T H É Â T R E C O M É D I A
Grease in the hair and «Grease» in the legs
«Grease» is the pomade with which men once brought their well cared styling into form. Beside Cadillacs in pastel colours, drive-inns and colourful lightening jukeboxes it is the symbol of the 50s in the United States. And that’s why «grease» is also the title of the most popular musical which plays in those days und that became world famous as film with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Presenting the latest adaption at the Comédia theatre, director Maurice Molina affirms his special faible for big musical classics.
The story along the evergreens «Summer Nights», «We Go Together» and «You’re the One That I Want» is told fastly. Sandy Olsson and Danny Zulo meet each other at Rydell High School. The shy girl and the self-confident boy had a love romance in summer. But in the bosom of his friends Danny acts cool and brushes Sandy off. She finds support with her friends, the «Pink Ladies». Their leader Rizzo gives Sandy the advice to make him envious. She made it successfully and at the drive-inn cinema Danny recognizes slowly that Sandy is his true love. He decides to change himself for her. But at the end of school year Sandy changes, too. The honest girl gets a new look and becomes a sexy vamp. However, finally both admit each other their feelings and the way gets clear for a so much hoped happy-end.
The performance at the Comédia theatre is a true ensemble effort of the 20 actors and seven musicians with a throughout enormous power. Supposed supernumeraries present themselves as first-class solists. Cécilia Cara as Sandy enthuses with her crystal-clear voice, Djamel Mehnane (Danny) distends occasionally his facial expression. The sometimes a little bit infantile staging is an underachiever and impairs the overall impression. It is conspicuous that the best performer of the evening does not fill the star role: Amélie Munier pokes out of the staff due to her brillant interpretation of Rizzo and her artistic qualities in general. It would have been desirable and consequent to place her in the first row.
Résumé: The staging convinces absolutely. But by far it reaches not the esprit and quality of the genious forerunner production «Fame».
► «Grease» in the season 2008/09 at the Théâtre Comedia. With Djamel Mehnane, Cécilia Cara, Amélie Munier, Clémence Merot du Barré, Virginie Perrier, Vanessa Cailhol et al. Staging: Jeanne Deschaux, Olivier Benezech; text: Stéphane Laporte; music: Franck Sitbon, Pierre-Yves Duchèsne; costumes: Frédéric Olivier; lights: Regis Vigneron; sound: Philippe Parmentier (photos: Bernard Mouillon/McProduction) ► Review:
«Marc Jolivet ‹terrorizes› the Lyon Symphonic Orchestra» (2007), «‹Fame› catapults spectators out of the theatre chairs» (2008). Further ones at the review archives
Grease in the hair and «Grease» in the legs
«Grease» is the pomade with which men once brought their well cared styling into form. Beside Cadillacs in pastel colours, drive-inns and colourful lightening jukeboxes it is the symbol of the 50s in the United States. And that’s why «grease» is also the title of the most popular musical which plays in those days und that became world famous as film with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Presenting the latest adaption at the Comédia theatre, director Maurice Molina affirms his special faible for big musical classics.
The story along the evergreens «Summer Nights», «We Go Together» and «You’re the One That I Want» is told fastly. Sandy Olsson and Danny Zulo meet each other at Rydell High School. The shy girl and the self-confident boy had a love romance in summer. But in the bosom of his friends Danny acts cool and brushes Sandy off. She finds support with her friends, the «Pink Ladies». Their leader Rizzo gives Sandy the advice to make him envious. She made it successfully and at the drive-inn cinema Danny recognizes slowly that Sandy is his true love. He decides to change himself for her. But at the end of school year Sandy changes, too. The honest girl gets a new look and becomes a sexy vamp. However, finally both admit each other their feelings and the way gets clear for a so much hoped happy-end.
The performance at the Comédia theatre is a true ensemble effort of the 20 actors and seven musicians with a throughout enormous power. Supposed supernumeraries present themselves as first-class solists. Cécilia Cara as Sandy enthuses with her crystal-clear voice, Djamel Mehnane (Danny) distends occasionally his facial expression. The sometimes a little bit infantile staging is an underachiever and impairs the overall impression. It is conspicuous that the best performer of the evening does not fill the star role: Amélie Munier pokes out of the staff due to her brillant interpretation of Rizzo and her artistic qualities in general. It would have been desirable and consequent to place her in the first row.
Résumé: The staging convinces absolutely. But by far it reaches not the esprit and quality of the genious forerunner production «Fame».
► «Grease» in the season 2008/09 at the Théâtre Comedia. With Djamel Mehnane, Cécilia Cara, Amélie Munier, Clémence Merot du Barré, Virginie Perrier, Vanessa Cailhol et al. Staging: Jeanne Deschaux, Olivier Benezech; text: Stéphane Laporte; music: Franck Sitbon, Pierre-Yves Duchèsne; costumes: Frédéric Olivier; lights: Regis Vigneron; sound: Philippe Parmentier (photos: Bernard Mouillon/McProduction) ► Review:
«Marc Jolivet ‹terrorizes› the Lyon Symphonic Orchestra» (2007), «‹Fame› catapults spectators out of the theatre chairs» (2008). Further ones at the review archives
5 
breathtaking | 4 very nice | 3 entertaining | 2 disappointing | 1 bad
breathtaking | 4 very nice | 3 entertaining | 2 disappointing | 1 bad
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