Family fun

Amy Dominguez

GLENDALE -- Glendale Community College’s “Grease” is fun for the whole

family. The music is great, the costumes are festive and the tale is a

classic boy-meets-girl love story.

The setting is 1959 at Rydell High School. The production is much the

same as the classic John Travolta-Olivia Newton John movie. You have the

Pink Ladies, the guys in black leather jackets (they’re called the Burger

Palace Boys), the cheerleaders and The DJ’s.

The Voices of the two lead characters, Sandy, played by Skyla Bristol,

and Danny, played by Jason Kelly, are strong and skilled and carry well

throughout the theater. The singing is actually heard much more clearly

then some of the speaking parts.

Nearly all the main characters have solos. Two of the Burger Palace

Boys sing excellent little numbers. The first, “Magic Changes,” sung by

Jeff Leatherwood, is lively and spirited. The second Burger Boy to dazzle

the audience is Chris D’Elia, belting out the classic car tune “Greased

Lightnin’.”

Equally delightful are the Pink Ladies. Rizzo, played by Charlotte

DeGregorio, has a singing voice fit for a professional career. The other

Pink Ladies all perform nice musical numbers and Bristol is especially

strong singing “It’s Raining on Prom Night.”

A real highlight of the production is the incredible performance by

Khalil Nelson, as The Teen Angel singing “Beauty School Drop-Out.” He is

only in the one scene and he really steals the show.

The lighting and stage props are well crafted, but the over-all pacing

is slow. The choreography is terrific, the humor is good and all the

performers do a commendable job. With all the work put in to making this

musical a hit, it’s too bad it doesn’t’t have a longer run. See it before

it’s history!

If You Go:

WHAT: “Grease,” produced by Glendale Community College Theatre Arts,

Music and Dance departments.

WHERE: GCC Mainstage Theatre, 1500 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

TICKETS: $12; $10 for students and seniors; and $6 children under 12.

PHONE: 240-1000 ext. 5618.