starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

The movie retained several of Jacobs/Casey's fine songs from the Broadway version--which had some revisions from the original Chicago rendition--including "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'," "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," "Beauty School Dropout" and "We Go Together."

But, setting Rydell High (the fictional version of Taft) in the hills of Los Angeles, the movie deviated from and embellished on the stage musical in many ways, including by adding some songs--"Grease," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Sandy" and "You're the One That I Want"--and re-ordering many others.

Most Hollywood musicals based on Broadway shows make substantive modifications, about which I don't typically care much in viewing a live production.

But not only do I greatly enjoy the movie Grease--I would say more than the original musical, which Chicago's American Theater Company re-staged in 2011--Marriott's and most latter-day stage versions now incorporate some songs from the movie, while also retaining a number that were never in the movie.

I pretty much enjoyed everything I heard sung on-stage, whether sourced from just the stage musical ("Freddy My Love," "There are Worse Things I Could Do"), the movie ("Hopelessly Devoted to You," "You're The One That I Want") or both.

But the narrative, either because of how it was originally written or as revised to work in the movie songs, is something of a mess.

Specifically the love story between Danny and Sandy seemed ping-pong from hot to cold and back again every few minutes.

And while this likely befits an actual teen romance, the segues between scenes were rather herky-jerky, and I was caught by surprise when Act I ended before it felt it should have.

Even Sandy's "transformation" late in Act II feels a bit abrupt.

This was my fourth time seeing Grease onstage, and--including ATC's new "original" version--I've never quite loved it.

But thanks to the songs, spirited performances, Chicago-specific stage design (including a Bryn Mawr & Talcott street sign) and some nifty touches--from the "Greased Lightnin'" car to the way Turlington's fine take on "Hopelessly Devoted to You" is woven into the high school hop scene--I can't deny that this take on Grease is a whole lot o' fun.

And the best I've yet seen.

Except for the movie.