Review: 'Grease' by Landmark Community Theatre

Photo of the 'Grease' cast members by Lisa Cherie

Thomaston, CT - “Grease is the word…” Actually it is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Of course, it was also a movie, so the stage musical now includes the songs “You’re the One that I Want,” “Sandy,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “Grease” by arrangement with Robert Stigwood. The sparkling production by Landmark Community Theatre at the Thomaston Opera House is the vision of director James Donohue.

Mr. Donohue (Jimmy to his friends) was the director of LCT’s ‘The Happy Elf’ and ‘Disney’s Mary Poppins’ and he recorded a fun curtain speech as “Coach” Donohue, complete with announcement bells that were used in the movie version. While he graciously shares the credit with his spectacular production team, young cast, crew and musicians that worked together for the last two months, I suspect that this finely constructed ‘Grease’ owes a debt of gratitude to this talented young director.

Jimmy Donohue and Isabella Riccio on Backstage (Photo by John Ozerhoski)

Click here to listen to the podcast of Backstage with Johnny O’s interview with the director and Isabella Riccio.

The musical version begins with welcoming everyone to the 1959 class reunion and then flashes back to remembering “Those Summer Nights” back in high school. Be forewarned that while this musical is not what I would describe as vulgar, the teen’s language and interactions were certainly not that of the sanitized school version or the live television version.

Not to take anything away from this mostly young cast who looked like the teenagers that they were portraying. Each and every teen in the cast had to be “Born to Hand Jive” and keep up with the nonsense words in “We Go Together” and they did.

Rob Girardin (Buddy in ‘The Buddy Holly Story’) is the classic triple threat and brought all of his onstage skills to the role of Danny Zuko. Florida State University graduate Brittany Mulcahy was the perfectly innocent Sandy Dumbrowski that effectively transformed for the final scene. Berklee College of Music student Isabella Riccio gave a spectacular performance in the role of the tough-talking Betty Rizzo and sang a heartfelt “There are Worse Things I Could Do.” Erika Blasko was “Beauty School Dropout” Frenchy, Tunxis Community College student Grace Consonni was Pink Lady Marty, and Northwestern HS grad CJ Barber (Tracy in ‘Hairspray’) was hysterical as the always-hungry Jan.

Jonathan Zalaski has such great stage presence; he played guitar and sang impressively “Those Magic Changes” as Doody. Ursinus College graduate Theron Johnson III drove “Greased Lightening” as Kenickie and Watertown HS student Joshua Rodis played against type as Sonny LaTierri. Watertown HS recent graduate Joshua Viltrakis gave it his all as Roger and got to sing “Mooning.”

Jewell Hearon made his community theatre debut as a delightfully geeky Eugene and Maytae Harge (‘JCS’ and ‘Legally Blonde’ at 7A) danced well as Cha-Cha. Mark Sumner, an incoming WCSU student, did well as the bandleader Johnny Casino and Catherine McCollian made her LCT debut as Rydell principal Miss Lynch.

The featured roles included the fabulous Lauren Stango, a rising senior at Pomperaug HS, as both the perky cheerleader Patty Simcox and a sultry radio singer (yes, that is her in a great wig.) The tenor voice of Brian Fortin Carter was perfect for the role of Teen Angel and he looked fabulous in a silver dinner jacket and black sparkly pants. Frank Beaudry tried hard to run the high school dance as Vince Fontaine.

The high-energy ensemble included Tyler Bard, Paige Carusello, WCSU student Greg Fisher, Mark-Anthony Hamblin, Ms. Harge, Scott Keys, Lisa LaPlante, WAMS student and Halo nominee Michael Ramalho, Kadie Tolderlund and Tina Vlamis.

The stellar production team Moses Beckett as the stage manager with Tori Campbell as his assistant, Nina Paganucci as choreographer (loved it!) and Dan Checovetes in charge of the great lighting; I personally was not a fan of the blinding strobe lighting used. The director himself designed the set straight out of the fifties and Debbie Cashman designed the legitimate fifties costumes, complete with circle skirt petticoats and Pink Lady silk jackets. To my ears listening in the second row, the sound was extremely loud, perhaps because I was closer to the speakers than usual.

The superb orchestra, under the direction of music director AJ Bunel on keyboard, Noel Roberge on drums, Paul Bilodeau on bass, Thomas Duffany and Meric Martin on guitar and Ruben Soto on sax. My second row seat house left allowed me to fully appreciate the talent of Opera House organist Juan Cardona, Jr. as he played a nice selection of hits from the fifties.

‘Grease’ will continue to be the word for two more weekends at the Thomaston Opera House through July 30. I highly recommend a trip to Thomaston to enjoy a performance.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues and posts reviews of well over 100 reviews each year. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch site(s) closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theater Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417