Grease is the Word

That classic American musical is once again lighting up the stage, this time with ARC.

ARC (Amateur Repertory Company) is a “youth oriented theatre company,” says co-director Mark Kearney, who has been a part of ARC for the past five years as performer, president, set-designer and director. He credits a lot of his skills and experience to the company. “I doubt I would’ve been given the opportunity to develop this catalogue of skills at any other company. I’ve been afforded a lot of freedom to experiment during my time here. It’s a proven training ground for people wanting to go onto bigger things within the world of theatre.”

Luciano Parissi, who plays Roger in the upcoming performance, and Jaclyn De Vincentis who plays Jan, also thank ARC for their theatrical experiences.
“As an original member, I've seen ARC grow from strength to strength,” says Parissi, “It’s a theatre company run by youth (15-28 years old) for the youth and I'm proud to be apart of it. But I'm even prouder of the kids I've seen grow up into some the most talented performers out there today.”

Having tackled shows such as Cabaret, Hello Dolly, West Side Story and The Mikado, ARC has covered every possible type of musical, from light to dark, old to modern, and now they are diving headfirst into the colourful world of Rydell High School in 1959.

First, a bit of background into the musical itself. Grease was written in 1971 by the writing duo Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. It follows ten ordinary teens as they battle through the hormonal minefield of their final year of school. Relationships, rebellion, friendships, social politics and, of course, cars, are all highlighted and brought to attention in the early rock and roll style show.

From it’s original, Tony nominated production, much has been changed in way of the characters, songs and it’s originally racy themes. After the popularity of the film, many aspects were changed so that future revivals would be able to offer old favourite moments from the hit film.

Everyone has heard of Grease, without a doubt, so what is it about the story that makes it so well loved?
“Thematically speaking, the show presents something we’re all familiar with,” says Kearney, “the last days of adolescence, the dawning of adulthood and the changes that accompany this time in our lives. When a show is that universal in message, then it’s hardly surprising many hold it close to their hearts.”

Parissi says it’s more the “sleek 50's style, the cars, the mooning, the innocence, the raunchiness and the silly jokes. But above everything, I think Grease helps bridge the generation gap. It reminds us that no matter what decade we grew up in, we all went through pretty much the same life decisions, the same romance issues, the same day to day scenarios that our parents and their parents went through at the same age. It reassures us that the more things change, the more they really do stay the same.”

It’s undeniable that the film itself has that bit of magic that makes it so special. “I think lots of people have just grown up with Grease and for many it was their first introduction to musicals,” says De Vincentis. “I myself have photographic proof of a four year old me getting a microphone for Christmas and singing 'You’re the One that I want' along with the TV. It is a timeless story that is constantly reincarnated and it holds lots of dear memories for people. C'mon . . . everyone knows that they all sneak a peak when its the Saturday night movie once every three months on Channel Seven.”

That being said, however, there is a very real danger in doing such a well-known and well loved musical, but it is a challenge that the cast, crew and creative team have overcome.
“The most difficult part would've been not doing it exactly like the movie,” says Parissi. “The movie is so iconic, its hard not to keep certain jokes and phrases in the show. It really wouldn't be Grease without them. But the key was to break the well-known characterizations of the movie characters JUST enough to make them our own. Ultimately this is what the audience is there to see. Something familiar yet different! Scenically and costume wise, we've added our own flair while trying to stay true to the era. The costumes and the set really do compliment each other so well.”
“I personally haven't used the movie for inspiration,” says De Vincentis. “The character of Jan is a compulsive eater who speaks without thinking so I really didn't need to look to far to find personal inspiration. As for choices, the script for Jan is quite down the line- she is the comic relief, which is ground that I am comfortable with.”

And, of course, with any stage production you face the general pre-opening bad luck challenges, and ARC has had it’s fair share with Grease, or so Kearney says.

“I guess you could call Kenickie dislocating his knee while rehearsing ‘Greased Lightning’ two weeks from opening as a challenge. Recasting the role and blocking a new actor into a show three months into rehearsal was a daunting prospect. But thanks to Harrison Wall’s commitment and ability to learn quickly, he’s fit in relatively seamlessly. Julian Campobasso, our original Kenickie has also been very gracious with his time; he’s been on hand to help Harry out.”

Only eight days out from opening night, the team of Grease has had an “epic” experience, to put it in Kearney’s words.
“Stephen and I have been working on this project since October last year, crafting a highly stylised visual concept to really communicate a sense of 1950's youth culture to our audience. So much attention has been lavished on every production area, especially set design, which we hope will breathe some freshness into this well-known and oft-performed show.”
As for rehearsals, Parissi says it’s been a “unique but not uncommon road this year.  Ever show had its hurdles and bumps to overcome. Our director(s) vision was to solidify "skeleton" of the show and flesh out the body from there, with a final polishing phase over the final month leading to opening. With almost 4 months of rehearsals, this left a lot of time to "flesh" out the show and really give us a chance to explore our characters and make them our own”

So, in short, ARC’s Grease promises to be an energy packed, fun and touching show. Audiences can go in hoping to see glimpes of their favourite film, and get that and more as ARC offers it’s own fantastic elements to the show.

Opening at Banyule Theatre, Heidelberg on the 8th of July, Grease is playing on seven shows so don’t miss what will surely be a fantastic show.

Book tickets at:

http://www.arc-theatre.com/grease/tickets.shtml