By Jeanni Ritchie
Grease is the word….
But have you heard? The words changed in the latest Grease revival, adapting for modern societal norms. No more looking up girls’ skirts or fat-shaming girls, no more overtly sexual innuendo in Greased Lightning.
As kids we sang every word, complete with Danny Zuko and Kenickie’s choreographed moves. Most of us, like me, had no clue what the words meant and wondered why our parents cringed as we sang. Despite Zuko’s crotch-grabbing, I still imagined him getting off his rocks by driving the car over the rocks at the beach.
I was a naive child. I was also a child who always wanted to be Sandy. My childhood friend Cindy says I never let her be Sandy, claiming my hair was longer so she had to be the boy! I still love to reenact a good movie duet…and still always want to be the girl!
Armed with the knowledge of all of Grease’s euphemisms in my grandma era, I wondered if it would hit different this time. Indeed it did, but in a great way. Though some Grease purists would disagree, I loved the changes. It’s the perfect script for mature me AND the grown child in me who still uses “Grease” as a password hint to “What is your favorite movie?”
Rand Productions brought this revival from New York to the Beau Rivage in Biloxi last month. Jeb Rand and his wife Jennifer were competitive and professional figure skaters who eventually bought the Ice Capades.
In his 28th year as ice, sports, and theatre production, he has brought such fan favorites as Footloose and Elf: The Musical to the stage in spectacular fashion.
This is Rand’s 14th year to produce a show in MGM Beau Rivage’s iconic 1500-seat theatre. “It’s a must-do venue for me,” Rand shared.
When asked why he decided to do Grease, Rand replied “This is a multi-generational show. It’s recognizable fun for the whole family.”
The show was cast in NYC, with the actors coming off hugely successful plays. One of the actors had starred in the Friends Parody show, a show I hope will eventually tour one day!
“Im just captaining here,” Rand insisted, giving all the credit to the actors onstage.
But it was obvious that he was more than that. Hanging with the cast and crew at the after party in Beau’s Eight75 Lounge, it was obvious that both Jeb and Jennifer Rand were beloved by all, serving as mentors, producers, and friends.
The show had been a rousing success, the audience singing and hand jiving along. As many times as I’d seen Grease on screen and onstage, I hadn’t seen this version.
One of my favorite scenes was Rizzo’s reprisal of Greased Lightning. She doesn’t see the potential Kenicke does. A big old hunk of junk, she calls it, and she won’t be seen in Greased Lightnin’!
The Teen Angel character has been tweaked as well, the flamboyant and comedic role a delightful treat. Sherrod T. Brown rocked the house, stealing the limelight of the curtain call as well!
The closest I got to being the Pink Lady I always dreamed of being was hanging out at the after party with Marty (Mikaelah O’Connor) and Jan (Gabby Anderson) who were as adorable as their characters.
My favorite T-Bird was Sonny (Brendan Consodine) who lit up the stage in his every scene. I needed more!
The entire cast was great, led by Matthew Rella (Danny) and Lindsay Jordyn (Sandy). If good girl Sandy was my childhood persona, Rizzo was my teenage one. Rebecca Rand played her to such perfection, I was transported to the 80’s.
After the curtain call, those with the add-on VIP Experience got to meet the cast backstage and take photos with them in front of Greased Lightning. We also got a swag bag with a show poster autographed by the entire cast and a Grease ball cap! It was a magical evening and one I plan to do again this December.
Next up for Rand Productions is A Christmas Story at MGM’s Beau Rivage in December. And next summer they will return to Biloxi for Shrek the Musical. To learn more about this amazing production company, visit .
In the meantime, the Beau has other ticketed performances to check out, including Jamey Johnson (Oct. 10), Tiffany Haddish (Nov. 8), Mike Epps (Nov. 28), and more. Visit beaurivage.
The magic of Broadway brought to Biloxi!
A-womp-bop-a-looma A-womp-bam-boom!!
Jeanni Ritchie is a theatre loving contributing journalist from Central Louisiana in complete denial that Miss Lynch is the only Grease character she could now play! For condolences or free theatre tickets, she can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
