Grease WAS the Word.

Before the show starts, I suddenly realize that this experience is so American.  It just feels hopelessly sincere and awfully over the top.  The warmup guy (otherwise known as Vince Fontaine played by Eddie Mekka of “Laverne and Shirley” fame) tried his best to get this Vancouver crowd going but wow what a cold cold room. Eventually, there was actual singing  and even some minimal hand jiving. It's all a bit crazy for me.  He is certainly a talented guy but I don't know if this is the right town for this kind of schtick.  

At intermission, I start drinking pear cider, hoping it helps me get in the spirit of it all.  I think it's truly a farm team here - they are working so hard.  It just never seems to fly. The crowd at intermission appears blasé at best.

Technically, the production is quite good and I truly love the flying set pieces. Great to see so many bodies onstage too!!! The pastel over-the-top look reads fifties yet fantasyland too. But I find the acting is overly mannered - the director has been too specific.  As for Danny Zuko (Matt Nolan), he can't cut the mustard - he's just not very cool. Pulling up his collar in the first number is not at all natural. Sandy Dumbrowski (Alyssa Herrera) is cloying and plucky but doesn't have much heart.  As a unit, the Pink Ladies are definitely hotter than the T-Birds... lucky for the guys in the room.

Nevertheless, I'm interested in how quaint it all is. The imaginary American 1950s are a long way from 2010. Hell, they're a long way from Moose Jaw, SK in the early 1990s when I went to high school.

By the end of the show, I decide that the top and tail are the best parts of the show.  The opening sequence with the T-Birds and Pink Ladies singing “Grease” actually felt modern and the curtain call was a blast!  The energy is astonishing. But everything else is overwhelmingly contrived.  Only recommended for hard core “Grease” addicts.