2008 Grease

Grease is a rock and roll musical portraying pop culture in the 1950's. It was the first musical to use this kind of music instead of the more traditional forms. Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease challenged the conventional concept of musicals and became a classic in its own right.

Grease first hit Broadway in 1972. It was originally a five hour production staged in a garage with an all amateur cast in Chicago. Despite these fairly shaky beginnings, Grease had huge success and sold out tickets in Chicago. This was enough to catch the eye of Broadway producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox. They persuaded Jacobs and Casey to move to New York and bring their show with them. In New York, Grease was reduced to two hours and opened at Eden Theatre just off of Broadway. The public quickly grew to adore it. It promptly received seven Tony Awards and moved onto the Broadway stage. The Broadway cast has included Patrick Swayze, Richard Gere, and John Travolta. Grease was later made into a movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. The musical has also starred Brooke Shields, Ian Kelsey, Stacey Gregg, Paul Nicholas, and Craig Maclachlan.

Grease soon became the longest running musical on Broadway, a record that lasted until 1980 when A Chorus Line took over that title. At that time, Grease had sold tickets at 3,388 performances at the Royale Theatre on Broadway. Grease continues to sell tickets in the United States and abroad. It has been performed at London's Cambridge Theatre and has toured throughout Canada and the United States.

Grease is the story of rebellious teens in the '50s at the height of the golden age of rock and roll. The story begins with an account of Danny Zucko and Sandra Dee's summer fling. These two teenagers meet after school lets out for the summer and have a romantic summer together on the beach. However, when school commences, the two lovers start going to the same high school. Sandy, a virtuous young girl, finds out that Danny is not the boy she thought he was. Danny is a popular, hot shot greaser, and Sandy must decide if she can still love this 'new' Danny.

The show revolves around Danny and Sandy's love affair. Within this plot, Grease contains many fabulous song and dance numbers. This includes such classics as 'Greased Lightnin', 'Beauty School Dropout', 'Summer Nights', and 'Could Do'. This music was written by Jacobs and Casey, and the dances were choreographed by Patricia Birch.

Grease gives the flavor of being a teenager in the 1950s. Rock and roll and having a nice car were the most important things in life. Grease is a light-hearted show about love, 50's pop culture, and rock and roll. It has been played in acclaimed theaters throughout the world and in high school productions, proving that these themes appeal to people universally.