When I was in my pre-teens, just beginning to discover the magic and glory of musical theater, before I was introduced by the master works of Sondheim or even those of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I was transfixed primarily by two works - JOSEPH and GREASE.
It's a shame that I was never in a production of JOSEPH when I was ten. But when I entered Marlboro Middle School in the seventh grade, fall 1996, I learned that GREASE would be performed that year as the musical. I had to be in it! I auditioned about a week following my Bar Mitzvah, singing "Grease Lightning" along with my CD of the film soundtrack. So enthusiastic was I that I did the film choreography too during the audition. To my suprise, not only was I cast, I got the supporting featured role of Sonny. Had I not gotten that role, would I be the musical theater fanatic that I am today? Who knows. But that production truly stands out as one of the premier moments of growing up.
When we began rehearsals, I remember how surprised I was to learn how different the original GREASE, which we performed in its entirety (though sexually sanitized for middle school, of course), was from the film version. Frankly, I think both the show and the film are each pretty good, within their own territories. Of course, the 90s Broadway revival was a trainwreck.
Tonight I attended the press night for the GREASE Broadway revival. To my great suprise, I loved it. Why a surprise? Well, thinking back on the reality TV show from which much of the revival spawned, the show's prospects seemed less than encouraging. How will the other critics treat it? I guess we'll see...