{"id":365061,"date":"2025-02-28T17:21:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T22:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=365061"},"modified":"2025-02-28T17:21:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T22:21:37","slug":"musical-grease-rocks-greased-lightnin-at-montgomery-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/02\/28\/musical-grease-rocks-greased-lightnin-at-montgomery-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Musical ‘Grease’ rocks greased lightnin’ at Montgomery College"},"content":{"rendered":"

Go, greased lightnin\u2019<\/em>!<\/em> What absolute fun the Montgomery College performance of the musical classic Grease<\/em> is!<\/p>\n

For those who are familiar with the John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John movie, you will not be disappointed with the high-energy cast, the jukebox of a band, and the kickin\u2019 choreography of this production directed by Ian Anthony Coleman, music directed by Dr. Jay Crowder and choreographed by Melrose Pyne. On stage to watch for: Payton O\u2019Keefe as Danny, Desiree Claggett as Sandra, Hedy Valentine as Rizzo, and most of all, bringing on the heat, charging up the engines, Cameron Franklin sizzling as Danny\u2019s pal and Rizzo\u2019s on-again-off-again boyfriend, Kenickie.<\/p>\n

As director Coleman shares in his notes, \u201cGrease<\/em> is often dismissed as a lighthearted romp, but beneath its candy-colored exterior lies a story of class struggle, teenage rebellion, and the transformative power of Black music in the 1950s.\u201d Coleman and his cast achieve that \u201csomething more.\u201d But at its heart, Grease<\/em> and this production are a timeless romance between two teens, Danny Zuko and Sandra Dee, trying to figure out who they are that still speaks across generations today. And it romps. And, even more so, this production rocks.<\/p>\n

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The cast of ‘Grease’ at Montgomery College. YouTube screenshot<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From it\u2019s very open, where two of the teachers (Isabella Desando and Michelle Brink) in perfect schoolmarm tones, address their welcome to the class of 1959 and direct us cleverly to shut down our \u201ccelluar devices\u201d (this reviewer enjoys when the oft-repeated warning about devices is done cleverly), and the \u201cgreasers\u201d blast down the auditorium\u2019s aisle, the tone is set. Romp. Rock. Roll.<\/p>\n

And they are off in Act I to rockin\u2019 numbers, including: \u201cSummer Nights\u201d with Sandra and Danny and their high-spirited crews. \u201cGreased Lightin\u2019,\u201d with terrific choreography, is a showpiece for O\u2019Keefe\u2019s Danny and even more for Cameron Franklin\u2019s Kenickie. The comic timing in \u201cLook at Me, I\u2019m Sandra Dee,\u201d performed by Valentine\u2019s Rizzo, strikes the right note of teen sarcasm and is played and sung to feisty mean-girl perfection. \u201cWe Go Together\u201d performed by all is like Rama, lama, lama\/Kadingy, Kading-a-dong\u2026 Remember forever\u2026that\u2019s the way it should be<\/em>\u2026flat out fun.<\/p>\n

Act II opens with the high school dance and \u201cShakin\u2019 at the High School Hop,\u201d and the energy \u2014 and the fab costumes, a mix of greaser black leather, skinny ties, duck-tailed hair, poodle skirts, and saddle shoes \u2014 does not stop with credit to costume designer Ashlynne Ludwig. In particular, in Act II, look for \u201cAlone at the Drive-in Movie,\u201d a ballad performed with power and sweetness by Danny and his crew, and \u201cThere Are Worse Things I Could Do,\u201d another ballad that nails it, showcasing again this performer and her sassy and brassy Rizzo.<\/p>\n

If there were a few flat notes, they were few and more about how Grease<\/em>, first performed in 1971 and harkening back to 1959, feels dated. The role of Vince Fontaine (Alexander Hardman), a local radio DJ, seemed almost anachronistic in our social media age. His between-scene riffs needed more context or cutting as they slowed the production, particularly in Act II. The big last scene reveal of the tough girl Sandra Dee could have taken another beat or two for dramatic effect. Still, Montgomery College student Desiree Claggett pulled off the transformation with professional class \u2014 and head-turning black leather.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, what never feels dated is first love. These Montgomery College performers all hit greased lightnin\u2019 with this production of Grease<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Running Time: Two and a half hours, with one 15-minute intermission.<\/p>\n

Grease<\/strong><\/em><\/a> plays through March 2, 2025, presented by the Montgomery College Performing Arts Series at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Montgomery College \u2013 Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, MD. Purchase tickets ($5\u2013$10) online.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

COVID safety: <\/strong>Masks optional.<\/p>\n