Step into Her Majesty’s Theatre for Grease the Musical and you’re immediately transported to the late 1950s with the nostalgic advertising of a drive-in theatre.
It’s a summer romance story – first performed on Broadway in 1972 but made famous by the 1978 movie – between bad boy Danny Zuko (Fabian Andrés) and the sweet Sandy Dumbrowski (Annelise Hall), which unexpectedly trickles into the new school year.
There’s a burst of bright full skirts and leather jackets for the ensemble’s first number and the scene is set for a night of the welcoming familiarity of songs that have been sung into a hairbrush on countless occasions.
Fabian Andrés is every bit the 1950s heartthrob that John Travolta brought to life in the 1978 film – with far more raw charisma and vocal talent. And what a dancer.
All the T-Birds, especially Keanu Gonzalez’s Kenickie, shine throughout and there’s no better spotlight on this than the truly electrifying “Greased Lightning”.
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The leather-clad gang injects millisecond-perfect comedic timing into the dialogue.
The Adelaide 2024 cast of Grease the Musical. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe
The energetic ensemble moments are among the strongest, notably the delightful kitsch of “Born to Hand Jive”.
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” is a little shaky and void of the sweet, hopeful innocence of Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy.
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And therein lies the fundamental issue with the musical – how do you attempt to live up to a cult classic film that most of the audience grew up with and will inevitably compare it to?
Firstly, you put a star on the stage.
It’s all smoke and mirror balls for “Beauty School Dropout” – one part of the musical that stands above the film.
Paulini as Teen Angel oozes smooth vocals and buckets of sass.
The cast shows its wonderful versatility, transforming from Pink Ladies and T-Birds into glittered, feathered back-up singers and dancers in what could be a Kylie Minogue video.
Mackenzie Dunn as Rizzo gives a great vocal performance, but the character lacks the flashes of vulnerability we see in the film.
Revolving rows of bleachers are the set for the entire show and they take us from high school to a garage, from a burger joint to a bedroom.
It’s a thrill to see a favourite film soundtrack come to life, and for those hopelessly devoted Grease fans, the big numbers shine through any weaker points with a finale that reminds you just why you fell in love in the first place.
Grease the Musical is on at Her Majesty’s Theatre until October 26.