Review: 'Grease' brings bygone days of big hair, summer lovin' to historic Savannah Theatre

This summer in Savannah, Grease IS the word.

From the opening moments, when the smoke hits the stage, and the cast of the Historic Savannah Theatre begin singing the first lines of the musical's iconic opening chorus, the audience is transported.

You are no longer a Savannahian ducking the summer heat or the daily afternoon rain showers. Everyone in the theater becomes a member of Rydell High School, transporting back to the bygone days of the 1950s, when rock and roll was young, hair was big, and the biggest decision was who to ask the prom.

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Co-owner Mike Zaller knows the impact this beloved play and motion picture has made on people.

It's his sixth time to produce "Grease," and the 20th year this August, that his production company has called the Savannah Theatre home. And you'd better hurry if you still have caught a show - the production has just one more weekend left, with matinee and evening shows wrapping up Sunday.

"There’s such a youthful energy and excitement that is so fun to watch these performers bring to the stage as they sing the songs and tell the story that is so familiar to the fans of Grease," Zaller shared.

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The cast works hard to bring the audience along for the ride with them. Rydell's ornery Principal McGee opens the show, picking on "students" in the audience and threatening them with detention. Danny Zuko's slapstick sidekick, Sonny, breaks up the pace mid-show to flirt with ladies in the audience and show off his best pickup lines.

And the real showstopper is when the T-Bird's boys roll out a life-sized Bel Air roadster, beaming headlights into the audience as they make ballet-caliber jumps and twists between polishing the muscle-car's fenders.

For those who grew up loving the motion picture with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John cementing their roles in popular culture, to first-timers getting their first taste of a classic, the cast goes full throttle to ensure a good time for all.

"I hope those who know and love Grease come and relive the songs and story that make them so happy, and for those that aren’t as familiar with the show, that they can come and escape life for a few hours and experience this cast and a great time," Zaller added.

With many of the production company's core cast being older adults, Zaller said it was refreshing to open up casting to a younger group and start fresh in casting "high schoolers" for this production.

"Each cast member brings a different perspective to the character they are playing," he said.

"There’s such a youthful energy and excitement that is so fun to watch these performers bring to the stage as they sing the songs and tell the story that is so familiar to the fans of Grease," Zaller added.

This August, the production company will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the theater, which has operated continuously since 1818, claimed as the oldest such theater in the country. They'll celebrate by bringing back their first production "Lost in the 50's," which continues the thread from the doo-wop nostalgia in "Grease."

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Later that month, they will debut the world premiere of “We’ll Meet Again”, a World War II-era musical based on true stories, offering a glimpse of the sacrifices and patriotism during the period. That will be followed by "Savannah Live," a high-energy musical revue.

And later this year, in November, the company will bring the beloved Buddy the Elf alive on stage in “Elf: The Musical,” before wrapping the year with their annual Christmas variety show.

Zaller says when the company first launched at the Savannah Theatre two decades ago, they initially assumed tourists would make the bulk of their audience.

On the contrary, he says it has been the support of locals who have keep the magic alive, coming back year after year to support the local theater they love. "To say 'Thank You' doesn’t seem adequate enough to express how I feel about their 2 decades of support and allowing us to become part of the Savannah community," Zaller said.

"It still feels amazing every time someone stops me, whether at the theatre or randomly around town, to say how glad they are that we are in Savannah and that they hope we stay here for years to come!" he added.

For more information and tickets visit: www.savannahtheatre.com

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA things to do: Grease at Historic Savannah Theatre