WHAT: Grease (1978, DCP) 45th anniversary screening!
WHEN: February 8, 2023 1 PM & 7:30 PM
WHERE: Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge, IL
WHAT ELSE: Pre-show music by Jay Warren at 7 PM!
HOW MUCH: $12/$10 advance or $10 for the 1 PM matinee
Advance Tickets: Click Here!
Danny… is this the end?
Of course not; it’s only the beginning.
We have quite the romance just in time for Valentine’s Day! Join us on February 8, 2023, when we present one of the most successful musicals of all time, Grease (1978). John Travolta (as Danny) and Olivia Newton-John (as Sandy) star as two teen lovers in this coming of age story set in the 1950s. It was only a matter of time before this massive hit came to the Pickwick Theatre, but with the passing of Olivia Newton-John in 2022, we thought now is the time to honor her.
Grease is based on the stage musical with music and lyrics created by Chicago-born Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The stage version had come from Jacobs’ own play– the inspiration for which derived from Jacobs’ high school experiences at Taft High School in the late 1950s. Grease debuted in Chicago in 1971 but originally had a harder edge in terms of tone and was more Chicago-centric. By the time it had reached Broadway, however, it had evolved into the stage version audiences know today.
Film producer Allan Carr saw Grease on stage in the early 1970s and believed it had potential to be a film. The studios initially turned him down. His breakthrough, however, came when he collaborated with producer Robert Stigwood, who had recently made Saturday Night Fever (1977) with John Travolta and had him under contract for three films. Stigwood thought a film version of Grease would be a great follow-up. He then made a deal with Carr for the rights and the two became co-producers.
Randal Kleiser was selected to direct, having worked with John Travolta previously on The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976); Travolta specifically asked for him because of his positive experience. Kleiser stayed true to what the story was about. Grease dealt with– albeit comically at times– teens in high school. The boys were known as “greasers” at that time, and in the film, they call themselves the “T-Birds.” Travolta had in fact played in the stage version of Grease, but it was not in the role of Danny. Travolta proved to be a perfect choice as the lead because his public persona at that time fit the character of Danny. Travolta was charismatic and likable to movie audiences. Pop singer Olivia Newton-John agreed to do the film only after requesting a screen test to prove to herself that she could do it. To account for her Aussie accent, the producers decided to make her character Sandy a recent arrival from Australia.
The rest of the cast included Stockard Channing as Rizzo, the leader of the “Pink Ladies,” Didi Conn (as the squeaky-voiced Frenchy), Jeff Conaway (as Kenicki, though he had played Danny on Broadway), and many stars in supporting roles, including Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Joan Blondell, and Frankie Avalon (as the Teen Angel– a role envisioned for Elvis Presley, who died before the film went into production). All the actors had great chemistry on screen and had fun making the picture together.
Some of the best known songs include the title track “Grease” performed by Frankie Valli and Barry Gibb (of the Bee Gees) as well as “Summer Nights,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” Avalon’s “Beauty School Dropout,” and “You’re the One That I Want.”
Paramount Pictures didn’t believe this little teen musical would amount to much, but the film hit it big. Travolta was already a star because of Saturday Night Fever, but the film solidified his place amongst A-Listers. Grease‘s premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in June 1978 was a huge event, followed by a star-studded premiere party and a TV special.
At the time, Grease became the most successful movie musical even though it wasn’t appreciated by film critics. With its afterlife on home video, the film’s reputation continued to grow. Despite being a “period” film, Grease transcends the generations and is able to speak to young people of all cultures. The story is frequently revived on stage, and new Grease spin-offs are already in the works. It’s a film that brings happiness to a lot of people, and it’s easy to see why. Even the most cynical of viewers will be taken in by this film’s charms.
~MCH
1978 vs. 2023: Here is what Grease would have looked like in 1978 at the Pickwick Theatre (top) compared to what it will look like on February 8 (bottom).
