Grease is the Word at Moonlight!

My favorite movie, if I had to choose one, would be Grease. My favorite theater for live productions is Vista's Moonlight. One of my favorite things is an outing with friends and a daughter-in-law (under the stars makes it extra idyllic). Combine them all in one glorious night and you have an evening of musical magic. That was my Thursday!

We have been attending events here, with Karen and David for years. This was the perfect show for my DIL's introduction.

Prior to curtain call, some of the characters were mingling with the audience. I LOVE character photos. Both Eugene and Patty Simcox were game for photos. What fun.

How awesome to have one of the most popular musicals of all time come to town when we are actually here to see it! Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, this Brylcreem-heavy show charts the ups and downs of teenage couple Danny and Sandy as they navigate the social politics of 1950's Rydell High School. The score is packed with one hit number after another, including Beauty School Dropout, Greased Lightnin', We Go Together, Born to Hand Jive, and Summer Nights.

We were forewarned that this was not going to be an exact copy of the film version of Grease that I've loved since 1978. The original Grease musical premiered on Broadway in 1972, where it was nominated for seven Tonys. Its reputation was of course sealed by its iconic silver screen adaptation that arrived six years later, starring the fresh-faced John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, who were both on the cusp of superstardom. This slightly different version offered a couple unique songs and some favorites performed with a different spin. The talented cast, fantastic costuming, and great stage sets, made this Grease its own kind of wonderful.

While everyone was incredibly talented, Kyle Frattini as Doody blew us away with Those Magic Changes. WOW.

The theatrical production was described by The New York Times with the tagline, "Take a trip to a simpler time of poodle skirts, drive-ins, and T-birds. Bad boy Danny and the girl next door Sandy fall in love all over again to the tune of your favorite songs."

I loved it all. What a night. Magical indeed!