Grease is a musical via Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Grease is a musical via Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Named after the Nineteen Fifties United States running-class youngsters lifestyle called greasers, the musical is ready in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School[1] (primarily based on William Howard Taft School in Chicago, Illinois[2] and named after rock singer Bobby Rydell) and follows ten running-elegance teens as they navigate the complexities of peer strain, politics, personal middle values, and love. The rating borrows heavily from the sounds of early rock and roll. In its original manufacturing in Chicago, Grease become a raunchy, uncooked, aggressive, vulgar show. Subsequent productions sanitized the greater risqué content material.[three]The show mentions social issues which include teenage pregnancy, peer stress and gang violence; its issues include love, friendship, teenage riot, sexual exploration for the duration of childhood, and, to a point, elegance attention and sophistication battle. Jacobs defined the show’s fundamental plot as a subversion of common tropes of Fifties cinema, since the woman lead, who in lots of Fifties movies transformed the alpha male into a greater sensitive and sympathetic man or woman, is as an alternative drawn into the man’s affect and transforms into his wild, roguish delusion.[four]
Grease changed into first finished in 1971 inside the original Kingston Mines nightclub in Chicago (for the reason that demolished). From there, it has been a success on both stage and display, but the content material has been diluted and its teenage characters have grow to be much less Chicago habitués (the characters’ Polish-American backgrounds specially are left out with remaining names often changed, despite the fact that two Italian-American characters are left identifiably ethnic) and extra conventional. At the time that it closed in 1980, Grease‘s three,388-performance run became the longest but in Broadway records, although it become exceeded by using A Chorus Line on September 29, 1983. It went on to come to be a West End hit, a successful characteristic movie, popular Broadway revivals in 1994 and 2007, and a staple of regional theatre, summer time stock, network theatre, and excessive school and center faculty drama agencies.[5] It stays Broadway’s 16th longest-strolling display.[6]
Grease changed into adapted in 1978 as a characteristic film additionally named Grease, which eliminated some plot elements, characters, and songs even as adding new songs and elaborating on some plot elements only alluded to inside the musical. Some of these revisions have been incorporated into revivals of the musical (John Farrar, who wrote two of the new songs, is credited along Jacobs and Casey for the song in those productions). A 2016 live TV musical used factors from both the authentic level version and the movie.[7] A 1982 film sequel, Grease 2, protected only some supporting characters from the movie and musical and had no involvement from Jacobs or Casey. Jacobs has long gone on record to voice his disapproval of Grease 2.Production records[edit]Original productions and Broadway[edit]
The show’s authentic production became directed by Guy Barile, choreographed by Ronna Kaye and produced by the Kingston Mines Theatre Company founded by June Pyskacek on Chicago’s Lincoln Avenue. The script was based on Jim Jacobs’ experience at William Taft High School, Chicago.[1] Warren Casey collaborated with Jim and together they wrote the tune and lyrics. It ran for eight months.[eight] The cast: Doug Stevenson (Danny), Leslie Goto (Sandy), Sue Williams (Rizzo), Polly Pen (Patty), Gary Houston (Roger), Marilu Henner (Marty), James Canning (Doody), Hedda Lubin (Frenchy), Bruce Hickey (Kenickie), Sheila Ray Ceaser (Jan), Bill Cervetti (Miller), Jerry Bolnick (Sonny), Judy Brubaker (Miss Lynch), Mike O’Connor (Vince Fontaine), Steve Munro (Eugene), Barbara Munro (Cha Cha), Mac Hamilton (Teen Angel) and George Lopez (Bum). In addition to the “R-rated” profanity and deliberate use of surprise value, the Chicago model of Grease protected an almost completely one of a kind songbook, which become shorter and included a couple of references to actual Chicago landmarks.[nine]
Producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox saw the display and made a deal to supply it Off-Broadway. The group headed to New York City to collaborate at the New York production of Grease.The new production, directed by using Tom Moore and choreographed by way of Patricia Birch (who later choreographed the film variation, and directed the ill-fated sequel), opened Off-Broadway at the Eden Theatre in decrease Manhattan on February 14, 1972. Though Grease opened geographically off-Broadway, it did so below first magnificence Broadway contracts.[10] The display became deemed eligible for the 1972 Tony Awards, receiving seven Tony Award nominations.
On June 7, 1972, the manufacturing moved to the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway, and on November 21, it moved to the Royale Theatre there, wherein it ran until January 27, 1980. For the 5 final weeks of the run, the show moved to the larger Majestic Theatre. By the time it closed on April thirteen, 1980, it had run three,388 performances.
The original Broadway forged covered Barry Bostwick as Danny and Carole Demas as Sandy, with Adrienne Barbeau as Rizzo, Timothy Meyers as Kenickie, Alan Paul, and Walter Bobbie and Marya Small in helping roles. Replacements later in the run protected Jeff Conaway as Danny, Candice Earley as Sandy, John Lansing as Danny, Peter Gallagher as Danny, Richard Gere as Sonny, Ilene Graff as Sandy, Randee Heller as Rizzo, Marilu Henner as Marty, Judy Kaye as Rizzo, Marcia Mitzman Gaven as Rizzo, Patrick Swayze as Danny, John Travolta as Doody, Treat Williams as Danny, Laurie Graff as Frenchy, and Jerry Zaks as Kenickie.1973 London and 1979 go back engagement[edit]
After an out-of-town tryout in Coventry,[eleven] Grease made its London debut on the New London Theatre on June 26, 1973, with a forged that blanketed Richard Gere as Danny, Stacey Gregg as Sandy, and Jacquie-Ann Carr as Rizzo.[12][thirteen] Later Paul Nicholas and Elaine Paige took over the leads. The production closed on February 14, 1974.[14]
The show become revived on the Astoria Theatre from June 7 to September 22, 1979, with Michael Howe as Danny, Jacqueline Reddin as Sandy, and Hilary Labow as Rizzo. The corporation also protected Tracey Ullman as Frenchy and Su Pollard as Cha-Cha.[15][sixteen]1993 London revival[edit]
The revival opened on the Dominion Theatre earlier than transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in October 1996, where it ran till 9-11, 1999. Directed by way of David Gilmore and produced by using Robert Stigwood (who had also produced the film), the opening forged protected Craig McLachlan (Danny); Debbie Gibson (Sandy — Sonia, then Samantha Janus later replaced Gibson as Sandy); Mike Doyle (Vince Fontaine); Tamzin Outhwaite (Patty); Shane Ritchie (Kenickie) and Sally Ann Triplett (Rizzo). (Variety, Review Abroad Grease, August 2–August eight, 1993) McLachlan become succeeded with the aid of Shane Richie, Luke Goss, Ian Kelsey and Darren Day. The production’s success led to the primary British country wide tour which featured Shane Ritchie as Danny, Helen Way as Sandy, Toby Hinson as Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel, Ben Richards/Alex Bourne as Kenickie and Michele Hooper as Rizzo. The score covered four songs written for the film edition: “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, “Sandy”, “You’re the One That I Want”, and the identify number. As within the film, the Burger Palace Boys’ were renamed the T-Birds for this revival.1994 Broadway revival and U.S. excursion[edit]
After 20 previews, a Broadway revival directed and choreographed by means of Jeff Calhoun premiered on May eleven, 1994, on the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, wherein it ran for 1,505 performances. The establishing cast included Ricky Paull Goldin (Danny), Susan Wood (Sandy), Rosie O’Donnell (Rizzo), Sam Harris (Doody), Hunter Foster (Roger), Megan Mullally (Marty), and Billy Porter (Teen Angel). The production set a new trendy for star replacements, casting celebrities from distinctive amusement sectors for restricted engagements. Some of these first rate performers were Linda Blair, Debby Boone, Chubby Checker, Dominique Dawes, Micky Dolenz, Sheena Easton, Debbie Gibson, Jasmine Guy, Al Jarreau, Lucy Lawless, Darlene Love, Maureen McCormick, Joe Piscopo, Mackenzie Phillips, Jon Secada, and Brooke Shields.[17]
