Grease the Musical
The whole play was accompanied by a live band comprising of Shevanka Fernando, Shehan Wijemanna, Rukshan Aponsu, Shalinda Halpe and Nuran Gomez, all of whom did a fabulous job throughout
Bringing to life one of the most loved Broadway musicals of all time, Cold Theatre 7 (CT7), in association with Theatrical Rights Worldwide, kicked off “Grease” the musical with a bang on the 1st of August at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. Energetic choreography, catchy tunes and impeccable acting made for a phenomenal performance by the cast of both veteran and young blood that took to stage under the guidance of director Kevin Cruze, choreographer Umeshi Rajeendra and musical director Nishantha Warnakulasuriya.
For those who are fans of the movie, the name Grease immediately brings to mind the remarkable performance of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John; certainly a hard act to live up to. However, surpassing all expectations, CT7 managed to nail this production and as a whole I felt that all the actors pulled their weight and held the audience’s attention throughout. It was fast paced, exciting, definitely nostalgic, and overall a fabulous performance.
Each scene was choreographed wonderfully, showcasing great technique, and everyone’s movements certainly captured the essence of the music. I particularly thought “Greased Lightning” and “We go together” were outstanding performances, and definitely made the audience want to join in! Leeth Singhege’s portrayal of Doody was commendable throughout the play, and I particularly loved his performance of “Those Magic Changes”. The singing was spot on and kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time.
One of my all time favourite songs from Grease was “Mooning”, performed by Roger - the self proclaimed King of the Mooners. Thilina Udayaratne put the cherry on the cake with this performance, and complemented by Lozzaine Pereira who played Jan, this song was done to perfection and I absolutely loved it!
Julian Anderson’s portrayal of Danny Zuko, the cheesy romantic who desperately loved Sandra but had to uphold his cool guy facade, was illustrated with perfection. The role seemed to come naturally to him and his acting, singing and dancing were sensational. For two
and a half hours, he made us forget John Travolta! Daniella Perera who portrayed the timid, prim and proper Sandra Dee also did a fabulous performance. She excelled in bringing out both Sandra’s shy nature and her transition to being sexy and voguish. Daniella’s singing was remarkable, and her performance of “Hopelessly devoted to you” and the reprise of “Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee” in particular, were outstanding. Although her emotions in both songs were of contrasting nature, she managed to perform with equal intensity which once again sealed her competence as a talented actress.
Another character that definitely stood out was Agalya Kotigala as Betty Rizzo. Although all the Pink Ladies, comprising Agalya as Betty, Lozzaine Pereira as Jan, Chantal Dassanayaka as Frenchy and Nimansa Thalduwa as Marty did a fabulous job as a whole, Agalya certainly managed to stand out. Rizzo is a tough alpha female with a real cutting attitude, but also has a soft mellow side which she doesn’t like to bring out. This arc is portrayed wonderfully by Agalya and her interpretation of this character was definitely noteworthy.
Devinda De Silva’s portrayal of the young Casanova Sonny was also extremely commendable, and he definitely succeeded in captivating the audience throughout. A further memorable performance was that by Whayne White, who portrayed Kenickie.
Danu Innasithamby who played the part of the “Teen Angel”, or rather Frenchy’s flamboyant guardian angel, also did a praiseworthy performance.
The ensemble must also be commended for their perfect execution of the choreography that made the play a lot more lively and interesting to watch.
The whole play was accompanied by a live band comprising of Shevanka Fernando, Shehan Wijemanna, Rukshan Aponsu, Shalinda Halpe and Nuran Gomez, all of whom did a fabulous job throughout.