July 18, 2011
Grease is the word….. or is it Impersonation? We all know the story and the words of one of the nation’s best loved musicals. It's 40 years since the show first began in Chicago and it's still going strong. However, just because we all know and love it, are we letting it get away with murder? Everybody loved John Travolta in the 1978 movie but that does not mean his way is the only way of playing Danny. Unfortunately it seems that Danny Bayne (winner of ITV’s Grease is the Word) has decided (or been told) that is the only way.
While Danny Bayne can sing and dance very well, his overall performance was disappointing. I saw Shane Richie play Danny in the nineties and he made the part his own; I expected to see Danny Bayne do the same. He didn’t properly come alive until the final medley when he seemed to relax and start enjoying himself. Whether this is due to his tender age (only 23, several years younger than Richie was when he started in the role), the direction or his personality isn't clear - but he wasn't the only one doing impersonations.
Darren John’s portrayal of Eugene leant heavily on Lee Evans' stage persona but came off brilliantly and was one of the most believable characters. Carina Gillespie did a good job of portraying Sandy; Lois Urwin was an excellent Marty and Lauren Stroud did a fine job of Frenchy. Laura Wilson was a very entertaining Jan (although why they felt the need to pad her clothes I don’t know; I know the character is meant to be a bit chubby but padded clothes just look a bit silly). Rizzo (Kate Somerset How) was the let down of the Pink Ladies; though her singing was good, the character felt a bit 2D, never really 'all in'. Robin Cousins (MBE) put in a reasonable performance as Teen Angel, tragically a bit lost on the younger audience, but recognised as “from Dancing on Ice” by the people behind me. Shame they didn’t also dress him in drag and have him play Miss Lynch, that would have been far more entertaining!
Overall the show was enjoyable with a lot of scope for improvements, which I'm sure will arrive over the rest of the week as the cast warm up. Also, as a member of the audience, make I make this plea that you consider the people around you?! Yes, you are meant to have fun and enjoy the show and sing along if you want to - but people who paid to see the show want to hear it, so please don’t talk through it or sing during the instrumentals!
While Danny Bayne can sing and dance very well, his overall performance was disappointing. I saw Shane Richie play Danny in the nineties and he made the part his own; I expected to see Danny Bayne do the same. He didn’t properly come alive until the final medley when he seemed to relax and start enjoying himself. Whether this is due to his tender age (only 23, several years younger than Richie was when he started in the role), the direction or his personality isn't clear - but he wasn't the only one doing impersonations.
Darren John’s portrayal of Eugene leant heavily on Lee Evans' stage persona but came off brilliantly and was one of the most believable characters. Carina Gillespie did a good job of portraying Sandy; Lois Urwin was an excellent Marty and Lauren Stroud did a fine job of Frenchy. Laura Wilson was a very entertaining Jan (although why they felt the need to pad her clothes I don’t know; I know the character is meant to be a bit chubby but padded clothes just look a bit silly). Rizzo (Kate Somerset How) was the let down of the Pink Ladies; though her singing was good, the character felt a bit 2D, never really 'all in'. Robin Cousins (MBE) put in a reasonable performance as Teen Angel, tragically a bit lost on the younger audience, but recognised as “from Dancing on Ice” by the people behind me. Shame they didn’t also dress him in drag and have him play Miss Lynch, that would have been far more entertaining!
Overall the show was enjoyable with a lot of scope for improvements, which I'm sure will arrive over the rest of the week as the cast warm up. Also, as a member of the audience, make I make this plea that you consider the people around you?! Yes, you are meant to have fun and enjoy the show and sing along if you want to - but people who paid to see the show want to hear it, so please don’t talk through it or sing during the instrumentals!