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06.12.2011
Why it’s Greased Lightening! The classic cheesiness of Grease hand-jived its way into Norwich last week with its all-singing, all-dancing cast sending its audiences back to 1950s America to follow the love story of Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko. Everyone left with smiles on their faces as they found that Grease really is the word. The band’s bright pink jackets created characters that could be felt throughout the production, giving an extra sense of involvement and enjoyment from the start Any musical fan will know the
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Grease - Theatre Royal unforgettable numbers from this 1971 hit: Summer Nights, We Go Together and Shakin’ at the High School Hop, amongst many others which wowed audiences and captured the spirit of 1950s American youth. Although full of cheesiness, Grease fans will know that this is all part of the experience of the all-American musical. Fans seemed to love the catchphrase lines and celebrated songs that make Grease what it is: an entertaining and fun show. The choreography, by ex-Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, entirely complemented the upbeat songs, reminiscent of those dance moves of the typical care-free all-American 1950s teenager. Although all the cast and creative team deserve full credit for the first-class performance, it is Richard Vincent who played the character of T-Bird member Doody who shone, with his excellent character interpretation and outstanding vocals. Other actors who deserve more recognition include Grease is the Word hopeful, Kate Somerset who played Rizzo, fellow hopeful Danny Bayne who played Danny and Jason Capewell who played radio DJ, Vince Fontaine. The box office draw, Rhydian Roberts of X Factor fame, played the heart-throb, Teen Angel. His vocals were effortless throughout his rendition of Beauty School Dropout, but putting this aside, his acting skills were
lacking, his interpretation of Teen Angel appearing overacted at times. Overall Grease is a fun and pleasantly cheesy musical in which the audience receives exactly what they wanted. Grease truly is a guilty pleasure. It is the show’s title and its memorable songs that draw the crowds; it does not need
This Week In Arts History ... 1901 If you have no idea who Walt Disney is, you are likely to have come from a different planet. Disney’s empire stretches from his canonical cartoon characters to awardwinning blockbusters and soundtracks to amusement parks all around the world. Who would have thought that December 5th 1901 had welcomed the cultural phenomenon of the world of animation? Born in Chicago, Illinois as Walter Elias Disney, the boy discovered his talent for art when the family moved to Marceline, Missouri, the town that became the model for Main Street, USA in his theme park. It was also here that he developed a love for animals, including a pet mouse that would someday become the muse for his greatest achievement. In 1917, he pursued art and photography in McKinley High School. Towards the end of the First World War, he worked as a commercial artist with cartoonist Ub Iwerks and later set up a studio in Hollywood with his brother. As a cultural paragon, he is an emblem of imagination and perseverance. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was the brainchild of Disney
and Iwerks but Universal Studios forced them to choose between lower pay or losing the rights to the franchise. Picking the latter, he replaced the character with the international icon we now know as Mickey Mouse. This led to the succession of Disney as a multimillion dollar enterprise. Incidentally, the company regained the rights to Oswald in 2006, 78 years after the contract disputes. Disney’s persistence is also reflected in his decision to create their first full-length animation, which was initially quipped “Disney’s folly” by the entertainment industry. In 1937, the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves began the Golden Age of Animation. Today this is followed by a string of feature films and songs that fall under the distinctive Disney genre. Even after his death in 1966, his vision continues to touch both children and adults alike. “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing,” says Walt Disney, “that it was all started by a mouse.” Rachael Lum
nor benefit from any other gimmicks such as TV personalities or X Factor runner-ups. Grease remains a favourite musical to this day, almost 30 years after its debut. A wop ba-ba lu-mop, a wop bam boom!
Emily Pearse & Sarah Boughen