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Grease
Stage ExperienceThe New Alexandra Theatre
***** FORGET Simon Cowell and his PR machine
telling us Britain’s got talent, just switch off the telly and head off
to the Alex and see real talent in the flesh. The Alex’s Stage Experience scheme, now in its
13th year, gives Midland youngsters a chance to appear in a
professionally directed and produced sh For the 13th time she has waved her magic wand
and in just two intensive weeks turned 130 youngsters, aged nine to 24,
into one heck of a show good enough to give the professionals a run for
their money.
Grease started life as a raw, raunchy musical
with an amateur cast in an unfashionable theatre in Chicago in 1971, it
dealt with working class youth, gangs, teenage pregnancies and all the
angst of coming of age in a less than high flying high school – a year
later with a clean-up and polish Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s musical
was on Broadway and a phenomena was born.
The musical revolves around the on-off romance of
Danny, the leader of the greasers – the name given to working class
teen gangs in the 1950s, hence the musical’s title - at Rydell High, who
falls for new girl Sandy . . . except when his greaser peers are around. Sandy is a bit of a shy, goody-two-shoes entering
into the female gang, the Pink Ladies, where she had a lot to learn. Jordan Ricketts is a fine Danny with a good voice
while Georgia Anderson has a lovely voice and manages a fabulous
contrast between the sweet and innocent Sandy
As is Sofi Robinson as the promiscuous,
dismissive, Rizzo. She adds a sultry, sexy air to her character as well
as a fine alto voice, and mkes the stage look like her natural habitat.
The rest of the greasers add a mix of lust and
humour to proceedings with Caven Rimmer excellent as Kenickie with his
supercar Grease Lightning – which might just be a little optimistic when
it comes to its name. Then there is Harry Chapman as Roger, the
school’s mooning champ, played with some splendid humour, Doody, nicely
played by Charlie Howell and, bringing up the rear, Sonny who believes
every girl is falling for him, played with some nice comic touches by
Harry Sheasby. Not to upset Sonny, his catapult for the rumble
with rival gang, the Flaming Dukes, might have a quite serious design
flaw. Perhaps just as well the Dukes never turned up. Then we had the ladies with Frenchy, played by
with an assured air by Georgina Steggles, who drops out of high school,
then beauty school and prays for a teen an There is Marty, played by Jasmine Shen, with her
long distance relationship – and its presents – with a marine, and Jan,
whose hobby appears to be eating, played with some lovely timing by
Melissa Huband and, flirting her way around the pom poms is head
cheerleader Patty, in a lively performance by Isabella Kibble. Liam Huband gives a fine performance as the nerdy
Eugene while Jessica Walton adds a little sexual charm as Cha-Cha
Digregorio. There is good support from a large ensemble and
Pollyann Tanner does a fine job not only as director, giving us a well
paced, fast moving show, but also as choreographer with the entire cast
on stage at times, which is as much crowd control as choreography, but
it never looks like a mob or a crowd, everyone is in their place and
knows what to do in what are at times extremely complicated routines.
Good, interesting choreography and even better
execution on a sparking set full of strings of lights and a huge juke
box at the rear of the stage from Scenic Projects. Musical Director Chris
Newton and his seven-piece band added enormously to the production in
such well known numbers as Summer
Nights, Greased Lightnin’ and
Your’e the One That I Want. There were a couple of issues on sound, mics not
picking up fast enough and a couple of times when the cast carried on
while songs were still being cheered and applauded, losing the dialogue,
but that is nitpicking in what is a marvellous show, brim full of
enthusiasm and talent. To 20-08-16 Roger Clarke 18-08-16
And on a summer night . . .
***** THIS power-packed production of the
famous musical proves the Midlands is simply bristling with emerging
talent just waiting for an opportunity to shine and given the chance by
Stage Experience. Following auditions in May, 120 young people aged
nine to 24 have been drilled by brilliant professional director and
choreographer Pollyann Tanner during an intense two-week period, and the
result is remarkable. They ooze confidence singing and dancing to some
of the great numbers that made the 1978 movie starring John Travolta and
Olivia Newton-John such a global hit, and the standing ovation on gala
night was thoroughly deserved. In addition to those on stage, seven youngsters
with an interest in the backstage element of the theatre helped with
lighting, sound and scene changes. Since the experimental Stage Experience was
launched in 2003, 1,600 young people have performed in shows at the New
Alexandra Theatre, and a number have gone on to clinch successful
careers in show business. It’s a certainty that some of the current cast
will follow them, with so many eye-catching performances, from all the
leads to the under-tens. Georgia Anderson, 20, is a supremely confident
Sandy, the quiet girl who blossoms at Rydell High School, and her
delivery of Hopelessly Devoted was a delight, while Jordan Ricketts, 18,
fitted smoothly into the role of her boyfriend, Danny Zuko, if lacking
the slick Travolta hairstyle. Strong performances, too, from Sofi Robinson, as
the sexy Rizzo and Caven Rimmer (Kenickie), with the
beautifully-costumed Beauty School Dropout one of several stand-out
scenes. Chris Newton is musical director of a silk-smooth
show that runs to 20.08.16 Paul Marston 18-08-16
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and is reaching legendary status and so is director and choreographer
Pollyann Tanner.
and
her raunchy alter ego in the finale. Both are off to London for theatre
degrees next term and although the standard line for 80 per cent of
actors is “Do you want fries with that?” both can dance, sing and act,
so are in with a chance.
gel
who appears in the shape of Mark Shaun Walsh with his band of angels, a
real quality voice and tongue in cheek performance. He first made his
mark two years ago as the Reverend Shaw in Footloose and is still one to
watch out for.