Previously performed by Trinity in 1986 and 2009, Grease is the perfect College show, with a large cast of characters ripe for dramatic and comedic acting, and a readily approachable score.
The male and female leads are all paired up, enabling a good cross-section of the College to get on stage and show off their talent. In the main roles – made famous on screen by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (who, as the daughter of the Master, spent her teenage years living next door at Ormond) – Stefan Geleta as Danny and Ifeoma Donellan as Sandy did an excellent job. Donellan’s transformation from innocent abroad to insolent broad was stunning.
While these two carried the dramatic weight of the show, the finest musical numbers came from the supporting cast. In particular, Lyla Levy-Jordan (Rizzo) gave a heartfelt rendition of ‘There Are Worse Things I Could Do’ – the one dark moment in the story – and Nick Bernado (Roger) sang excellently of his crude exploits in ‘Mooning’.
‘Those Magic Changes’ sung by Chris Richards (Doody) was also beautifully presented, while Sophie Landgren’s brief appearance as the fancy Cha-Cha, Hannah Pakula’s embarrassingly over-the-top Patty and Jamie Robinson’s stylish portrayal of radio host Vince Fontaine were also highlights. The undoubted star of the show, however, surely has to be Ranald Macky as Teen Angel, whose rendition of ‘Beauty School Dropout’ was simply divine!
The chorus work and the dance numbers were all well drilled and added up to a spectacular show. The small band was superb, and kept the pace of the action moving most of the evening. The sets were simple but beautifully crafted.
This was a show where everyone clearly had a great deal of fun. Whoever created the car – and stole all the props from around College – deserves a gold star!
Again, this was a truly awesome production that showcased the vast array of talent available within Trinity.
