Grease is the word

Butt's play is well-rehearsed and slickly choreographed but needs a touch more grease before the engine runs...

KARACHI:

To say that the first licensed production of Grease in Pakistan was one that everyone was looking forward to would be an understatement.

Come opening night, the theatre was packed and the audience was eager, but the energy came in short bursts and the performers took their time getting into the groove. Once they did, however, the experience was excellent.

Ahmed Ali as the bad boy Danny Zuko, the cocky leader of the pack, is right on the money. Ali quite successfully mimics the swagger that Travolta so effortlessly exuded in the film adaptation. It is apparent Ali has watched the film more than a few times to get the strut right, and he’s very nearly managed to nail it. It is unfortunate that he is forced to work off of Ayesha Omer’s charmless take on Sandy. With a better leading lady, Ahmed could have stolen the show out from under Sanam Saeed.

A cast is only as strong as its weakest link, and that distinction undoubtedly goes to Ayesha in this version of Grease. She lends an awkward gait to an already socially inept character, making it hard for her to do justice to the female lead. And every time she falters, the strength of Sanam’s performance is a stark reminder of what Ayesha is lacking. Her rendition of the iconic Hopelessly Devoted To You had one wishing for a technical difficulty to kick in, as such issues had been noticeably absent all night.

Sanam is a natural as Betty Rizzo, despite the unfortunate wig she has to work with. Her experience clearly puts her apart from the rest of the cast and she steals the show with her performance, hitting the right notes even when she’s not singing. Her no-holds-barred portrayal of the risqué Rizzo is undoubtedly the highlight of the night. In stark contrast to the leading pair, Sanam and Mustafa Changazi’s Kenickie have an easy, believable chemistry that manages to unintentionally shift the focus away from the central story of Danny and Sandy, to the point where the audience is more invested in their relationship than that of the lead pair. Mustafa’s on-point portrayal of tough guy Kenickie hits a high point with the flawlessly choreographed Greased Lightening number, and vibes well off of Ahmad’s Danny. The result is an experience where the audience is enthralled by everything that is happening on stage, other than the main storyline of Danny and Sandy.

The Pink Ladies are as varied as their characters. Almitra Mavalvala has her moments as the flailing, pink-haired Frenchy, and Anum Najeem is an energetic Jan. Sara Haider is a standout as Marty. She proved she’s got the acting chops for the role multiple times during the night, but her vocal abilities during Freddy My Love are what steal the spotlight during the sleepover scene. She is easily the pick of the female singers, and the Pink Ladies.

The T-Birds besides Danny and Kenickie were Zubair Tariq as Sonny, Shariq Kazi as Doody and Hamza Tariq as Roger. The boys exhibited a fair bit of flare in their demeanour, but wavered in their accents which kept the greasers, especially Sonny, preoccupied most of the time and distracted from their performances. In fact, accents were a running issue within the play, with some slipping in and out of British inflections, and some, like Sanam, never letting their American drawls slip.

The T-Birds, with their coiffed hair and slick leather jackets, look the part, even if not all of them sound it. It is the costumes of the girls that are a bit of a letdown. One goes into a musical like Grease expecting the authentic look, feel and sound of the 50’s to emanate from every facet of the production, but some of the costumes of the female performers do not do justice to the era which the production intends to encapsulate.

One notable supporting performance was of Faraz Lodhi as the sleazy radio jockey Vince Fontaine. Lodhi, who also co-wrote and starred in Butt’s original musical Karachi, looks and plays the part like it’s no one’s business.

The coordination of the dancers is commendable, as is the stage blocking and relatively seamless transitions between sets. Moving the set around was no mean feat, and the crew managed to pull it off with considerable stealth. Greased Lightning required a fair bit of manoeuvring and the jalopy was well handled in the limited space, though not as fully employed as it perhaps could have been, and was a bit underwhelming in the size of the vehicle.

Maybe it was because it was the first show of the production, but the transition between acts could have been smoother, with the untidy edges taken better care of. Suspension of disbelief, hence, was an elusive offing.

The band is a tight unit of clean and skilled players, and deserves props for delivering a crisp performance without losing the rawness of the rock and roll era the musical is based in. Comprising Imam Hamdani on guitar, Zeeshan Pervez on bass, Joshua on keys and Ajay on drums, it recreates vintage tones reminiscent of the 50-70s authentically. Butt’s husband and co-Ven front man Hamza Jafri’s expertise is evident in this department.

The debate on why Butt chose Grease is unavoidable. A quintessentially American story on stage in Pakistan is bound to spark opinion about its relevance. However, by steering clear of any attempt to localise it, Butt has made her intent clear that she is catering to a niche audience with this one. It leaves one wondering why Butt did not opt for a homegrown original that she has proved she is so capable of conjuring in the past.  Why not follow up Karachi with another punchy vernacular narrative? Of course, whipping up an original musical does take time. And we’re hoping next time she does go all the way.

3.5/5

Grease is entertaining, pure and simple. One needs to remember that the original is a case of style over script, and this production is no different. Fans of the original will find enough authenticity in this version to be satisfied, and those being introduced to the musical for the first time will be enthralled by the song-and-dance razzmatazz. However, the production would have benefitted from a stronger Sandy.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2014.

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