Slicked-Back Success in STC’s Fall Musical, Grease

As the curtains rise for STC’s fall performance of Grease, the audience is immediately thrown into the rigid but rollicking atmosphere of a 1950s American high school. The musical opens with an amusing rendition of Rydell High’s fight song, “Alma Mater,” performed by the school’s nerd and goodie-two-shoes archetypes, Eugene Florczyk (freshman Shai Arbisser) and Patty Simcox (freshman Amina Hakimova). The number launches viewers into a world of greasers and pink ladies, where school is a vessel for gossip to spread.  

Grease follows the romance between Sandra “Sandy” Dumbrowski (sophomore Isabella Glassberg) and Danny Zuko (senior Henry Santos Hendricks). After a summer fling, they find their relationship spoiled by high school social expectations. Sandy, new to the school, is ostracized by her peers, particularly Betty Rizzo (senior Sofia Lawrence), for seeming too prim and proper to do anything that they consider fun. Danny, on the other hand, puts on a tough-guy front to please his own group of friends, flirting with other girls and acting like Sandy is meaningless to him; in reality, she matters the most to him. 

The romance between Sandy and Danny clicks in STC’s production. Any SING! fan will recognize Grease’s leads, and they lived up to the audience's expectations. Santos Hendricks brought the familiar, funny, and cocky Danny to life. Sometimes his performance struggled from feeling like a John Travolta impression, rather his own charmful rendition of the character. Santos Hendricks, along with many of his fellow male performers, affected a strong Brooklyn accent and a dopeyness that made him seem lovable, but, in the more serious scenes, fell flat. Meanwhile, Glassberg’s acting radiated the kindheartedness that Sandy is known for, especially in her scenes with Rizzo. However, Glassberg’s Sandy was disserved by the musical’s lack of a big solo number for her. The song that best demonstrated her exceptional vocal prowess was “Summer Lovin’,” a large group number at the beginning of the show. While unfortunate sound issues could not hide the power of her delivery, the mixing between the backing vocals and the solo vocals was off, making it difficult to understand what Glassberg was singing. This was a disappointment, especially considering how impressive her vocal performance was in this year’s SING!. Still, the cast and crew persevered and fixed many of these issues by the end of the performance. 

Although the central romantic plotline ties the story together, this musical is dominated by the supporting cast. Many of the musical’s solo numbers develop the supporting characters beyond just caricatures of high schoolers, easily making them the highlight of this production while displaying comedic excellence and powerful vocals. One standout was the wholesome romance between Jan (senior Jane No) and Roger (sophomore Wenzel Hu), which blossomed during the duet “Mooning.” The song’s play on both the physical act and emotional state of mooning had the audience erupting into laughter. No had incredible comedic timing, charming both Roger and the entire auditorium. Hu, who made his STC debut, matched this humor. Both actors delivered assured and outstanding vocal performances. “Mooning” was also a perfect example of the band at their finest. They created the rock-and-roll vibe so synonymous with Grease, captivating audiences during transitions and maintaining the show’s life and character. 

Furthermore, the main antagonist, Rizzo, was phenomenally portrayed; Lawrence’s stage presence was commanding, even in scenes without lines. Her judgmental looks during the opening scene at the lunch table perfectly set up Rizzo’s villainy, no dialogue necessary. She also brought intense energy and life to her solo, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” a song both vocally and emotionally taxing. Lawrence depicted Rizzo at her cruelest yet weakest, maintaining her pride and strength even after being embarrassed by a pregnancy scare—in fact, she still manages to make Sandy feel worthless. The vulnerability of Lawrence’s portrayal, matched with the force of her vocal delivery, made for a rich performance. 

A standout scene led by the supporting cast came in the iconic bedroom sleepover scene, defined by the Pink Ladies’ strong acting. Particularly, senior Lily Wagman delivered a powerful performance as Marty Maraschino, whose solo is the focus of the scene. This number also illustrated senior Marlee Sidor’s comedic brilliance. She stole the show as Frenchy, whose depictions of Sandy vomiting at the thought of getting her ears pierced was both revolting and entertaining. 

The sleepover scene, like much of the musical, would not have been as effective without the excellent set and staging. The idealistic pink room with Elvis posters and ornate shelving felt lived in and effectively immersed audience members in both the time period and the life of a teenage girl. The props department also added to the impact of the scene; the comically large bottle of wine the girls chug, partnered with the robe and jewelry Marty waves as she waxes on about her marine boyfriend, illustrates how ridiculous the gathering would look in Sandy’s eyes. 

With music and vocals leaving nothing to be desired, the STC delivered a captivating production of Grease that left viewers entertained and satisfied. Punchy solos, heartwarming acting, and a spirit of camaraderie infused the production, seen in everything from the effective sets to the beautiful backgrounds. Not much of high school involves singing and dancing, but Grease leaves audiences wondering why there isn’t more of it in the everyday hallways of Stuy, considering the vocal aptitude of each performer in this incredibly impressive show.