Review: GREASE is the Word at Star Of The Sea Theatre Manly

A bunch of horny working-class high school delinquent adolescents celebrate their final year of high school, what could possibly go wrong? This latest effort by Manly Musical Society takes on the classic musical about those summer nights and the trials, love triangles and memory-making to follow. Manly Musical Society's production is as charming as Sandy, raunchy as Kenickie and funny as mooning the principal in the middle of the high school dance.

Grease featured an ensemble of emerging talent to be reckoned with. Laura Dawson was show-stopping as Rizzo, with the vocal chops and brassy attitude to bring the character completely to life. Carolyn Reed similarly nailed the innocence but genuine virtue to convince as Sandy, and her vocal quality reigned supreme, Hopelessly Devoted to You a true highlight. Other highlights were Christopher O'Shea, totally nailing an anxious and pubescent Doody to great comedic effect, and Stephanie Edmonds made Frenchy her own. Katya Triantis's Marty wowed with her singing voice, as did Eamon Moses as the brutish but sensitive Roger. Callum McKean was undoubtedly committed to the characterisation of Sonny, and Callum Domeney also got lost in his role as the dorky breathless Eugene, making much of very few lines. Jake Buratti stood out as the most self-confident character and actor, whose aesthetic and surprisingly good singing voice promises a strong future. Jay Cullen as Danny played by the numbers, bringing the bravado and the vocal character but leaving behind some of the sensitivities required to make the central romance plausible. The standout performance though was delivered by Kaleigh Wilkie-Smith as Jan, whose comedy was always spot-on and her performance larger than life.

Wilkie-Smith also directed the production, where her sense of comedy was able to flourish, though sight lines were limited, undercutting much of the visual comedy. The split focus may have contributed to some pace issues, but on the whole the cast made a dynamic use of the stage, particularly during We Go Together and the picnic scene. Kim Dresner's choreography definitely assisted and allowed cast members like Boronia Clark and Harriet Bridges-Webb to really shine. To her credit, Wilkie-Smith didn't permit the glossing over of the more mature conduct, showing a large amount of faith in her diversely-experienced cast. Moments of sensitivity, particularly There Are Worse Things I Could Do and the concurrent altercation between Rizzo and Kenickie were handled with depth and emotion.

Obviously the backbone of a show like Grease is in its Musical Direction, and Anthony Cutrupi definitely held to tradition. The incorporation of period sound bites, including the famed Ipana commercial, was a nice touch, though more ambient sound to back up the sparse scenes of dialogue might have been worthwhile to amplify the action. The band certainly changed gear during the High School Dance Contest, where the premiere (and worth repeating) performance of Michael Smith as well as the stylings of Martin Everett and Isabella Augimeri created genuine atmosphere and entertainment.

Manly Musical Society is cementing themselves as a place for emerging talent to try their hand at big-time shows, which is a great opportunity that should continue. Worth supporting for the importance of cutting one's teeth on the best of the best.

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