BEACH REPORTER
Manhattan Beach, California

PLAY REVIEW

Stepping Out
Grease Revisited

By KENT STODDART
BEACH REPORTER

Slick back your D.A., press your poodle skirt, hop into your hot rod, and hang out with the hip cats and cool chicks at the Redondo Performing Arts Center (a.k.a Rydell High).

Last Sunday afternoon, the center was a rockin' and a reelin' to Torrance resident Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's musical Grease. The key to this long-running Broadway show's success is evident in this CLOSBC production. It cleverly satirizes and at the same time affectionately embraces the music and perceptions of the late 1950s. The hair is a little too greasy, the dialogue is a little too cheesy and the doo-wops are a little too over the top; however, it is presented with the tongue so firmly planted in the cheek, one cannot help but applaud.

The fun and familiarity of the show has a lot to do with the popularity of the 1978 film version of Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and the fact that "Summer Nights" is the most requested karaoke duet in the country. Nevertheless, this production remains fresh due to strong performances and excellent music direction.

The two leads, Marcie Dodd (Sandy) and Greg Kohout (Danny), find their summer romance separated by high school cliques and adolescent posturing. They try desperately to recreate their past magic, experienced during school break, by attempting to impress each other in the high school arena. Later, they realize the true nature of their love and initial attraction was due to simply being themselves -- although Sandy has a new tight-fitting pedal-pusher edge to her personality and Danny has a more true-blue sincerity. Dodd and Kohout display a nice chemistry. Each actor displays a strong vocal command in their individual numbers and, when singing together, their voices blend beautifully.

The girl gang The Pink Ladies -- Natalie Nucci, Bradley Benjamin, Jennifer Kuhlman and Mindy Reid -- are all distinctive and hilarious. On occasion, the girls manage to steal the show. Danny's greaser gang -- Ted Napolitano, William Akey, Brandon Alameda and Robert Pieranunzi -- showcase a contagious energy that either has the audience laughing or snapping their fingers.

The rest of the ensemble is wonderfully cast and they appear to be having a great deal of fun. Standout featured performances include those by David Engel, Collin Rand, Ipsita Paul, Melissa Fahn and Linda Kerns.

Thomas Griep's musical direction flows and transitions between each number seamlessly. Griep's band is in the pocket and their fills between scene changes really capture the spirit of that particular decade. This production of Grease will have you leaving the theater humming the tunes and, maybe, even attempting the hand jive.