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Arts & Entertainment

Grease Opens on The Yorktown Stage

Talented cast and crew bring a classic to Yorktown.

On the evening of Saturday, July 24th, the Yorktown Stage was filled near capacity with excited theater-goers.

The mood was set by the nostalgic 1950s Doo-Wop and Jive music playing as the crowds found their seats. This would be the opening night show of a much anticipated local production of the classical musical, Grease.

Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, a much rawer version of the play originally opened in 1971 under the title "Grease Lightening." Within a year, Grease Lightening was moved from its original home at the Kingston Mines Theatre in Chicago to Broadway, New York. Due to increasing popularity, the show gradually moved into larger and larger theaters.

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Now called Grease, the play enjoyed huge success and was nominated for seven Tony Awards. When it finally closed on April 13th 1980, the original cast and crew had put on a staggering 3,388 performances. At that time, it was the longest running show in the history of Broadway.

In addition to many revivals and tours, Grease was also reborn as a feature film in 1978 starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

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For the Yorktown Stage, Grease was an easy choice.

"Everybody knows Grease... it's a sure hit," Director Greg Baccarini said." I love the big dance numbers. I love 'Hand-Jive' and 'Shakin' at the High School Hop. They were a lot of fun for me to choreograph."

Under the directorship of the experienced resident director of Yorktown Stage, a cast of 22 local professionals, many of whom got their theatrical start on the Yorktown Stage, have now brought the well-loved experience of the Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies to Yorktown.

After only six weeks of practice including one week to work specifically with Chloe Sasson, the Music Director, the ensemble put on a truly outstanding show.

The production opened strong with a flawless delivery of the tight vocal harmonies required for the Alma Mater and that same unity carried through each and every musical number of the performance. Also impressive were the complex vocal layers of "We Go Together" which the cast carried off seamlessly.

The cast made excellent use of the stage and various techniques to pull the audience into the lives of the characters. Alternating freezes and careful lighting effects during "Summer Nights" effectively drew the eye from one side of the stage to another as Danny and Sandy related their differing views on their summer romance.

The choreography, also done by Greg Baccarini, was creative and well-executed by the cast. The fast, upbeat music of "Born to Hand-Jive" was met with many difficult and athletic steps and tricks that were both executed and timed perfectly.

The attention to detail in the show also shined, giving the larger action in the forefront a solid, more believable foundation. Little gestures and silent conversations in the background added life to the main dialogue.

The props and sets were extremely well-crafted, creative and capitalized on every inch of stage. Multiple sets were spun, opened or flipped to create new environments. The transitions were made quickly and made even more fluid by the excellent interludes provided by the pit orchestra.

The production did experience a few opening-night hiccups involving the sound and lighting, but the cast and crew soldiered on with an admirable professionalism.

As individuals, each of the Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies stood out for different reasons and did justice to their unique roles.

Mickey Connolly provided a surprisingly powerful voice to the swarthy Danny Zuko and danced exceedingly well.

Veronica Decker brought the spirited and slightly embittered Rizzo to life with small, well-timed expressions. Everything from the way she stood, hands on her hips, to the way she looked at her peers out of the corner of her eyes spoke for the attitude of her character.

The rest of the Burger Palace Boys performed their songs with the throaty vibrato and controlled falsetto that was so prevalent in the 1950s. Their jokes and prods at each other were fast and delivered well and made their fraternal relationship with one another very believable.

The Pink Ladies also worked well together, teasing and playing off each other both during the dialogue and the songs.

Both groups danced their group choreography with a perfect showmanship, not allowing their facial expressions to betray just how difficult some of the steps were.

The small pit orchestra, led by music director and conductor Chloe Sasson, performed incredibly well, often forcing the audience to question whether they were, in fact, live.

After the show, the audience overflowed with excitement. Comprised mostly of Yorktown citizens, they were all excited to see their friends, family and neighbors involved in such a high-caliber show.

Many in the audience, who had all been coming to the Yorktown Stage for years, expressed that they felt that the singing of all the cast members was outstanding.

Prices range from $25 for regular tickets, $23 for Yorktown residents, $21 for seniors (over 62), $21 for students (age 12-22), and $19 for children (under 12).

The next shows are Friday, July 30 at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 31 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, August 1 at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets online, click here

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