Review: GREASE at Musicals At Richter

On Sunday, August 4th, I had the pleasure of seeing the musical GREASE at Musicals at Richter in Danbury, CT.  With book and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, director Jessica Smith combines her talents with music director Andrew Gadweh, and choreographer Melissa Arizzi to help bring out the best in this stellar cast of actors and actresses who come across as professional ringers, enjoying their roles, and radiating positive energy from the stage, drawing the audience right in, as we all enjoyed this wonderful performance in this newly renovated first-rate outdoor venue.  A talented live band, placed up front of house left, under a tent, enhances this musical production.

Set in 1959, this musical revolves around high school students during their senior year.  It centers on the potential romance between Danny Zuko (Eli Foodman) and new girl Sandy Dumbrowski (Rosalie Corry Peña.)  During the summer, Danny and Sandy had a fling, unaware that they would be attending the same high school.  The expository story of their summer fling is expressed through the show’s most popular ensemble musical number, “Summer Nights,” a fascinating song that juxtaposes the details that teenage boys care about with those that teenage girls care about.  Like all the songs from this musical, it has a late 1950s vibe.  This particular song is built on a similar riff to that of the Mindbenders’ “Game of Love,” appropriately enough. 

Danny’s friends, also known as the Burger Palace Boys, are an entertaining bunch of characters, phenomenally performed by Dominic Chila as Kenickie, Robert Fontenelli as Roger, Christian Eklund as Doody, and Andrew Kocur as Sonny.  Kenickie comes across as the leader of the Burger Palace Boys.  He drives the car that he has called “Greased Lightning.”  The song about this car is one of the musical highlights of the show.  If I can describe the car in three words, it would by, “systematic,” “automatic,” and “hydromatic,” but those words are not included in the show. 

When Danny and Sandy see each other in high school, Danny rudely is not initially very receptive of Sandy.  Danny shows that he cares more about his image before his friends than about Sandy’s feelings or dignity.   That is a very stupid attitude for a young man to take towards a young woman who he genuinely likes, especially when such a callous outward display does not reflect his heart’s true feelings. 

Sandy falls in with the wrong female crowd, a clique known as the Pink Ladies.  As a group, the Pink Ladies are girls who drink, smoke, use profanity, and think less of Sandy over her wholesome chastity.  While friends should always try to bring about the best in each other, Sandy should be aware that true friends would neither reject nor try to change her positive qualities.  Sandy, however, is more concerned with conforming and fitting in than with elevating her true and most positive self.  Deficient in self-esteem and personal convictions, she cowers to peer pressure.  While her decision to place her reputation with the wrong crowd ahead of her personal convictions may be something Sandy has in common with Danny, shared negative personality traits are not a good formula for a successful romantic relationship.

The Pink Ladies are highly entertaining and spectacularly performed by Jazzy Cores as Rizzo, Daisy Stott as Frenchy, Emma Lubbers as Jan, and Jennifer Analise Roberts as Marty.  Rizzo comes across as the leader of the Pink Ladies.  She has a lot of spunk and attitude.  She dates Kenickie.  She has two musical numbers, excellently performed, including “Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee,” and “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.”

Some other highlight musical numbers include “Those Magic Changes,” by Doody, “Freddy, My Love” by Marty, “It’s Raining on Prom Night, “ by Sandy and Radio Singer (Sarah Bollacke), “Beauty School Dropout,” by Frenchy and Teen Angel (Helen Seda), “Born to Hand Jive,” by Johnny Casino (Nicky Ecklund), “Mooning,” by Roger and Jan, and the full ensemble numbers, “All Choked Up,” and “We Go Together.”

Actress April Smith steals the show during her acting and dancing performance as Cha Cha DiGrigorio.  Her New Yawk accent is spot on, complete with authentic mannerisms.

Some other standout performances include Molly Tarnowski as cheerleader Patty Simcox, John Paul Akter as valedictorian Eugene Florczyk, Virginia Ruszczyk as teacher Miss Lynch, and Mensah Robinson as DJ Vince Fontaine.

Other talented ensemble cast members include Isabella Andrade, Olivia Chila, Remy Chila, Gabriella DeNicola, Lucia Eklund, Patrick Garcia, Melisa Garcia, Dayo Garritano Sydney Mann, Carolyn McCarthy, Katie Paniccia, Chloe Petzold, Nomita Ramchandani, Walter Ruszczyk, Sedona Taylor, and Emily Walsh.

Will Danny and Sandy end up together?  For that to happen, one would expect it would require Danny to make a serious change in his attitude and actions.  If that doesn’t happen, one could hardly want to see Sandy settle for him.  Surely, Sandy wouldn’t consider changing herself into an inferior image that she feels would make her more popular with her wrong crowd friends and more appealing to sleazy Danny who never deserved her?  Would she?  Come to the show to find out!

For mature audiences, I highly recommend GREASE which is scheduled to continue to run through August 10, 2024.  For times and tickets, please go to https://www.musicalsatrichter.org/

Photo Credit: David Henningsen

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