Review: New Tampa Players Present GREASE

“GREASE is the word…is the word…is the word…”

As I walked into the glorious new performing arts facility in New Tampa to see the New Tampa Players’ production of GREASE, I was immediately greeted by the distant sounds of Fifties hits, like Dion’s “Teenager in Love” and the dreamy “I Only Have Eyes for You.”  I noticed instantly that some audience members had pulled a Rocky Horror Picture Show and had come in audience-participatory costumes, donning T-Bird leather jackets and Pink Lady outfits.  I sat in my excessively comfortable, shiny new seat, and realized that the New Tampa Performing Arts Center automatically gets my vote for Most Comfortable Performing Arts Venue in the Tampa Bay area. (Don’t worry; all votes for the gargantuan cushioned seats at the West Coast Players will also be counted.)  It may be the hottest summer on record, but you would never know that in this venue with a wonderfully overworking air conditioner.  Even if the show doesn’t work, I thought, I can at least enjoy the blissful new surroundings.

I am glad to report that there are several performers and moments in the New Tampa Players’ production of GREASE--their first official show in this new facility--that are a cut above and make it worth your while to attend. It’s not perfect, far from it, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  

The movie version of GREASE is tied with The Sound of Music as the most beloved musical of all time that transcends age and is passed down from generation to generation.  The musical, which landed on Broadway over fifty years ago, was a hit onstage but nowhere near the 1978 John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John film, which is one of the biggest moneymaking musicals of all time.  Going to this show, don’t expect the movie version, because the staged musical is a bit edgier, raunchier, ballsier, and messier.  Also, the NTP production stars real teenagers--actual young performers--unlike the movie which looked like middle-aged performers reliving their high school days. (Stockard Channing as Rizzo in the movie looked more like a frumpy thirtysomething housewife than the bad girl leader of the Pink Ladies, but audiences didn’t seem to mind.)

GREASE--with book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey--may be beloved by many, but the joy of the music and its energy of youth masquerades its questionable theme: That, in order for a girl to get the boy of her dreams, she has to dress and act like a slut.  Change your persona to capture the girl or guy.  (It’s the exact opposite meaning to, say, Hairspray.)  Throw away Polonius’ line to Laertes in Hamlet--“To thine own self be true”--and change your soul and your principles for someone else.  What kind of message is that?

But people don’t attend GREASE for the message; this isn’t Chekhov.  They go to enjoy its rowdy pleasures and catchy songs that have become karaoke staples over the years. I didn’t hear anyone in the audience singing along, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.  It’s that kind of show, so “keep your Strindbergs and Ibsens at bay,” to quote a line from The Producers.

The production itself is hit or miss, with some incredible performances but also with some iffy staging and missed opportunities. But the youthful verve of the wonderful cast eclipses any misgivings I may have.

The talented Dylan Fidler plays Danny, the T-Bird who falls in love with the sweeter new girl, Sandy, portrayed with vim and even some edge by Olivia Carr.  Mr. Fidler’s Danny lights up the stage, and you get a feeling he’s pushing the cast to energize any potential lethargy.  He has a nasty habit of always facing the audience when talking or preparing to sing (making it too obvious that he’s “cheating out” rather than making it more natural), but he’s terrific overall. And he really gets to show off his vocal chops in “Alone at the Drive-In.”

Ms. Carr’s Sandy matches up with Mr. Fidler well.  Don’t come expecting sweet-gal Newton-John Sandy here.  This Sandy has an edge, almost attacking Rizzo at one point, and Ms. Carr has  strong vocals, especially when belting her big notes in “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” And I adore the way she kicks pom-poms off a picnic table in “You’re the One That I Want,” symbolically throwing away her rah-rah past for her more present edgier persona.

Kyle Fisher is a larger than life Kenickie, Danny’s best friend, and he has the T-Bird attitude down pat.  Michael Figueroa is a sturdy presence as Sonny, and fresh-faced Jake Veit does a fine job with his song “Those Magic Changes,” reminding me of a young Ricky Nelson during it.  Heather Rich has her moments as Marty (she does quite well with her big song, “Freddy My Love”), and Ariyonna Thomas brings much heart and vibrant likability to the part of Frenchy.

Tripp Peavyhouse is a blast as Roger.  He’s my pick for Most Energetic Cast Member, always in character, always upping the ante onstage.  His “Mooning,” a duet with Jan, is one of the show’s highlights. That said, his long hair is unfortunately anachronistic to the 1950s. (He’s not alone; a male ensemble member also boasts a ponytail, which takes us completely out of those Fabulous Fifties.)  Mr. Peavyhouse either should cut his hair or find a way to hide its length; as it stands, he looks like he’s in a road company of Hair.

Zach Smith makes for a lively Eugene, the class nerd, like an Elvis-era Steve Jobs; he’s a joy to watch.  Gary Nager is an older member of the cast as DJ Vince Fontaine, and he’s such a fun presence, playing the part with gusto even if he doesn’t ooze insincerity as much as it should.  Suzanne Bainbridge is fine as Miss Lynch, but she could be even tougher, scarier as an authoritarian administrator (I still don’t know why the kids applaud her at the dance…it works better if she’s some kind of nemesis and they either hold back their clapping or hiss at her).  Makayla Raines absolutely nails the part of ChaCha, Kenickie’s dance date, especially her take-no-crap attitude. (I love her reactions with Mr. Fidler’s Danny to the student-made “trophy” she wins at the dance.) And Cassidy Haberland is memorable as the pathetically peppy cheerleader, Patty.  

The energetic ensemble includes Mia De Choudens, Dakota Henry, Michael Neary, Chelsea Orvis, Julian Rebelo, Wesley Santana, Zane Sanrsour and Amanda Schapiro.

But there are three standouts in this cast: Alyson Gannon as Rizzo, Anna Jeffries as Jan, and Trevor Lloyd as Johnny Casino and (especially) Teen Angel.

Ms. Gannon’s Rizzo is both tough and heartbreaking, fierce and fragile. There’s a moment that rightfully received audience laughter, when Rizzo offers Sandy a cigarette: “Try it; it ain’t gonna kill you.”  Later in the show, her rendition of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” is astounding, bringing out both the sultriness and loneliness of one of musical theatre’s great bad girls.  

Anna Jeffries is simply sensational as Jan, the Pink Lady who can’t get enough school food to eat.  She’s an electric presence, and she almost single-handedly saves the opening number (“Grease Is the Word”) due to her energy and ability to own a crowded stage. She exudes star-quality.

That leaves Trevor Lloyd, a rockin’ Johnny Casino and, even better, a marvelous Teen Angel.  Mr. Lloyd’s Teen Angel is Next Level, garnering much love from the audience.  His “Beauty School Dropout,” backed by a curler-haired chorus that got audience applause upon their entrance, is the best moment in the entire show.  He hits insane notes, sustaining them, and squeezes out every nuance the song offers.  (My only qualm is that he should wear glasses as Johnny Casino, but perhaps not don them as the Teen Angel, because it begged a question for me: Isn’t there a good opthalmologist in heaven?)  Strong as much of the cast is, it’s Mr. Lloyd’s show, even in such a small part, sometimes treated as a cute throwaway (like Frankie Avalon in the 1978 film).  This performer can do anything, go anywhere, with his talent; audiences are just lucky that Tampa Bay is his current home so that we can marvel at his incredible acting and vocal abilities.

The tech overall works well, with enjoyable choreography by Sarah Walston (particularly in songs like "Summer Nights"), Shelley Giles and Heather Cleveland's spot-on costumes for the time period,  and Keith Eisenstadt’s always appropriate lighting leading the way.  The set is minimal, but one set piece stands apart from all others: The glorious Greased Lightning car, an actual full-sized automobile that needs to be showcased in this big space. It’s an awesome sight to behold and wonderfully utilized.

Best of all, there’s a live orchestra, and nothing beats a live band in this age of canned music.  G. Frank Meekins is both music director and keyboardist, with Josh Hollenbeck and Elliott Domagola on sax, Stan Martindale on guitar, Sean Carr on bass guitar, and Todd DuPriest on drums.  They sound exceptional.

Aside from his musical direction, the multi-talented Mr. Meekins also directs and  gets some fine performances from his cast. But the direction is also spotty at times, with the actors oftentimes just standing in straight lines.  As I have learned over the years, please don’t stage characters in boring straight lines unless a) it’s a staged reading, b) a kick line, c) an elementary school choral concert or d) a production of A Chorus Line.

Before the show, an announcement was made with a content warning: GREASE includes foul language, adult situations and frank sexual talk.  The announcement was a good thing, but I was a bit confused during the show: This production included several characters giving each other the finger throughout, not to mention Asian and Polish slurs (appropriate for the time period) and constant talk of breasts and overt male horniness…yet they changed--or rather neutered--a word in the iconic “Greased Lightning,” altering the offending original line to “draggin’ wagon,” which is easier for more sensitive sensibilities to handle.  There’s even a later line of dialogue about the DJ putting a pill in a coke that is surely uncomfortable in our post-Cosby world.  If you’re going to keep in the other eyebrow-raising PG-13 routines, then why change the naughty word in “Greased Lighting”?

With such a young cast, this GREASE really comes alive.  But this production is worthy of celebration for another reason: The New Tampa Players are finally performing in New Tampa.  They now have the perfect facility for their shows, and the audiences get to experience this next phase of their growth.  I smiled throughout, both with the show and especially with the knowledge that NTP, one of the great theatre groups in our area,  has finally found a proper home.

GREASE runs thru July 30th at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. Rated PG-13. 

Photos courtesy of Palma Ceia.

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