"Grease the Musical" - by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey - Theatre at the Mount (Gardner, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Elijah Corbin as “Danny,” and members of the CAST of the Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey musical "GREASE" now playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 17, 2025. Photo Credit: Paige Fowler Photography)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“It's still familiar to me, sends a thrill right through me…"
- ("Doody") / Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Theatre at the Mount
Presents the Musical
"GREASE"
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Directed by Will Gelinas
Music Director Dave Twiss
Choreographer Kaden Scopelliti
Producing Director Gail Steele
Cast Includes: Abby Waterhouse as “Sandy,” Elijah Corbin* as “Danny,” Merrick Henry as “Kenickie,” Lisette Beauchemin as “Rizzo,” Emily Drew as “Frenchie,” Chelsea Daniels as “Marty,” Ruby Tower-Hughes as “Jan,” John McAuliffe as “Roger,” Ben Wilder as “Sonny,” Xavier Cormier as “Doody,” Addelyn Esposito as “Patty Simcox,” James Cannon as “Eugene,” Carolina Sanchez as “Cha-Cha,” David Allen Prescott as “Miss Lynch,” John Sweeney as “Johnny Casino,” Taylor Lawton as “Teen Angel,” Luke Esposito as “Vince Fontaine.” Ensemble – Luci Adams, Chase Bolduc, Nathan Daniels, Gianna Doherty, Julia Feeley, Josh Gauvin, Lauren Hagberg, Aidan Hughes, Lily McEvoy*, Maliyah Mouen, Kaylin Murphy, Evan Piscitello, Tori Rich, Ryan Rolio, Blake Ross, Rylie Schoville, Connor Shear, Will Sheerin, Jovan Tremblay, Kylan Tremblay, Luke Tommila, Matthew Trombley, Samantha West, Rachel Worden.
Additional Creative Team:
Technical Director/Set Design- David Allen Prescott; Lighting Design – Sam Gagnon; Costumers – Ryan Maloney, Gail Steele; Stage Manager – Jillian Whitney; Assistant Stage Manager – Casey Manseau; Props Mistress – Lisa Smith Adams; Sound Engineer – Sean Kyle; Construction Assistant – Samuel Nieves; Box Office Manager – Paul Caouette; Graphic Design – Michelle Carpenter; Lobby Displays and Printing – Lori Adams and Printshop; Running Crew – Rachel Twiss, Evan Shear, Mike Shear, Bob Allen, Mia Senneville.
* Dance Captains
Performances:
August 8, 2025 through August 17, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
Mount Wachusett Community College, 44 Green Street, Room 182, Gardner, MA.
TICKETS:
Tickets are available online at mwcc.universitytickets.com or by calling # 978-630-9388.
For additional information contact Professor Gail Steele at 978-630-9162 or g_steele@mwcc.mass.edu
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"GREASE" is the word at Theatre at the Mount and it is a “summer lovin’” musical you won’t want to miss.
For decades – DECADES – the complaint about the stage musical is that it bears little resemblance to the motion picture.
For those that preferred the stage musical to the film, the complaint has been similar but for different (if inexplicable) reasons.
This latest revision of the libretto has finally and successfully found the perfect balance between the two, adding in numbers added specifically to the film while preserving songs from the original stage musical.
The 1971 musical "GREASE," which is still among Broadway's longest-running shows, features music, lyrics, and a book by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
The musical follows 1950s working-class teens known as “Greasers” as they navigate their lives full of complications that includes sex, peer pressure, sex, politics, love…and did I say sex?
As mentioned, the general public (or at least those “of a certain age”) will most likely fondly recall the 1978 film "GREASE" co-starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, which was a huge departure from the original musical structure.
Before we get into that, here’s a brief history of this show’s more than half-century evolution.
The show's 1971 debut Chicago production was based on Jim Jacobs’ own experience attending William Taft High School in Chicago.
Jacobs collaborated with Warren Casey writing the music and lyrics for "GREASE."
This was not the more “dumbed-down” or antiseptic "GREASE" many have since come to know.
This initial production was vulgar, loaded with crass, insulting and sophomoric so-called “adult humor,” laden with harsh profanity and shock value that was intentional.
The Chicago version of "GREASE" also has a markedly dissimilar songbook, which was abbreviated and included references to actual Chicago landmarks.
For those familiar with the original cast recording, outside of a few “staple songs” to listen to it is a hugely unpleasant task.
Not so with later variants of the musical, thankfully.
The 1971 run of "GREASE" lasted for eight months and received poor reviews; but in that “original original cast” was a very young actress named Marilu Henner (as “Marty”) who went on to become a huge star thanks to the show “Taxi.”
Producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox saw the show and in 1972 brought a revamped version to Off-Broadway.
This is the structured version that is…again thankfully…most performed today.
"GREASE" moved to Broadway where it ran until 1980, two years after the film was released and became a megahit.
By the time "GREASE" closed, it had run 3,388 performances (later surpassed by “A Chorus Line” in 1983).
The original Broadway cast of "GREASE" included Barry Bostwick as “Danny” and Adrienne Barbeau “as Rizzo” and received multiple Tony Award nominations in 1972 (winning none).
Other notable celebrities on an "upwardly mobile star power trajectory" included Jeff Conaway, Peter Gallagher, Richard Gere, Ilene Graff, Randee Heller, Patrick Swayze, John Travolta, Treat Williams and more.
The show has since been revived multiple times while also maintaining significant global popularity surpassed by few other musicals.
There was even an ambitious 2016 broadcast "GREASE: Live!" starring Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Hudgens and Jordan Fisher.
Even with its archaic sexual ethics in a prevailing climate of so-called “wokeness” the musical "GREASE" shows no signs of going away any time soon.
What began as an homage to what American culture was actually like in the fifties ultimately became a completely unrealistic, fantasized version of what people HOPED the fifties were like.
For the sake of time, I’ll only mention how even though the motion picture adaptation of "GREASE" was such a blockbuster success, it spawned an embarrassingly abysmal sequel, “GREASE 2” in 1982.
(Note: While that’s about as much notoriety as that sequel deserves, still I'll occasionally hear someone singing "Let's bowl! Let's bowl!....We're gonna SCORE tonight!")
Changes made to the first film included the addition of the title song "GREASE" (written by Barry Gibb and performed by singer Frankie Valli) and songs written specifically to accommodate Olivia Newton-John, including her solo “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “You’re the One That I Want” sung with Travolta, both of which became mammoth hits (and loathed by many a Top-40 radio station disc jockey back in the day).
Many companies use the libretto that closely resembles the 1978 motion picture, including this latest one executed by Theatre at the Mount.
The story of "GREASE" is set in 1959, takes place at the fictional “Rydell High School” located in Northwest Chicago.
(Note: The school’s name is an homage to the late 50s singer Bobby Rydell.)
The clever use of the TATM space by director Will Gelinas is augmented by the gorgeous set design by David Allen Prescott that includes a functional set of doors center stage (painted to resemble what appears to be “jukebox selections”) allowing for effective transitions.
Costuming by Ryan Maloney and Gail Steele, obviously a mammoth undertaking, impresses throughout the entire show and takes us back to a time that never truly existed (as previously stated).
The musical begins at the Rydell High Class of 1959 reunion, where former teacher Miss Lynch (marvelously played by David Allen Prescott) introduces former cheerleader and yearbook-editor Patty (Addelyn Esposito) and class valedictorian Eugene (James Cannon).
We are then abruptly thrust back to the start of that senior year of 1958-59 through the iconic song “GREASE” where we are introduced to the boys of the "T-Birds" and their female counterparts the "Pink Ladies."
This is where minds first will be blown away by the astounding group number choreography delivered by Kaden Scopelliti.
The band for the Theatre at the Mount show, led by music director Dave Twiss, is situated on the second level of the stage.
The music is performed exceptionally well throughout the show but, being placed where they are, occasionally the drums and bass seem muffled, especially noticeable in songs like "GREASE" or the later "Greased Lightning" where you want to embrace hearing those distinctive, guttural and hard-driving rhythms.
(Photo: Abby Waterhouse as “Sandy” and members of the CAST of the Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey musical "GREASE" now playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 17, 2025. Photo Credit: Paige Fowler Photography)
Pink Lady Frenchie (Emily Drew), introduces her new neighbor and new student Sandy (Abby Waterhouse) to the other Pink Ladies.
Waterhouse gives a fabulous performance as Sandy, who is a new transfer student (not from Australia, so forget any alignment or similarities to ONJ).
Sandy meets Marty (Chelsea Daniels), Jan (Ruby Tower-Hughes) and the Pink Ladies’ leader Rizzo (Lisette Beauchemin) as well as Patty.
All of the Pink Ladies are given moments to shine in the score, and none fail to deliver the goods.
First Daniels as Marty sings “Freddy, My Love,” then Tower-Hughes as Jan nails the humorous duet “Mooning” sung with T-Bird Roger (John McAuliffe).
Finally, Beauchemin as Rizzo sings two notable numbers: “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee” poking fun at newcomer Sandy, and then later Rizzo confronts Sandy who she feels is judging her with “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” a number closely identified with Stockard Channing from the motion picture.
Beauchemin seems to be a little disconnected from the character of Rizzo but otherwise performs the songs well.
Sandy tells the Pink Ladies of how she had a brief love affair over the summer with Danny (Elijah Corbin) who she is unaware is one of the "Burger Palace Boys" (called something else in the movie but licensing prohibits that name from being used).
Meanwhile, Danny tells his fellow "Boys" Roger, Kenickie (Merrick Henry) Doody (Xavier Cormier) and Sonny (Ben Wilder) his version of the events.
The above culminates in one of the most famous numbers from the show, "Summer Nights,” also a choreography highlight.
In fact, without exaggeration, it is safe to point out how EVERY choreographed moment in this production, especially in the ensemble numbers completely filling the stage, is a highlight.
Sandy soon learns that Danny also attends Rydell High and while their reunion proves awkward and tense at first, their love is apparent and soon prevails.
Similar to the Pink Ladies, members of the "Burger Palace Boys" are also given musical moments to shine beginning with Cormier as Doody who does an exceptional job with “These Magic Changes” and then more high stepping fun with another show favorite, the iconic “Greased Lightning” led by Henry as Kenickie.
Wilder is especially funny as Sonny, nearly stealing many scenes in which he appears.
(Photo: Xavier Cormier as “Doody” and members of the CAST of the Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey musical "GREASE" now playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 17, 2025. Photo Credit: Paige Fowler Photography)
Waterhouse delivers the goods belting out “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (although technically not considered a belter number) then later with the more solemn “It’s Raining on Prom Night” while Corbin does justice to the lovelorn song “Sandy” (aka “Alone at the Drive-In”).
Other great songs in "GREASE" take place at the school dance such as "Shakin' At the High School Hop" and “Born to Hand Jive” merely solidify the enjoyment being had by the TATM audience.
In addition to Prescott as Miss Lynch, other adults in the cast include John Sweeney as school dance host “Johnny Casino,” Luke Esposito as local famed disk jockey “Vince Fontaine” and the Taylor Lawton as the “Teen Angel” who excels at the bizarre Frenchy fantasy sequence song, “Beauty School Dropout.”
Once again, kudos for the ensemble costuming used in the bizarre "Dropout" number.
There are numerous plot elements from the film "GREASE" which you won’t find in the stage version…again, thankfully…such as a culminating drag race which is hard to do on stage (without garnering much laughter at the attempt).
There have also been some adjustments made to the relationships between some of the characters that, with no added spoilers, may take some off guard.
In addition, for anyone familiar with the movie, if you found Sandy’s “transformation” by the end of the story problematic, this version does nothing to change your mind.
In fact, it may exacerbate it.
(Photo: Elijah Corbin as “Danny,” and members of the CAST of the Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey musical "GREASE" now playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 17, 2025. Photo Credit: Paige Fowler Photography)
The finale of the movie is the Act One closer of the stage musical, "We Go Together" and the show’s Act Two finale is the added “You’re the One That I Want” and BOTH songs will have fans in the audience singing along (yeah, just try and stop ‘em).
"GREASE" continues at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner until August 17th, 2025 and…”word is”…the run is reportedly SOLD OUT.
However, feel free to contact the box office for any questions or potential cancellations.
Coming in October at Theatre at the Mount will be the Cole Porter musical “ANYTHING GOES” for which tickets are already selling fast. So don’t wait to get on board for this show.
Approximately two hours, 15 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
"GREASE" is the word! Dust off your leather jackets, pull out your poodle skirts, and step back in time to the 1950s to hand-jive the night away with "GREASE!"
Relive the timeless story of bad boy Danny and new girl Sandy as they fall in love in the original high school musical.
Navigating love and friendship amidst the backdrop of Rydell High, this musical adaptation features the irresistible songs,“You’re The One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” and many more from the hit movie and Broadway musical!
"GREASE" is the high-energy, electrifyin' show that will make you want to get up and shout, "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop! A-wop-bam-boom!"
Approximately two hours, 20 minutes with one intermission
CONTENT ADVISORY: Contains adult themes including sexual references and innuendo, mild language, and several instances of drinking and smoking.
ABOUT THEATRE AT THE MOUNT
Mount Wachusett Community College
444 Green Street
Gardner, MA. 01440
