It’s All Done in Good, Clean, Kerrigan Fun

Are you ready to hand jive? OK, but with mittens on?

Yes, most of the songs, sets and swagger from the hit film and stage musical “Grease” have made the transition to a touring ice skating show that hits the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim tonight and Wednesday. The “Grease on Ice” production even boasts star power, with Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan in the lead role of Sandy, the shy new girl in town who loves the coolest guy at Rydell High (skater Matthew Williams).

For parents looking for entertainment as clean-cut as a Kerrigan figure-eight, “Grease on Ice” is closer to the 1972 off-Broadway play than the 1978 movie with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, so there’s less of the sexual innuendo that permeates the film.

“This is really a lot of fun,” Kerrigan said from her home near Boston. “It’s really a family show because ‘Grease’ has been around for so many years and so many generations of people really enjoy it.”

Producers turned to a couple of stage-trained landlubbers to bring the ‘50s-themed show to the ice. James Fouchard, set designer for the national stage production of “Grease,” and Barry Lather, a choreographer best known for Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul videos, had little experience on the ice but have created a slick, energetic show.

Fouchard, whose theatrical credits include “Can-Can” and the national tour of “Oklahoma!,” had to think big when adapting the “Grease” scenery.

“Everything had to be scaled up to fill the ice, but not so big that it overwhelmed the skaters,” he said. “I had to create pieces in such a way that they could skate with it or on it.”

Two of the most popular numbers from “Grease” presented the greatest challenges. For “Greased Lightnin’, “ a full-size jalopy is transformed into a dazzling hot rod right on the ice. In “Beauty School Dropout,” the Burger Palace drive-in is driven around on the ice by the soda jerk.

Other considerations unique to ice shows were moisture and sharp skates. The car, for instance, is upholstered with a heavy Naugahyde so that the skates won’t easily slice through.

In translating dance steps to ice, Lather, 32, had help from an assistant who skates because, he admitted, “I’m better off with my boots on.”

*

His biggest challenge was to get the right blend of traditional skating that people expect with the high-energy dance numbers that “Grease” fans demand. “We have to kick some butt, or people will be disappointed,” he said.

Kerrigan had to modify her skating style to fit the character. To accentuate Sandy’s reserved, goody-goody personality in the beginning of the show, Lather set a slower pace. Later, Kerrigan’s aggressive skating--and black, skin-tight body suit--reflect her transformation into one of the cool crowd.

“Sandy’s a regular teenager and wants everybody to like her,” Kerrigan said. “She’s timid and unsure, but it’s more natural for me to skate with a strong attitude. But this is fun. I’ve been skating for a long time, so to skate like that has been a challenge for me.”

*

Kerrigan, who has fully recovered physically from the assault on her before the 1994 Olympics, hesitates to say that something good may have come out of the notoriety over that incident.

“I already had an Olympic [bronze] medal when that all happened,” she said. “I had starred in shows before that, and some people knew who I was, not everybody, but I don’t know. . . . I’m sure there are some good things that come out of negative actions, but I would’ve preferred it not to happen.”

Kerrigan has appeared in select dates of “Grease” through March, including all the Southland shows. (The tour already stopped in Los Angeles and Long Beach.) German skater Jennifer Schmitz takes over the role for the rest of the tour.

Kerrigan, who married agent Jerry Solomon in 1995, plans to take a vacation with her husband and son, 2-year-old Matthew, before deciding on her next project. She said she might do another ice show if she thought it would be as fun as “Grease.”

“It doesn’t matter what mood you’re in,” Kerrigan said. “When the music starts, it’s just so good that it livens you up.”

* “Grease on Ice” plays today and Wednesday at the Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 7:30 p.m. $13.50-$27.50. (714) 740-2000.