Sensing that Grease has become family entertainment, the ice show adapted the film’s language filter. The original Broadway production contained heavy language, including some four-letter words. Parents will be glad to know that that ice show has cleaned it up considerably.
    Like the Broadway production, the ice show begins with disc jockey, Vince Fontaine spinning record requests for the waiting audience. The crowd seemed to enjoy this added treat and why not? There’s worse ways to pass the pre show wait then listening to some corny old jokes. :-) The actual story begins at a high school reunion where Principal Lynch introduces the class of 1959 to the audience. The alumni emerge from a giant neon juke box (everything in the show is neon) whereupon the show is promptly transported back to the past. I won’t bore anyone with details of the story line because most have seen it. For those, unfamiliar with the premise of Grease, it’s a love story set in the 1950s: bad boy meets good girl, loses girl, and wins girls back.
    The show was performed on ¾ of the ice rink. Living in the Los Angeles area, I was fortunate that the show played in four different venues over the course of seven days. I chose this rink because it was the smallest and I prefer the intimacy that comes with fewer seats in an arena. The reduced rink size further enhanced the character-audience ratio and made it easier to stay involved with the show. Although I’m still surprised at the number of people who believe it’s perfectly acceptable to talk full volume in the middle of an ice show.
    All songs and dialogue were lip synched by cast members who seemed to pour their heart and soul into every gesture, dance, and production number. However, despite a relatively small cast, the stage seemed cramped during the ensemble numbers. The moves became repetitive quite early in the show. It’s very difficult to do theatre-in-the-round and I did not envy the director and choreographer’s task one bit. It was a noble effort but I can’t say it completely worked although there were a few moments of undeniable fun.
    The production numbers were obviously the highlight of the show. Unfortunately, the large production numbers appeared forced and too crowded. Born to Hand Jive could have been a great ice skating production number but instead it supplied one of the major disappointments of the night. This song is a major dance number in both the film and stage productions but on the ice, it lacked the excitement or infectious fun usually associated with this tune. The choreography was simplistic and dull. There was too much posing and upper body dancing by the cast members and none of the interesting footwork that this program screams for. In an attempt to involve the audience, the cast members turn to the audience and instructed the proper technique of the hand jive. It seemed like a forced effort, overcompensation for a lack of interesting moves. I felt like the cast was saying, "See, aren't we all having a good time?" On the other hand, Summer Nights seemed to suffer from too much movement. As Sandy and Danny tell their friends of their summer fling, the entire cast skated around in circles as they eagerly listened to this tale of love. However, there were too many people on the ice and they kept moving in the same repetitive manner. This number wound up looking frenetic, sloppy, and the constant circular movement seemed completely unmotivated.
    One of my major problems with the show involved the breaking the fourth wall, when cast members spoke directly to the audience in an effort to involve them in the action. What the director of the ice show didn't seem to realize is that Grease has worked previous versions because the cast is oblivious to the audience. The high school dance, the boyfriend-girlfriend argument, and all the other issues played so well because it's characters believed with all their hearts that they were the most important things in the world. Through their songs, and dialogue, the audience were let into their inner thoughts and subsequently became drawn into these teenager's world. In the ice show, everything is treated in a cartoonish, melodramatic manner and the direct interaction with the audience denied us the opportunity to become involved in a character's plight. Emotions are impatiently thrust upon us in an attempt to make an immediate character/audience interaction. The empathy the director was going for would have been there anyway if he had placed more trust in the original material. As a result, the characters come off as silly caricatures rather than the honest, real teenagers seen on film and stage. It never feels like we are witnessing teenager’s lives but that they are merely playing a part for the audience.
    This problem was remedied whenever the production halted for a solo number. While most of the ensemble songs failed to make a smooth transition to the ice surface, the solo programs flourished quite nicely. Alone on the ice, with no gimmicks, no phony lighting, the characters were forced to look into themselves to touch the audience and they did. These were the moments that really seemed to touch the audience in a way that the bigger numbers could not. Nancy Kerrigan's two solo numbers: It's Raining on Prom Night and Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee Reprise were dazzling. Nancy showed us the awkwardness, loneliness, sadness and pain that is usually associated with being the new girl at school. She had full command on the ice and her programs were the few times that the audience fell silent, as they became completely engrossed in her performance. La Riviere's Rizzo had a similar success with her solo; There Are Worse Things I Could Do. This song helped us understand the anger and resentment she felt by being labeled as the school tramp. Meanwhile, William's Alone at the Drive-in Movie showed a confused and even scared young man delaying with being dumped by his girlfriend. Theses were the quiet moments that let us into the heart and soul of the characters. All of these honest solo numbers seemed to garner the biggest audience applause of the evening. Less was definitely more.
    The production was well cast. Nancy Kerrigan was a delight to watch and brought the appropriate shy, outsider quality to Sandy. She appeared to be having so much fun in this role. After nearly ninety minutes of non-stop ensemble numbers, it was nice to see Nancy alone on the ice, skating her big solo number, Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee Reprise. She skated very confidently and really attacked this program, landing two huge triple toe loops. Moments later, she made a convincing transformation to cool, greaser girl. I suspect this production has taught her even more about playing to a crowd and being more expressive. I can't wait to see her back on the competitive ice next season.
    Matt Williams brought a cool, boyish quality to Danny Zuko even if he didn’t exactly sizzle with sex appeal. Although I must point out that the select choices in the script made his character seem especially mean and uncaring toward Sandy. Matt experienced skating troubles on this night. He had a nasty fall on his first jump and it might have hampered his confidence for the rest of the show. He continued to have trouble with his jumps, including doubling a few and/or landing them very cautiously.
    The ensemble members were all first-rate but there are a few skaters that deserve special mention. Scott Davis seemed to be having the time of his life in this production. My only complaint was that he did not do nearly enough spinning. It would be common sense for the director to highlight Davis' trademark spins. Instead Scott did more posing during numbers when I could envision him spinning instead. It'd be nice if he attempts a comeback on the eligible scene next season and I hope he brings his spins back with him! Natasha Kuchiki’s Frenchy made the perfect best friend, sidekick and she had a dominant stage presence. Grundberg’s Marty had a soft, lyrical quality to her skating and I really enjoyed watching her skate. I wish she had a larger role in this show.
    Although the cast tried very hard to install a sense of fun throughout this two hour show, I felt it couldn't match the excitement and energetic pulse of the Hollywood film mostly due to the constrictive staging and the breaking of the fourth wall. Grease on Ice was the same length as the feature film (90 minutes, not including an intermission) but there were times I found myself checking my watch to see how much time remained in the show. As I glanced around the arena, I saw several young children staring at the neon lights or bouncing their head to the beat of the blaring 1950s music. They seemed to be having a lot of fun and I almost wished I had a young child with me. Maybe, it would have helped me enjoy it more. I suspect that families with young children will probably enjoy it very much but I was left wanting a little more of the honest emotions seen on film and stage.