Hi There

We just saw Grease on Broadway last night (Wed Aug 30). I thought I would pass along a few thoughts on my experience. (please note I am not a regular theater goer, I have done Phantom, Le Mis, Miss Saigon and the like, a few years back though, but other then that, not much else!)

We went on Wed night, the evening performance at 8 p.m.  I went with my hubby, three kids (ages 9, 10, and 13) and my mom who is 70.

The first thing I noticed was the number of children in the theater. Many , many people brought their children. I thought that was great, being able to introduce kids of all ages to theater with a great show that they would enjoy. And, in my particular experience, it was fascinating to note that I heard NONE of the children during the show, I think that speaks volumes on how Grease held their attention for the ENTIRE duration of the show.

A side note, we were in New York for a week, and saw Mary Poppins while there on the Sunday before, and my kids got a little fidgety with Mary Poppins, but were totally involved with  Grease for the whole show.

The second thing that struck me was the change in the overall theater atmosphere. At Mary Poppins and at grease, there were people going up and down the rows at the theater selling items, and drinks were allowed into the theater during the show (at least the kid drinks in the spill proof cups). I really did not like this too much, personally speaking. I guess I felt it took away from the overall atmosphere and made it a little too commercial. But thats just a personal opinion.


The show itself: We all really enjoyed it, even my mom! The audience was totally involved, cheering after every song, and a big old standing ovation at the end. The feeling of the audience was a bit electric, and far more fun then Mary Poppins.  I thought girls may faint when old Max walked out on stage for the first time! lol

The music director/conductor was fascinating in herself. I found myself watching her, and the band frequently. They were very good. I loved where they were located (I wont say where, that could be a spoiler!)

Max was very good. He really was. I was impressed that he pulled it off. I never had doubts about Laura, but I was not sure if Max would translate well on the stage from TV, would his quirkieness show? But it totally came through. And he is a perfect rebel/cool teen boy.

Laura has the most amazing voice. In every song she did, she commanded attention, and was flawless. What a powerhouse she is, and she was totally underutilized! The thing that bothered me is 1) she had less of a part then Rizzo or even the other pink ladies!!!!  2)Her character is barely developed, and on top of that, I hated the script that was written for her. The story line is not developed for her in the way that everyone elses is. What a bummer! (again, please note, this is MY personal opinion, your mileage may very -YMMV)  That said, every time she sang, she gave me chills, I just wanted to see more of her.

Rizzo was excellent, she had a great voice, and a great part. I know that others have said she steals the show, but in MHO, she had a better part in the script then Sandy.

The rest of the cast were really good, except for Knickie, (again, my opinion). He just was a non entity, and for the first half of the show, i kept having to figure out which guy was knickie, he just did not stand out.

I loved the part on Beauty school dropout. The actor that played the teen guardiean angel was FANTASTIC - he played the part over the top perfect. Cant say enough about that.

The sets - I thought they were pretty good, but after seeing Mary Poppins, I would say that the Grease sets were not as good as them. (and, by a long shot too,,,, the sets on Mary Poppins were mind boggling - but then again, the mouse has a lot of money!)

After the show, we went out and joined the crowds waiting for the actors to come out of the side door. We were not disappointed. After about fifteen minutes, they started to come out (doody was first, and boy he had a great voice too, I forgot to mention that!).  We waited, we were third row back from the barrier, and Max and Laura came out. They must have signed autographs for 20 minutes, they were so kind and wonderful to the kids.  I think just about everyone who wanted an autograph got one. Those two were class acts. I cant imagine how tiring that performance would be, but they stayed longer then any of the others (side note, I think Knickie just left, he didnt sign anyones, but I cant be sure, because maybe I did not recognize him?  Marty and Jan did a lot of autographs too) Sony and the other boys were very recognizable.

Ok, thats all I can think of to say. I hope this review helps any others who are planning to attend the show, especially if they have kids. It is a GREAT way to introduce your children to the theater!

~A