There’s no doubt — “Grease” at the Hippodrome is most definitely the one that you want.
One of the most popular musicals (and films) of all time, “Grease” follows bad boy Danny Zuko, girl-next-door Sandy Dumbrowski and their friends as they struggle through issues of sex, violence, friendship and teenage rebellion.
Grease
» Where: The Hippodrome, 12 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore
» When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; through Feb. 15
» Tickets: Starting at $25
» Info: france-merrickpac.com
Fans looking for a virtual imitation of the 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John will be disappointed at first — the major plot points are mostly the same, but the time line and smaller details are different. But once they get past the first number, they’ll be singing along and tapping their toes, because this cast is phenomenal.
The Pink Ladies — Kelly Felthous as Marty, Bridie Carroll as Jan, Kate Morgan Chadwick as Frenchy and Allie Schulz as Rizzo — and the T-Birds — David Ruffin as Kenickie, Nick Verina as Sonny, Will Blum as Roger and Brian Crum as Doody — often overshadow the main characters with their hysterical interactions. Every single actor has amazingly strong vocals and seemingly boundless energy.
Eric Schneider was a bit of a surprise as Danny — he seems a little watered-down at first but once the musical really gets going, so does he. His performance of “Sandy” is one of the best in the show.
Emily Padgett is the quintessential Sandy — she’s beautiful, blond and looks as innocent as a baby bunny. Unfortunately, she lacks the strength to play Sandy in her “transformation” stage. Her voice is pretty in ballads like “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “It’s Raining on Prom Night,” but when it comes to bigger numbers like “You’re the One That I Want,” she falls short. Her voice is too sweet; she’s too good to be bad.
But the actor who got the biggest hand was the one with the smallest part. When “American Idol” alumnus Taylor Hicks popped out of a gigantic ice cream cone perched atop the Burger Palace to sing “Beauty School Dropout,” the audience burst into applause. His performance was flawless — he swayed around the stage with angel wings outlined in sparkles on his blazer, playing to the crowd and hitting every note. For those who were fans of him during his “Idol” days, it was a pleasant and welcome cameo.
