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Regional Reviews: Other Regions Grease Also see Gil's reviews of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Troilus and Cressida, See How They Run, She Loves Me, Something Rotten!, Hamlet and Harmony
Grease follows a group of high school kids in 1959 at Rydell High School who are looking for fun times, fast cars, and, ultimately, love. The main plot centers on the sweet new girl, Sandy, who realizes on her first day in her new school that her summer boyfriend Danny Zuko happens to also attend Rydell. Danny tries to act cool around Sandy since he's one of the "bad boys" and has slightly exaggerated the physical nature of his relationship with her to his friends, which only confuses and hurts Sandy. The show follows their attempt to get back together along with the relationships of their friends. Grease first debuted in Chicago in 1971 before having a healthy Broadway run in the mid-1970s and then being adapted into the popular Hollywood musical. Originally, the show had a more gritty, adult nature which has been somewhat sanitized since it first premiered, although it still touches upon some adult topics and features fun and identifiable, although somewhat two-dimensional, characters. Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's score is a love letter to the song stylings of the 1950s with tunes that cross genres and lyrics that are both an homage and a slightly tongue in cheek parody at times to rock 'n' roll and pop songs from the period. Well-known songs include "Greased Lightnin'," "Summer Nights" and "We Go Together," and Tuacahn's production includes three of the songs that were added for the film: "Grease," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," and "You're the One that I Want." While Jacobs and Casey's book is basically a series of vignettes and there are some plot points that are glossed over, along with an ending that basically says to get your man you need to change yourself, which isn't exactly the best message, it still amounts to an upbeat, fast, and fun musical. Director Aaron DeJesus instills the production with non-stop energy and his cast provide some nuance to their mostly two-dimensional characters. DeJesus' staging makes use of every inch of the vast Tuacahn stage, quickly whisking us from one location to the next, with Paul Black's set design featuring several large-scale set elements that create a playground, the school auditorium, a car body shop and the local hamburger joint. The addition of three full-sized cars, which are used in a few scenes, adds a sense of excitement. Candi Boyd's choreography is fast, fun, varied, and danced impeccably well by the large cast. DeJesus and Boyd include many original additions in the piece, including having the Marine Frenchy sings about, as well as some of his fellow soldiers, featured in that number and adding in a teen cast to depict the freshmen at the school; all of these addition make the scenes feel more fleshed out. The costumes by Julie Thiry are bright, colorful, and period perfect, with the addition of excellent hair and makeup design by Liz Printz. Black's lighting design creates lovely stage images, including a beautiful moonlight night with the addition of Brad Peterson's fun video designs that create lush backgrounds. Josh Liebert's sound design ensures every single note and lyric is crystal clear and Christopher Babbage's music direction delivers beautiful notes from the cast and the band. Malia Monk and Kyle Southern bring a lovely sense of chemistry and charisma to the roles of Sandy and Danny. Monk is lovely as the somewhat innocent young woman who is confused when Danny treats here differently at school than when they spent the summer together and Southern does a fine job showing off the softer side of Danny's hard-shell exterior. Both have wonderful singing voices that soar on their solos. While the plot may focus on the relationship between Danny and Sandy, it's truly an ensemble piece. Julianne Roberts is perfect as the tough-talking Betty Rizzo, and Thom Henke is appropriately rough around the edges with a dose of charm as the gritty Kenickie. Roberts and Henke create a believable couple and provide crisp vocals and expert dance moves on their solo songs, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" and "Greased Lightnin'." As Doody, Coby Oram's sweet nature and warm voice shine on "Those Magic Changes," while as Marty, Rachel Schoenecker delivers a soaring "Freddy, My Love." Sittichai Chaiyahat and Mary Savocchia are loveable as Roger and Jan; Chaiyahat hits some impressive high notes during "Mooning." Kelsey Lee Smith is fun as Frenchy and Kayden Oliver gets some nice laughs as Sonny. Christian Tyler Dorey hits some crazy high notes delivering a crowd pleasing and very fun "Beauty School Drop Out." Janna Cardia is stern and sassy as Miss Lynch. In smaller roles, Randal Keith, Jessica Minter, Scott Whipple, and Casey Lamont add moments of humor, with the entire ensemble creating a series of fun loving characters. Grease may not be the greatest musical, and the script does have its shortcomings, but it's also full of energy, features several beloved songs, and is a loving homage to the 1950s. With a great cast, excellent creative elements, and direction that adds dimension and depth to the show, Tuacahn's production is impressive and highly entertaining. Grease runs through October 22, 2026, at Tuacahn Center for the Arts, 1100 Tuacahn Drive, Ivins Utah. For tickets and information, please visit www.tuacahn.org or call 800-746-9882. Director: Aaron DeJesus Cast: |
