BWW Reviews: Lyric Theatre's GREASE

Grease is the word at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney as the popular party musical returns to Australia with a star-studded and talented cast. Australian theatre producer, John Frost, has once again delivered us a fun, high-energy show that is sure to entertain.

Having never seen a stage production of Grease before, my expectations were based strongly on my love of its movie form starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. In this production, the lead roles are filled by Wicked and Legally Blonde alumni, Rob Mills (Danny) and talented rising star, Gretel Scarlet (Sandy).

From the very first minute, the audience were invited to participate and become a part of the show, as if we too were students at Rydell High. This great way of kicking off the show and introducing a few characters and leading into the first number was very effective for speeding up latecomers getting to their seats and having all of us laughing and singing along. They had me at "Ra-ma la-ma la-ma ka ding a da ding de dong".
The entire cast fit their roles perfectly and it was very hard to find any faults in the acting or singing but even with such a high standard of performers across the whole show, it was three actors who really stole the show; Rob Mills, Todd McKenny and Lucy Maunder.

In this production of Grease, Rob Mills firmly establishes himself as Australia's leading man in theatre. He can no longer be seen by anyone as just an ex-Idol finalist having a go at theatre. From his time on Australian Idol, it has always been very clear that Rob Mills can sing and having seen him as Fiyero in Wicked, Warner in Legally Blonde and now as Danny, it is clear that Rob Mills is fast becoming a triple threat; he can sing, he can act and if the hand jive number is any indication, he can dance!

The big surprise of the night for me was Todd McKenny stealing the show performing what has always been my most hated song from any musical, "Beauty School Dropout." Through great vocals, flawless dance moves and hilarious interactions with the audience, Todd McKenny as Teen Angel managed to turn a song I have always despised into possibly my favourite scene of the show! The references to Dancing with the Stars were a nice touch too.

The other big star of the night was Lucy Maunder who played the role of Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies who in my opinion is the character in Grease that requires the most depth and acting ability in order for it to be performed effectively. When I arrived at the theatre and saw the cast list, it was a nice surprise to see her name up on the board. Lucy was a few years ahead of me at North Sydney Girls and it is always nice to see someone from your school being successful in a career they are passionate about. She truly has embraced our motto "Ad Altiora!" It is true that I went in with a little bit of bias but at intermission and after the show, it was Lucy who I could hear most people raving about so clearly I was not alone in believing she really made the role her own. Her rendition of "There are Worse Things I Could Do", in particular, would make Stockard Channing (star of the Grease movie) proud.

Overall, the show is a great night out which will not disappoint fans of what has always been a very popular musical. Get out to the Lyric Theatre at the Star Casino and sit back and enjoy a party with a talented cast.

For tickets and further information see: http://greaseistheword.com.au/

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