‘Grease’ is the word: Open until April 25

April 23, 2010February 25, 2020 The Guardsman

City College production is fun and full of vibrant performances

By William Chamberlin
The Guardsman

City College Diego Rivera Theatre’s presentation of “Grease” is a successful collaboration of the Theater Arts Department, the Music Department and a diverse group of actors from the community. The entertaining production mixes key elements of the play and movie.

Michael Shahani directs the live music which adds vibrancy to the performance.

“We have incorporated a lot of the songs from the film into the play,” said the director, Deborah Shaw, a Theater Arts Department instructor at City College who has directed countless plays on campus.

“We have never had a bigger reaction than to this show,” said Shaw. “We just want to do it justice.”

One of the more elaborate components of the play are the choreographed dance scenes. The actors in this production are very diverse and came in with all different levels of dance ability. They really pulled together to execute the dance scenes, Shaw said.

From her very first appearance, and throughout the show, Rizzo, played by Megan Dueck who teaches undergrad lab courses in the Bioengineering Department at UC Berkeley, delivered a very vivid and potent performance, leaving viewers eager to see her next scene. Dueck plays Rizzo with such a strong relationship to the original movie character that it conjures memories of the classic film.

The pajama party scene was particularly strong. The actresses on stage were in sync and the scene felt as though it was straight out of an off-Broadway viewing in some east coast metropolitan art district.

Kudos to Shaw for casting Jenny Veilleux in the lead female role as Sandy. Where Dueck steals the show with her character reincarnation, Veilleux makes the production worth listening to with her sophisticated and articulate songs. Veilleux confidently performs and executes the innocence of Sandy while owning the most attractive lead voice in the production.

“It is a really good time,” Shaw said. “And it is a great way to support the school.”

Playing 50s radio commercials during scene changes added charm and their own vintage flavor to the show.

Stephen Chang is convincing as Sonny LaTierri, one of the rebels of the 50s with a smug personality. He delivers a very confident and comfortable performance.

One of the more humorous exchanges on stage was between Rizzo and Kenickie during the park scene. The characters go from making out to getting into a scuffle where Kenickie, played by Daniel Alper, rises to the level of Deuck’s acting and Veilleux’s voice with his flamboyant mannerisms, which drew laughter from the crowd.

There were also notable performances made by Ted Speros as Vince Fontaine and Geneva Holloman as Marty who both brought excellence to their characters.

If you like “Grease” you’ll have a very enjoyable two hours and also support City College.

Final showings will be April 23 and 24 at 8 p.m. and April 25 at 2 p.m. General admission is $15, $10 for students and seniors.