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Grease! by Youth Summerstock Theatre The Youth Summerstock team had a daunting challenge before them in taking on the musical Grease. Being the most popular movie musical in the past 25 years, the movie is a hard act to live up to. Audiences expect a lot, as it is sure to draw comparisons with the film version. That movie probably being the most worn video in my own library, I wasn't sure anything could equal my expectations. To my great surprise, I enjoyed the play even more than the film! How is that possible? After all, the play doesn't even include the smash hits You're the One That I Want and Hopelessly Devoted to You. How does it make up for these omissions? I will be happy to explain. For one thing, there is just so much more comedy in the play in both the music and the dialogue. This is especially true of the Greasers (the T-Birds in the movie). One example is Roger's (Brian Buxton) Mooning routine which was drop-dead hysterical. Brian, who just graduated this year, has had many memorable roles including Linus in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown and the Jester in Once Upon a Mattress, but he saved his best role for last. He's moving on to Grossmont College and will hopefully turn up on the stage again. Another great aspect of the play was the bigger parts played by all of the Greasers and Pink Ladies. Each of them had their moments in the spotlight, and each of them took advantage of it by turning in terrific performances. There was the "mooning" Roger previously mentioned, the comically self-assured Sonny (Jarryd Davis), the easily confused Doody (Nick Bonnell) who's singing of Those Magic Changes was a big hit, and of course Kenickie (Bryan Swarberg) who's expressions were a riot throughout. All the Greasers along with members of the Male Chorus did a fantastic job with Greased Lightning (choreographed by Alisa Williams) which received an enthusiastic and extended ovation. With the Pink Ladies we had the food-loving Jan (Crystal Bueno), the man-loving and car-loving Marty (Chelsea Johnson) who led the Ladies in Freddy My Love, the loyal but hair tinting-challenged Frenchy played charmingly by Stacy Moore, and Rizzo (Carly Nykanen), the jaded ring-leader of the Ladies. Carly's beautiful and heartfelt rendition of There are Worse Things I Could Do was certainly the most affecting scene of the entire play. Of course the main story is about the relationship between Danny (Travis Heath) and Sandy (Elaina Hunt). Travis, who has kept the audience rolling of late with his roles as the sadistic dentist in Little Shop of Horrors and the First Gangster in Kiss Me Kate, gives yet another fantastic performance as the guy who has to maintain his "tough guy" image while trying to woo the innocent Sandy. Elaina, who starred as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar a couple years back, brings her exceptional vocal talents to the role of the innocent Sandy and really shines in her solo Since I Don't Have You. Brandon Roesler's Vince Fontaine and Nikki McCabe's Cha Cha helped to make the Dance Off number one of the most exciting and humorous of the night. And really the entire acting squad kept the play hopping from the get-go. The only disappointing aspect of the production was that the music, though played very well by members of The El Cajon Municipal Philharmonic, was simply too loud in several of the numbers and drowned out the voices of the singers. Regardless, the entire crew of actors brought Grease to new levels of energy not achieved in the movie version. They may have been feeding off of the animated audience that ardently demonstrated their appreciation throughout the show. But the audience was only animated because of the fantastic work of the Youth Summerstock team. Their play was in such demand that they've sold out their shows and actually had to extend the production two more days. No show can get a much better compliment than that! Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
Sandy - Elaina Hunt - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Brittany Zemlick - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Danny - Travis Heath (all performances) ~Greasers~
Kenickie - Bryan Swarberg - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Josh Brashars - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Roger - Brian Buxton - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Josh Laubacher - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Sonny - Jarryd Davis - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Brandon Kertson - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Doody - Nick Bonnell - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Derek Maples - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 ~Pink Ladies~
Rizzo - Carly Nykanen - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Kelsey Venter - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Marty - Chelsea Johnson - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Brandy Martindale - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Frenchy - Stacy Moore - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Elizabeth Klueck - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Jan - Crystal Bueno - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Andrea Parks - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 ~ Featured Characters ~
Ms. Lynch - Kristen Taylor - Aug. 9, 11, 14, 18 Tasha Voeltzel - Aug. 10, 12, 15, 16, 17 Eugene - Bryan Gibson - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Theo Adams - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Patty - Corie Bales - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Kim Lauzier - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Vince Fontaine - Brandon Roesler - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Clint Kennedy - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Cha Cha - Nikki McCabe - Aug. 9, 11, 14, 18 Laura Domingo - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Teen Angel - Aaron Marcotte - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 David Winter - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 ~ Male Chorus ~
Jerry - Josh Ammons (all performances)Billy - Chris Wilson (all performances) Frank - Austin Thorpe (all performances) Tommy - Danny Lauridsen (all performances) Jack - Brandon Hitson (all performances) Brad - Cody Graves(all performances) ~ Female Chorus ~
Margie - Katrina Shingledecker (all performances) Susie - Misha Dawson - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Deena Betcher - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Ashley - Jennifer Volker - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Stephanee Asch - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Doreen - Aimee Dotts - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Jessi Ford - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Bobbi - Rachel Mink - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Chelsea Whitmore - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Jenny - Marla Worm - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Jennifer Williams - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Mary - Sylvia Knorr - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Britany Kelly - Aug. 10, 12, 14 ,15, 17 Tracy - Iris Mulherin - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Brittany Lindsay - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Vickie - Vanessa Cooper - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Lori Gossett - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Ellen - Kelly Rico - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Amanda Maples - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Flora - Susan Rodgers - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Ashley Jackson - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 Irene - Kimberly Price - Aug. 9, 11, 16, 18 Carolyn Claar - Aug. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 *Assistant Director: Heather Adams Director: Barry Bosworth Music Direction: Ted Adams Choreography: Alisa Crandall-Williams Costume Design: Amy Skinner Set Design and Construction: Kendra Truett |