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Grease

West Valley Light Opera

June 21-July 19, 2008

Avg. Event Rating (3.9 Stars): Add Review/Comment

Appearing in this theatre for the first time is this rollicking musical comedy, Grease, which opened in 1972 and became one of Broadway's longest-running musicals, with Barry Bostwick, Richard Gere, and Patrick Swayze sharing the leading role. It takes a nostalgic look at growing up in the ultra-cool 50's, when slicked-back hair, beehive hairdos, tight pedal pushers, bobby sox, pajama parties, and drive-in movies were the rage. In 1978 Paramount Pictures released its film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and it became one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time. A recent reality TV show, searching for talent for a Broadway revival, has brought more attention to this era and this production which made Broadway history with its 8-year run. Hairspray is the most recent musical to bring the same look and sound of the 50's. Popular songs include Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin' and We Go Together.

• At-a-Glance
• Member Reviews
• What's Nearby

• Ticket Info

  Tickets: $20-$24

• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  June 21-July 19, 2008

  Times:
  Fri-Sat: 8pm
  Sun: 2:30pm

• Venue Info

  Saratoga Civic Theater

  13777 Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070

  Full map and directions

• Accessibility Info

  • Assisted Listening System
  • Wheelchair Access

• NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate. However it's a good idea to visit the official website or call the venue to verify the information.

• Member Reviews

  Add review/comment

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Awesome"
    Review posted by: Tim R from Sunnyvale, CA, Jul 19, 2008
    

    Came to the show with a certain level of expectation and it was quite certainly surpassed! Enjoyed a lot of the numbers. Oddly, my two favorites were "Alone At the Drive In" and "Look At Me, I'm... Expand

    Came to the show with a certain level of expectation and it was quite certainly surpassed! Enjoyed a lot of the numbers. Oddly, my two favorites were "Alone At the Drive In" and "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (the one at the end)" Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Several Strong Performances"
    Review posted by: Theater-Goer from San Jose, Ca, Jul 16, 2008
    

    For such a large cast (5 guy and 5 girl leads), WVLO has found a well rounded bunch of folks. I especially enjoyed the guys' performances. Their energy, while a little rough around the edges at times,... Expand

    For such a large cast (5 guy and 5 girl leads), WVLO has found a well rounded bunch of folks. I especially enjoyed the guys' performances. Their energy, while a little rough around the edges at times, was always up, and always entertaining. Stand out performances from Matt Tipton as Roger, with his energy and likable presence, he was very easy to watch, and Jillian Toby as Marty, who had a fantastic voice, and delivered a polished performance. Tracy Coad as Frenchy did a lot with a part that doesn't get to do much, and Leanne Bybee as Patty pumped energy into the show every time she appeared on stage. The real show stealer, though, was Ryan Blank as Eugene. He was completely and perfectly hilarious. Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "GREASE is not the word"
    Review posted by: VHS from Santa Clara, Jul 14, 2008
    

    First off, I agree with previous comments that the cost of community theatre is out of control and this show is definitely not worth the money. Secondly, I came to see Mom Reynolds but was... Expand

    First off, I agree with previous comments that the cost of community theatre is out of control and this show is definitely not worth the money. Secondly, I came to see Mom Reynolds but was disappointed to not see her in the pit! Most of the problems with this show are due to direction. The pacing is slow, character choices are wrong (Danny should be cool, not a dork), blocking and use of scenery and props is awkward. Eugene and Patty steal the show, and again, most everything that I disliked was due to direction, or rather lack thereof. Some of the characters were good, but for the most part they were all lacking....a lot. I would not recommend this show. Save your money, go see another show. I support WVLO, but it's hard to support production quality like this. Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Well done! Bravo."
    Review posted by: Mit from SF Bay Area., Jul 13, 2008
    

    Saw the show again on July 12 after seeing opening night. Wow the show is even better. The two leads were great. The actor playing Danny was very entertaining, has a great falsetto, and is an expert... Expand

    Saw the show again on July 12 after seeing opening night. Wow the show is even better. The two leads were great. The actor playing Danny was very entertaining, has a great falsetto, and is an expert at cool poses with his comb! The actress playing Sandy was perfect, perfect, perfect!(no..no relation, I don't even know her name.) But really, she nailed it. Perfect! As with opening night, enjoyed the whole cast as well! Thank you West Valley Light Opera! Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Fun show."
    Review posted by: Mr. T. C. from Cupertino, Jul 11, 2008
    

    The singing and dancing was a lot of fun to watch. The band is great. Very strong ensemble cast, all added to the show.

    The singing and dancing was a lot of fun to watch. The band is great. Very strong ensemble cast, all added to the show.

  • Event Name: Grease
    "A Fun Show"
    Review posted by: Kathy from Los Gatos, CA, Jul 10, 2008
    

    I enjoyed this show. I thought the actors did a good job, especially Sandy. I loved her voice and thought she did a great job with her character. I would recommend this show and have.

    I enjoyed this show. I thought the actors did a good job, especially Sandy. I loved her voice and thought she did a great job with her character. I would recommend this show and have.

  • Event Name: Grease
    "AWESOME SHOW"
    Review posted by: Peter Hallowarth from Santa Cruz, CA USA, Jul 08, 2008
    

    The show was a lot of fun, not quite what I expected, but so much fun. Put sandy on stage more, she needs to sing more songs, her voice is awesome.

    The show was a lot of fun, not quite what I expected, but so much fun. Put sandy on stage more, she needs to sing more songs, her voice is awesome.

  • Event Name: Grease
    "A Lot Of Fun"
    Review posted by: John Alvarez from San Jose, CA USA, Jul 08, 2008
    

    The show was a lot of un. The cast had a lot of energy, and performed well. My only complaint with the show is Sandy was not on stage enough! Her singing and acting was absolutely great. Good job... Expand

    The show was a lot of un. The cast had a lot of energy, and performed well. My only complaint with the show is Sandy was not on stage enough! Her singing and acting was absolutely great. Good job Sandy!!! Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Look at me... I'm Sandy Dee"
    Review posted by: Sandy from Sunnyvale, Jul 07, 2008
    

    WVLO always puts on a good production... and this one was no exception. I was dancing in my seat. Great energy and excitement from all on stage. I was a bit disappointed at times with Sandy... Expand

    WVLO always puts on a good production... and this one was no exception. I was dancing in my seat. Great energy and excitement from all on stage. I was a bit disappointed at times with Sandy performance and felt the other characters over powered. Vocally Rizzo outshines all and her acting with Kenicke was perfect casting. Frenchie as well was cast appropriately as well as the nerd Eugene. I was brought up during this era and felt that this production does justice to the way things were. I would like to see this show again. Good job by all. Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Fun Show!!"
    Review posted by: Bob from San Jose, CA, Jul 07, 2008
    

    Loved this musical, it was so much fun and the actors were great. Rizzo was my favorite and her vocals were amazing!!

    Loved this musical, it was so much fun and the actors were great. Rizzo was my favorite and her vocals were amazing!!

  • Event Name: Grease
    "musicals aren't the movies"
    Comment posted by: J from San Francisco, CA, Jul 07, 2008
    

    The movie was based on the play but they added songs and got rid of others. A lot of the songs people know, such as "You're the One That I Want" was written for the movie and not in the original... Expand

    The movie was based on the play but they added songs and got rid of others. A lot of the songs people know, such as "You're the One That I Want" was written for the movie and not in the original musical. So, that isn't the shows fault, those songs have NEVER been part of it! From an avid theatre goer and performer!!! Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "This GREASE needs more lightning"
    Review posted by: Cindy from Los Gatos, CA, Jul 06, 2008
    

    Grease can certainly be a rockin and rolling good time of fun fifties nostagia. Unfortunately, in this production, so many elements of the show were underdone and underpar that it left me wondering... Expand

    Grease can certainly be a rockin and rolling good time of fun fifties nostagia. Unfortunately, in this production, so many elements of the show were underdone and underpar that it left me wondering why I paid $26 to see such a sloppy show. The direction and choreography were...interesting and the technical elements were some of the least impressive I've seen at the Saratoga theatre. There were some saving graces in Rizzo and Kenickie - both of whom were strong singers and actors, but overall the performances in this show left much to be desired. Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "I wouldn't recommend...."
    Review posted by: Irene K. from San Jose, CA, Jul 04, 2008
    

    While this production of Grease wasn't terrible, I wouldn't tell anyone to spend the 3 hours and 25 dollars to see it... Sandy was lacking, and not very attention-grabbing. Her transformation at... Expand

    While this production of Grease wasn't terrible, I wouldn't tell anyone to spend the 3 hours and 25 dollars to see it... Sandy was lacking, and not very attention-grabbing. Her transformation at the end was very anti-climactic. Some of the actors in the show were amazingly entertaining, especially the actor playing Eugene, who was possibly the best part of the production. All of the Pink Ladies were good, the boy's gang not so much. It was really kind of tedious and long overall, and some of the actors just looked way too old to pull off teenage characters. While it wasn't TOO bad, I wouldn't spend the time or money to see it again. Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Loved it!"
    Review posted by: Missy from L.G., Jul 04, 2008
    

    I loved this show! I recently saw a number from GREASE on the Tony Awards. I thought the WVLO version had more energy and was more fun to watch. In this hectic time it was great to remember a simpler... Expand

    I loved this show! I recently saw a number from GREASE on the Tony Awards. I thought the WVLO version had more energy and was more fun to watch. In this hectic time it was great to remember a simpler time and to be entertained by this talented group of actors. Jan, Roger, Rizzo and Kenickie were some of my favorites. Great job WVLO. See this show; I know you will love it too! Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Fifties Fun"
    Review posted by: layla from los altos, Jul 02, 2008
    

    THis is a fun show, with lots of great music and energy to spare! The supporting cast does a great job of keeping the show on track and ALL do an awesome job vocally. Rizzo Kenickie Frenchie Marty and... Expand

    THis is a fun show, with lots of great music and energy to spare! The supporting cast does a great job of keeping the show on track and ALL do an awesome job vocally. Rizzo Kenickie Frenchie Marty and Eugene are especially fun to watch! Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Secondary Characters Steal the Show"
    Review posted by: Ester from Los Gatos, Jul 02, 2008
    

    I attended Grease last weekend and enjoyed it. Who doesn't love Grease although I was disappointed to have not heard "Your the One that I want". This is a Grease classic. The best character up there... Expand

    I attended Grease last weekend and enjoyed it. Who doesn't love Grease although I was disappointed to have not heard "Your the One that I want". This is a Grease classic. The best character up there was Rizzo. The girl who played this role did an outstanding performance and man what vocals!! Rizzo and Kenickie kept the show going and anytime they were on stage I couldnt stop watching them (of course in the car- WOW!). The energy at the school dance was contageous and made me want to get up and dance. Sandy and Danny were very hard to hear over the music at times and I did not like some of their acting. It was hard to get into their scenes and believe it. Plus I expected Sandy's final scene to be much more over the top. She looked normal. The pink ladies were all very appropriately cast and enjoyable as well as the boys. Took me back to my days in high school... very very long ago. Overall good effort by WVLO and I reccomend this show to anyone. Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "Greased Lightin'"
    Review posted by: S G from Cupertino, CA, Jul 01, 2008
    

    This show was a great rendition of the classic "Grease". All the characters were hillarious especially the classic nerd Eugene. I'd never seen the musical before, and enjoyed the Pink Ladies being... Expand

    This show was a great rendition of the classic "Grease". All the characters were hillarious especially the classic nerd Eugene. I'd never seen the musical before, and enjoyed the Pink Ladies being featured more than in the movie. Although at times the music overshadowed the singing, each number just kept getting better and better. The other characters overshadowed Danny and Sandy, which actually worked to the advantage of the show. Each character had something unique to offer. The choreography was interesting, but my absolute favorite dance number was the school dance. My favorite numbers were the fabulous "There are worst things I could do", "Summer Nights" and "Freddy, My Love". The value for students is great. If you show up 20 minutes before a show, and there are tickets left, you can get them for half price with a valid student i.d. All in all it's a great show and i'm actually going to see it again! Collapse

  • Event Name: Grease
    "OK, but woth the $24 ticket price?"
    Review posted by: Linda from San Jose, Jun 24, 2008
    

    The actors used every inch of the stage, but we missed many of the scenes because we had a hard time seeing over the orchestra that was literary inches from the people seating in the front row. I have... Expand

    The actors used every inch of the stage, but we missed many of the scenes because we had a hard time seeing over the orchestra that was literary inches from the people seating in the front row. I have been to WVLO many times but for some reason the actors had very low energy for this show, with the exception of the DJ Vince Fontain and the poor picked on nerd Eugene. These secondary characters stole the show! Danny whispered all his songs and was stiff. The sound was not loud when the actors spoke and several of them mumbled lines. The music overpowered the actors during the songs. Rizzo and Kenickie did have a few very good scenes, especially Rizzo’s “There Are Worst Things I Could Do” song. That was terrific. They used a real car for Grease Lighting but this only made another obstacle to have to see over. I wished we didn’t have to pay full price to see half a show. Collapse

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