Theater Reviews

Jul 23, 2004 - An aging "Grease" at the Eldorado is looking too long in the tooth for Rydell High

By Jack Neal

Nostalgia is in trouble when lots of the kids at Rydell High are looking long in the tooth.

Given the current state of "Grease" at Reno's Eldorado Hotel Casino, prom night at Rydell High is looking more like a twenty year reunion of ex cheerleaders than a bunch of kids with the angst of trying to grow up.

The high school look at the fifties that has always made "Grease" such affectionate fun, has been turned just enough on its ear with the current production in Reno to make the show's trimmed 90 minutes seem as eternal as too many in the cast are looking. And that takes too much steam out of one of the most endearing sendups of the fifties outside a Carol Burnett sketch in the heyday of her TV show.

There are some exceptions.

As the centerpiece of this greaser musical, Derek Keeling is a standout as Danny Zuko. He can sing, dance and looks like he just stepped out of the fifties and into his senior year at good old Rydell. Keeling's "Alone at the Drive-in Movie" is the show's best moment.

Coming in as first runner-up for best moment is Matt Hydzik's take, he plays Kenickie, along with the Burger Palace Boys on "Greased Lightnin'," the show's tribute to hot rod cars. Bring on Hot August Nights. Kenickie and the Burger Palace Boys are ready.

And who can resist "Beauty School Dropout"? It's still irresistible, especially as it's sung by Genson DeJesolo who doubles as rock singing stars Teen Angel and Johnny Casino. The show's congeniality award goes Jason Harper as Roger who has a grand night entertaining the troupes at prom night.

The list of top drawer moments pretty much ends there, even with some fairly high octane Christopher Gattelli choreography that's kind of fun. That leaves the girls of Rydell somewhere over the hill.

As Sandy, Tiana Checchia isn't over the hill, but neither is she strong enough to make believers out of an audience wanting Sandy and Danny to get together at the final curtain. Checchia has talent, it just isn't the talent that's needed for Sandy. And that's the rub with virtually all the female casting. The ladies of this "Grease" may not be ladies, but they're not girls either and that makes those fifties pajama parties take on a hard edge that just ain't "Grease."

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

The live Tony Savage band, conducted by Dan Bailey, was first rate. Mike Baldassari's lighting wasn't bad. The direction by Ray DeMattis was fast enough to please, even though the show's deletions so as not to keep gamers away from the slots too long hardly gives DeMattis (or anyone else) a chance to make much sense out of "Grease's" funtime relationships.

As the program says: "'Grease,' it's still the word." In the case of this production "Grease" may still be the word, it just doesn't have the pizzazz it once had.

One final shot across the bow! If the Eldorado's showroom doors are scheduled to open 45 minutes before a performance, the doors should open on time. An audience shouldn't be kept waiting an additional twenty minutes as it was when I saw the show (Thursday, 7/22/04). If Miss Lynch doesn't like tardiness to her classes at Rydell High, neither do customers like to be kept waiting on sluggish management.

"Grease" plays nightly except Mondays in the Eldorado Hotel Casino Showroom, 345 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada. For information call 775-786-5700 ot 800-648-5966.