By Courtney Damae
As the lights dimmed on Draper Historic Theatre’s production of Grease in Draper, Utah to mark the commencement of this classic 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, I was immediately flooded with memories of my childhood spent poring over the television screen as John Travolta and Olivia Newton John strutted their way across the screen in lively yet sassy song and dance. The story begins with a 50s summer fling between two teenage lovers, Danny (Merric Godrey) and Sandy (Jenni Mckay), who expect to part ways forever as summer ends. However, they are reunited at the start of the new school year—just not quite how they had hoped. Danny, the unmannerly womanizer of Rydell High, leads the Burger Palace Boys, a group of too-cool greasers, while Sandy, the straight-laced new girl in town, begins to make friends with the boys’ bold-faced, edgy auxiliaries, the Pink Ladies. Heartbroken but still hopelessly in love, Sandy tries to cope with this “new” Danny and the common teenage issues of the time: pregnancy, drugs, sexual exploration, and friendships that never end.
Historically there have been different adaptations to the production’s ideas and personalities. Some productions, like the 1978 film adaptation, take a more conservative spin on the issues presented therein, while others really play on its raw and raunchy potential. Draper Historic Theatre’s production leans more toward the raunchy (parental guidance is suggested), and they truly live up to that potential in their adult-geared, fun-loving production.
The play opens with the goofy Eugene (Jonathan Jones) and peppy Patty (Shylee Olsen) entertaining the audience in their ode to Rydell High. True to their characters, these two carry the energy throughout the play as one of the dynamic duos of the night. Jones maintains his geeky and composed personality without deviation. Olsen brings an over-the-top bubbly personality to every scene that makes you wonder what she ate for breakfast that day.
As the greasers and the Pink Ladies make their first entrance in lively song and dance, I tried to put faces with names but soon realized it was quite impossible with this incredibly diverse and unique cast. It was only when they came into the spotlight one at a time that I could admire and connect with their personal portrayals of the beloved classic characters.
The Pink Ladies take the audience’s attention in their rendition of “Summer Lovin’” and we see exactly what the incredibly sassy and quirky girls are made of. Kind and confused Frenchy played by Jackki Ruiz is just that—incredibly kind and never ceases to make you smile. Might I also add that she looked incredible in all the wonderfully-colored hairstyles that can only be expected from a beauty school drop-out. The always-hungry and somehow underrated member of the Pink Ladies, Jan (Lauren Catherine), keeps the audience laughing with her blunt yet truthful comments, but she really comes to life in her hilarious duo with Rump. The show wouldn’t be complete without the dramatic story-telling Marty (Alisha Green). Green truly makes the character her own with a modern flair of sass and tone. Finally Rizzo (Jenny Jones), the cynical and rude leader of the ladies, shows the audience who the Pink Ladies really are. Her snide remarks and constant stalwart character are what make this production. It’s impossible to talk about J Jones without commenting on her spectacular performance of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.” Personally, I couldn’t take my eyes off of J. Jones as she broke down and revealed weaknesses as if there were two personalities fighting to escape—the sensitive and unknown Rizzo versus the sassy and sexy Rizzo that everyone thinks they know.
While it may seem that Danny and Sandy are the star couple of the night, there is another dynamic duo that seems to take over the production. Greasers Sonny and Romp, portrayed by Kanoa DeOllos and Bradley Duhon, keep the audience laughing and rolling their eyes from start to finish, especially in their modern-day ‘bro-mance’ in “Rock ‘N’ Roll Party Queen.” The Greasers have a whole new take on the word “womanizer”: Duhon, the gentle giant who rocks the side burns; Sonny, the softie who is all bark but no bite; Kenickie (Eric Bass) with his booming voice and manly demeanor; and of course Doody (Tobias Logan). I could not keep my eyes off of this hysterical ball of energy. I have never seen a greaser quite like Logan. He charms the women with his awkward personality and then blows them away with his Broadway-worthy belting skills.
Godrey and Mckay as Danny and Sandy complement each other stunningly in their rendition of “You’re the One That I Want” as well as throughout the play. With her petite figure and gentle personality, Mckay’s enormous voice is awe-inspiring. There is not a moment of the play that you don’t feel for her. It’s so nice to see the nice-guy womanizer finally come out on top in Danny Zuko’s transition from Loser Gang Leader to Nice Guy Who Doesn’t Finish Last.
The ensemble of Draper Historic Theatre’s Grease is a family, and it isn’t hard to see. The members of the cast also make up the stage crew. While I would have preferred smoother and quieter transitions from a normal stage crew, it really shows the effort and collaboration of the cast. The choreography by Heather Haycock was simple, yet allowed each member to feel comfortable while keeping with the era. Haycock collaborates with costume designer Mae Hinton-Godrey to embody the 50s with color, style, and dance on that tiny stage which in turn maximizes the energy presented to the audience. The lights and sound again are simple, but they get the job done. While sometimes community theater struggles to find perfect sound quality and avoid technical difficulties, Draper Historic Theatre is a tribute to community theatres everywhere exclaiming that with hard work, dedication, and a little bit of fun, you can bring a timeless classic back to life in the backyard of your neighbors. This incredible production runs through the end of June, so don’t miss it!
Draper Historic Theatre Presents Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 900 E, Draper, UT 84020
June 7-8, 10, 14-15, 17, 21-22, 24, 28-29, 2019, 7:00 PM, Saturday June 22, 2:00 PM
Tickets: $10
Contact: 801-572-4144
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