Grease is the Word!
By Mike Butler
Grease is coming to Windsor! Grab your steady and get her ready, put your mittens on your kittens, and make a date and don’t be late to see Quick as a Wink Theatre’s fast-paced, toe-tapping production of Grease!
Filled with some of the most recognizable songs and characters in live musical theatre history, Grease tells the story of a group of students at Rydell High as they sing and dance their way through their final year of school, dealing with relationships, friendships, and rival gangs!
Grease was first performed in 1972 and became an instant stage hit. A few years later in 1978, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starred in the, now iconic, film musical that still holds the record for highest grossing musical film of all time. Grease has become a staple of musical theatre and the soundtrack spawned six top ten hits (including three number ones!) and made Olivia Newton-John an international superstar. Today, the musical name Grease is synonymous with fun, high-energy, and very enjoyable theatre!
So what a perfect selection for Quick as a Wink Theatre’s 2017 season opener than Grease and I was so honoured to have been chosen to direct this wonderful production. After my directorial debut last year with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I was looking for something different and Grease is certainly the opposite end of the spectrum. But I wanted my next directing effort to be a labour of love, a piece of work I connected with, as well as a project that let me work with teenagers and adults, and Grease fit that criteria perfectly.
With a stacked cast of brilliant local actors and actresses singing, dancing, and re-inventing these well-known characters, plus a production team filled with remarkable love and professionalism for the show, the audiences are in for a real treat with our production of Grease! I can think back to many times when I’d be singing “Summer Nights”, “Greased Lightning”, and “We Go Together” long after seeing the film. I can recall seeing the film at the drive-in for the 30th anniversary and most of the audience was in costume. I feel I know the era, the music, and the cultural significance of the show, and I believe I know the audiences expectations for this show so directing it has never felt like work to me. Instead I’ve had an incredible time taking the helm with a great cast and crew and I’m super excited to put our hard work in front of an audience. Don’t miss it!!!
