Grease (musical)

This article is about the stage musical. For the 1978 film of the same name, see Grease (film).

Grease
Original Broadway Cast Recording
Music	Jim Jacobs Warren Casey
Lyrics	Jim Jacobs Warren Casey
Book	Jim Jacobs Warren Casey
Productions	1972 Broadway 1973 West End 1978 Film 1979 West End revival 1993 West End revival 1994 Broadway revival 1994 U.S. national tour 2001 West End revival 2007 West End revival 2007 CBA of Puerto Rico revival 2007 Broadway revival 2008 U.S. national tour

Grease is a musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey about the way rock and roll changed American sexuality and culture during the pivotal moment when America took its first tentative steps out of the conformity and social/sexual conservatism of the 1950s and toward the individualism and sexual revolution of the 1960s. Like The Rocky Horror Show does, Grease embodies this very real-world cultural friction in its two leads, Sandy (as the 1950s) and Danny (as the 1960s). The show takes its name from the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 in fictional Rydell High in Chicago, follows ten working-class kids as they navigate the complexities of sex, cars (and sex in cars), and drive-ins (and sex at drive-ins). The score is a highly authentic recreation of early, raw rock and roll, invoking early groups including Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Huey "Piano" Smith, Paul Anka, The Diamonds, The Tea Queens, The Cadillacs, The Mello-Kings, The Kodaks, The Penguins, and many more. In its record-breaking original Broadway production, Grease was a raunchy, raw, aggressive, vulgar show which has since been sanitized and tamed down by subsequent productions.^[1]

The show tackles such social issues as teenage pregnancy and gang violence; its themes include love, friendship, teenage rebellion, sexual exploration during adolescence and, to some extent, class consciousness/class conflict.

The show became the longest-running Broadway musical in history, until it was beaten by A Chorus Line, and went on to become a West End hit, a hugely successful film, a popular 1994 Broadway revival, and a staple of regional theatre, summer stock, community theatre, and high school and middle school drama groups.^[2]

Contents 1 Production history 2 Synopsis 2.1 Act I 2.2 Act II 3 Roles and notable cast 4 Song list and orchestrations 4.1 Original 1972 song list 4.2 2007 revival song list 4.3 Orchestration 5 Awards and nominations 5.1 1972 production 5.2 1994 revival 5.3 2007 revival 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External links

Production history

The show's original 1971 incarnation was a play with incidental music^[3] staged at the Kingston Mines Theater in the Old Town section of Chicago. Producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox saw it and suggested to the playwrights it might work better as a full-scale musical, and told them if they were willing to rework it and if they liked the end result, they would produce it off-Broadway. The team headed to New York City and after additional collaboration and refinements, Grease opened at the Eden Theatre in downtown Manhattan on February 14, 1972. Excellent reviews and brisk box-office business prompted the producers to move it to Broadway.

The Broadway production, directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch (who later directed the ill-fated sequel of the film adaptation of Grease), opened on June 7, 1972 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for five months before transferring to the Royale Theatre. It remained there for more than seven years before moving to the Majestic Theatre to complete its record-setting 3,388-performance run. The original cast included Barry Bostwick as Danny and Carole Demas as Sandy, with Adrienne Barbeau, Timothy Meyers, and Walter Bobbie in supporting roles. Replacements later in the run included Jeff Conaway, Marilu Henner, Peter Gallagher, Ilene Graff, Judy Kaye, Patrick Swayze, John Travolta, Jerry Zaks, and Treat Williams. Richard Gere was an understudy for many roles in this production, including Danny Zuko, Teen Angel, and Vince Fontaine.

The original London production opened at the New London Theatre in June 1973 with a cast that included a then-unknown Richard Gere as Danny and Kim Braden as Sandy. Later Paul Nicholas and Elaine Paige who had been in the London production of Hair took over the leads. It was revived in London at the Astoria in 1979 with Su Pollard and Tracey Ullman. In 1993, a London revival ran for six years beginning on July 15, 1993, at the Dominion Theatre and transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in October 1996, where it ran until September 11, 1999. Directed by David Gilmore, the opening cast included Craig McLachlan (Danny), Debbie Gibson (Sandy), Shane Ritchie (Kenickie) and Sally Ann Triplett (Rizzo). (Variety, Review Abroad Grease, 8/2/93-8/8/93) Other performers who played Danny were Luke Goss, Ian Kelsey, and Darren Day.

After twenty previews, a Broadway revival directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun opened on May 11, 1994 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, where it ran for 1,505 performances. Featured were Ricky Paull Goldin (Danny), Brooke Shields and Rosie O'Donnell (Rizzo), Susan Wood (Sandy), Megan Mullally (Marty), Hunter Foster (Roger), and Billy Porter (Teen Angel). A U.S. national tour of the 1994 production started in September 1994 in New Haven, Connecticut, and ran for several years. The opening tour cast included Sally Struthers (Miss Lynch), who stayed with the tour for several years, Angela Pupello (Rizzo), Rex Smith (Danny), Trisha M. Gorman (Sandy), and Davy Jones (actor) (Vince Fontaine). Brooke Shields (Rizzo) started on the tour in November 1994 before joining the Broadway cast. Other notable performers on the tour were Mickey Dolenz (Vince Fontaine), Adrian Zmed (Danny), Debbie Gibson, Heather Stokes, Mackenzie Phillips and Jasmine Guy (Rizzo), Sutton Foster (Sandy) and Marissa Jaret Winokur (Jan), and Lucy Lawless (Rizzo, 1997). http://www.lucylawless.info/grease/articles-photos.php

A second Broadway revival, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, began previews at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on July 24, 2007 and opened on August 19, 2007. Max Crumm and Laura Osnes were selected to portray Danny and Sandy via viewer votes cast during the run of the NBC reality series Grease: You're the One that I Want!. The original score includes four songs written for the film adaptation: "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Sandy," "You're the One That I Want," and the title number. The Burger Palace Boys' name would be the T-Birds in this revival. It has been confirmed that Osnes and Crumm will begin their broadway tour in the United States. It has also been confirmed that Ashley Spencer and Derek Keeling will replace Osnes and Crumm in New York while Osnes and Crumm begins their broadway tour. A West End revival, with the leads similarly cast via ITV's Grease Is The Word, opened at the Piccadilly Theatre, London on August 8, 2007 to negative reviews.^[4]

The Asian tour opened in Macau in October and has booked dates for Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Dubai, and various cities in India, and brought back the controversial cockfight scene during the Rydell Fight Song.

Synopsis

Act I

In 1959, Rydell High School's rebellious, happy, thrill-loving students start a new year. The "greasers" are the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies ("Alma Mater Parody"). In the revival, the play begins with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies singing, "Grease (is the Word)". The start of the new school year means lousy food ("You want my coleslaw?") and dreaded teachers ("I got Old Lady Lynch for English again. She hates my guts."). The Pink Ladies sit on one side of the lunchroom, and the Burger Palace Boys sit on the other.

There's a new girl at school, Sandy Dumbrowski. She and the leader of the 'T-birds', Danny Zuko, had a brief love affair the summer before, but the summer ended for them with unresolved feelings of love. In describing the fling to the Pink Ladies (Jan, Marty, Frenchy, and Betty Rizzo), Sandy focuses on the emotional attachment she and Danny had, while Danny brags to the Boys (Roger, Doody, Sonny, and Kenickie) about the physical aspects of their relationship ("Summer Nights"). Sandy and Danny soon bump into each other at school, and while Sandy is happy to see Danny, he blows her off, pretending to be too cool. Meanwhile, the kids gather in the hall as the youngest T-Bird shows off his new guitar. Rock star wannabe Doody gives an impromptu concert in the hall ("Those Magic Changes").

At Marty's pajama party, the girls experiment with wine, cigarettes and pierced ears, and talk about boys. Marty tells about her long-distance courtship with a Marine ("Freddy, My Love"). Meanwhile, the Burger Palace Boys are busy stealing hubcaps and teasing Kenickie about his new (used) car ("Greased Lightning"). In the revival, Kenickie got upset that his car was ruined and Danny decided to repair the car with a new look by calling it "Greased Lightning".

Danny sees Sandy again and tries to apologize for his behavior, but she is hurt to find out that he has told his friends that she is "easy." Head cheerleader Patty Simcox interrupts to prompt Sandy to join the squad and to tease Danny about his latest indiscretions ("Rydell Fight Song"). The kids take their newfangled portable radios for a rock and roll picnic in the park and plan how they'll pair off at the upcoming school prom, while Roger shares his love for Jan and his favorite hobby ("Mooning"). Rizzo teases Danny for falling for a girl who resembles the excessively proper teenage ingenue, Sandra Dee ("Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee"). Sandy realizes that Danny is putting her off to be cool and wishes she had never met him.

Then the guys suggest that Marty go out with Eugene, and she chases after them. The kids declare that they'll "always be together" and friends in("We Go Together").

Act II

At the High School Hop, everyone is dancing, except Sandy. She's home feeling sorry for herself ("It's Raining on Prom Night" ("Hopelessly Devoted to You" in the Revival)). Meanwhile the favorite radio DJ of the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies, Vince Fontaine, is the MC at the dance, which takes place in the gym. He's warming the kids up for a dance contest. Kenickie dumps his blind date and pairs off with his usual girl, Rizzo. Danny enters the contest with Kenickie's cast-off, Cha-Cha DeGregorio, and they win ("Born to Hand Jive").

A few days later at the Burger Palace after school, a couple of the guys run into Frenchy, who flunked out of Rydell and has now dropped out of beauty school since she failed all her classes ("Beauty School Dropout") . Danny, who has taken up track in order to win back Sandy's affections, doesn't know that the guys have been challenged to a rumble by Cha-Cha's boyfriend's gang. He's more concerned about patching things up with Sandy at the Twi-Light Drive In, but he moves too fast for her, and she leaves ("All Alone at a Drive-In Movie" ("Sandy" in the Revival)). The "greasers" are having a party, as Doody and Roger sing "Rock and Roll Party Queen." Rizzo is worried that she's pregnant, but she's so mad at Kenickie that she tells him he's not the father. Rizzo rejects the kids' offers of help, especially Sandy's ("There Are Worse Things I Could Do"). Sandy wonders what she needs to do to fit in at Rydell ("Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" (Reprise)).

The next time Sandy meets up with the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies, she has transformed herself into a greaser's dream date, leaving Danny, who has a new look, "All Choked Up" ("You're The One That I Want" in the Revival) Rizzo is relieved to learn that she isn't pregnant, and she and Kenickie reunite. All ends happily. ("We Go Together" (Reprise)).

Roles and notable cast

• Sandy Dombrowski - New in town, wholesome, pure, kind, and innocent girl. Originally planned on going to a Catholic school, but changed plans and went to Rydell High. She's a goody-goody and doesn't smoke or drink, and is teased about it by the Pink Ladies. Falls in love with Danny Zuko over the holidays. (soprano)

Notable Sandys include Debbie Gibson, Olivia Newton-John, Natalie Bassingthwaite, Lea Salonga, Christiane Noll, Elaine Paige, Sutton Foster, Aubrey O'Day, Laura Osnes, Ashley Spencer (Current Broadway)

• Danny Zuko - Handsome, cocky leader of the Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-Birds). A greaser who is cool. Falls in love with Sandy Dombrowski over the holidays. (tenor)

Notable Dannys include Jesse Futrell, Barry Bostwick, Richard Gere, John Travolta, Treat Williams, Patrick Swayze,Paul Nicholas, Adrian Zmed, Craig McLachlan, Rex Smith, Jonathan Wilkes, Ricky Paull Goldin, Ian Kelsey, Greg Evigan, Jarrod Carland, Peter Gallagher, Jeff Conaway, Jon Secada, Danny Bayne, Justin Almazar, Max Crumm, Derek Keeling (Current Broadway), Danny Leon.

• Betty Rizzo - Tough & sarcastic leader of the Pink Ladies gang. Doesn't like to hang out with Sandy because she's not tough enough. Smokes and drinks and doesn't care what others think of her. (mezzo-soprano)

Notable Rizzos include Stockard Channing, Adrienne Barbeau, Lucy Lawless, Rosie O'Donnell, Debbie Gibson, Danica McKellar, Linda Blair, Debby Boone, Sheena Easton, Jasmine Guy, Joely Fisher, Maureen McCormick, Mackenzie Phillips, Jody Watley, Brooke Shields, Jenny Powers, Sally Ann Triplett, Dannii Minogue.

• Frenchy - dropped out of high school to enter Beauty School. Fun-loving and foolish but very friendly. A little light headed and in her own world and dumb. Cares a lot about her appearance. A member of the Pink Ladies gang.(soprano or mezzo-soprano)

Notable Frenchys include Didi Conn, Tracey Ullman

• Marty - Most attractive member of the Pink Ladies gang. A little slow and she likes older guys.(mezzo-soprano)

Notable Martys include Dinah Manoff, Marilu Henner, Lisa Maxwell, Megan Mullally

• Teen Angel - Guardian Angel from above that tries to guide Frenchy when she drops out of beauty school. (tenor or baritone)

Notable Teen Angels include Frankie Avalon, Donny Most, Davy Jones, Chris Colfer, Eddie Mekka, Chubby Checker, John Farnham, Mary Bond Davis, Billy Porter, Jennifer Holliday, Al Jarreau, Darlene Love, Taylor Hicks (All cities in the USA)

• Vince Fontaine - An egotistical, slimy radio disk jockey trying to relive his teenage years.

Notable Vinces include Edd Byrnes, Micky Dolenz, Joe Piscopo, Jeff Conaway, Richard Wilkins and Peter Scolari

• Doody - The youngest member of the Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-Birds). Generally foolish, and gullible.(tenor)

Notable Doodys include Barry Pearl, Martin Ericsson, John Travolta, Brandon Steven Cruz, Ryan Patrick Binder, Ray Quinn and Sam Harris

• Jan - Funny, loud, overweight and awkward member of the Pink Ladies . (mezzo-soprano)

Notable Jans include Jamie Donnelly, Mimi Kennedy, and Marissa Jaret Winokur

• Kenickie - The tough and rude second in command of the Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-Birds). (baritone)

Notable Kenickies include Jeff Conaway, Shane Ritchie, Ace Young

• Sonny Latierri - An obnoxious, yet tricky member of the Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-birds). The funny, Italian-American. "Wise Guy" of the Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-Birds).

Notable Sonnys include Michael Tucci,Jonathan Tribble.

• Roger - A jolly prankster member of the Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-Birds), loves "putting people on"; loves Jan. (tenor)

Notable Rogers include Kelly Ward (name was changed to Putzie for the movie), Walter Bobbie (1972), Hunter Foster (1994 revival)

• Cha-Cha - Real name is Charlotte DeGrigorio. Apparently the best dancer at St. Bernadette's. Wins the dancing competition with Danny. (alto)

Notable Cha-Chas include Annette Charles, Jennifer Cody and Gina Brooks.

• Eugene Florczyk - A silly, pompous but gullible nerd.

Notable Eugenes include Eddie Deezen

• Johnny Casino - All-American, rock-star student at Rydell High, whose real name is Clarence. (baritone)

Notable Johnnys include Micky Dolenz, Josh Jimineze, and Glenn Carter, and Rivers Cuomo (in a high school performance)

• Miss Lynch - A no-nonsense, serious, loud, English teacher.

Notable Miss Lynches include Dody Goodman and Sally Struthers

• Patty Simcox - A pretty, peppy, cheerleader. Loud and over excited. A bit of a pain and unpopular with the Pink Ladies. Nominated for Student council.

Notable Pattys include Susan Buckner, Dominique Dawes, Tamsin Outhwaite, and Siobhan Dillon

• Burger Palace Boys (later, the T-Birds) - The boys' gang of working-class "greasers-to-be."

• Pink Ladies - The greasers girls' gang.

Song list and orchestrations

Original 1972 song list

Act I Prologue - Instrumental Alma Mater - Miss Lynch, Patty Simcox, Eugene Florczyk & Company Alma Mater Parody - Kids, Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys Summer Nights - Sandy Dumbrowski, Danny Zuko, Pink Ladies, Burger Palace Boys, Eugene & Patty Those Magic Changes - Doody, Burger Palace Boys in Gym locker Freddy, My Love - Marty, Pink Ladies Greased Lightning - Kenickie and Burger Palace Boys Greased Lightning (Reprise)* - Betty Rizzo and Burger Palace Boys Rydell Fight Song - Sandy Dumbrowski & Patty Simcox Mooning - Roger and Jan Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee - Rizzo Since I Don't Have You* - Sandy Dumbrowski We Go Together - Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys

Act II Shakin' at the High School Hop - The Company It's Raining on Prom Night - Sandy Dumbrowski, Jan & Radio Singer Shakin' at the High School Hop (Reprise)** - Orchestra & Kids Born to Hand Jive - Johnny Casino & Company (Takes place in a Gym) Beauty School Dropout - Teen Angel and Female Angels Alone at a Drive in Movie - Danny Zuko and T-Birds Rock N'Roll Party Queen - Doody and Roger There are Worse Things I Could Do - Betty Rizzo Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise) - Sandy Dumbrowski All Choked Up † - Sandy Dumbrowski, Danny Zuko, Pink Ladies & Burger Palace Boys We Go Together (Reprise) † - Cast

* These numbers were added for the 1994 revival. "Since I Don't Have You" is written by Joseph Rock, James Beaumont and The Skyliners.

† These numbers were replaced for the 1994 revival by "Grease" as a finale number. "Grease" is written by Barry Gibb.

2007 revival song list

Act I Overture - Instrumental Grease* - Company Summer Nights - Sandy Dumbrowski, Danny Zuko, Pink Ladies, T-Birds, Eugene & Patty Those Magic Changes - Doody, T-Birds in Gym locker Freddy, My Love - Marty, Pink Ladies Greased Lightning - Danny Zuko and T-Birds Rydell Fight Song - Sandy Dumbrowski & Patty Simcox Mooning - Roger and Jan Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee - Betty Rizzo We Go Together - Pink Ladies and T-Birds

Act II Shakin' at the High School Hop - The Company It's Raining on Prom Night - Sandy Dumbrowski, Jan & Radio Singer Born to Hand Jive - Vince Fontaine & Company (Takes place in a Gym) Hopelessly Devoted to You* -- Sandy Dumbrowski, outside of school steps Beauty School Dropout - Teen Angel and Female Angels Sandy* - Danny Zuko (Drive In) Rock N'Roll Party Queen - Doody and Roger There are Worse Things I Could Do - Betty Rizzo Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise) - Sandy Dumbrowski You're the One That I Want* -- Danny Zuko, Sandy Dumbrowski and Company We Go Together (Reprise) - Cast

* The 2007 revival was designed to be based more on the popular film version. As such, certain numbers were eliminated where others were worked into the score. "Grease" is written by Barry Gibb, "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "You're the One That I Want" are written by John Farrar, and "Sandy" is by Louis St. Louis and Scott Simon.

^[5]

Orchestration

The original score calls for a piano, saxophone 1+2, bass guitar, percussion, and guitar 1+2.

Awards and nominations

1972 production

• Tony Award for Best Musical (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Book (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Barry Bostwick, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Timothy Meyers, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Adrienne Barbeau, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Costume Design (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Choreography (nominee)
• Theatre World Award (Barbeau, winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography (winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Costume Design (winner)

1994 revival

• Theatre World Award (Brooke Shields, winner)
• Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Marcia Lewis, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Choreography (nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical (Sam Harris, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography (nominee)

2007 revival

• Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical (nominee)

Footnotes

References

• Grease: El Musical de tu Vida in Puerto Rico
• Grease in Puerto Rico
• Synopsis and other information
• Newsday (Jan. 7, 2007): "Hopelessly Devoted to Grease", by Linda Winer
• Understudy (magazine of the Fulton Theatre, Lancaster, PA, Volume 1, September 2006)

External links

• Grease at the Internet Broadway Database
• Official website for 2007 Broadway revival
• Official website for West End production
• New York Times review, August 20, 2007

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