In the beginning, the audience at the Musical Summer Amstetten was able to let themselves fall into the premiere of “Grease” in a cool way. Thanks to the certainty that the Johann-Pölz-Halle is air-conditioned. A little later, on Wednesday night, quite a few people wondered why standing room at musicals is not the norm. By the time “Grease Lightnin'” marked halfway through Act I, the mood was so hot and rousing you could have danced. Although shortly before that one was happy not to be able to generate any more movement heat while sitting motionless.
With the performance of the 1950s classic (premièred on Broadway in 1972), the creative management team that offers musicals at the highest level in Amstetten returned: Alex Balga (director/artistic director), Christian Frank (musical director) and choreographer Jerome Knols, who dance quotations, also from the cult film with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (1978).
In Amstetten, two young Germans play the shy Sandy and daredevil Danny who stand in the way of themselves and their (high school) love: Deike Darrelmann and Alexander Auler. As far as the singing is concerned, they stand for the entire ensemble: almost universally, but never machine-like perfection, with lively acting. Under Balga, the play about students who dance and “stumble” through adolescence with esprit made it appear to rise above a difficult legacy – the gender image that has fallen out of today. Of course, Danny’s gang makes T-Birds on thick macho trousers, the “Pink Ladies” giggle as hard as they criticize, men only wanted “one thing”.
The successful interplay of a sophisticated stage (Sam Madwar), on which even a diner floated down, and shimmering neons (Michael Grundner) created two energies – the rocky-explosive one, which releases what is bubbling subliminally, and a velvety-elegant to playful one. A timelessly young lightheartedness was in the air. Balga’s passionate ensemble took this into account, especially with the evergreens “We Go Together” or “You’re the One That I Want”. This performance was not affected by the fact that Darrelmann lost his voice in the first act and the solos (including “Hopelessly Devoted To You”) in the second act were recorded from the dress rehearsal. Her imposing voice didn’t diminish it.
The rather smooth-looking costumes could have been a little more polished – with more ironic pomp or a more worn-out attitude.
Source: Nachrichten
