A Bit Too Greasy for My Taste!

On St. Patrick's Day I accompanied Nathan on a trip with the middle school's drama club to see the musical "Grease" at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.  There were extra tickets, so my mom decided to join us.  We were pretty excited, just having been to the same theater to see Phantom, and having gone with Alex on the same trip last year to see Wicked.  I absolutely LOVED both Wicked and Phantom equally, and have seen them twice.  So I was excited to see Grease.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed by Grease.  It couldn't hold a candle to either Wicked or Phantom - they are in a completely different class all together.  

My biggest problem with Grease is that it is fraught with sexual innuendos, and when you are with a group of 50 pre-adolescents, it can really get you squirming.  Very uncomfortable, to say the least.  Nate was sitting next to me, and lets just say, I was answering some sensitive questions I really didn't want to be answering at that moment.  It has been years since I saw the movie Grease, so I guess I didn't remember all the sex stuff, or maybe the movie is more mild.  I always thought of Grease as sort of an innocent iconic show.  Wrong!

It wasn't horrible, to be sure.  The dancing was fantastic, the music was fair, and the storyline was practically non-existent.  The whole premise was basically good girl decides it isn't cool to be good, so she becomes bad to get the guy.  Happily ever after?  Not likely.

They made a big deal about Taylor Hicks being in it, but I don't really know much about Taylor Hicks since we aren't really into Idol (are we the only ones? I think so.), but all the fanfare seemed much ado about nothing.  He only sang one song, and it wasn't even that impressive!  What a sweet gig for him though, huh?  The actors do all the work, and he shows up and sings "Beauty School Dropout", and his face is plastered on all the billboards and sides of buses.  I just don't get it.

I enjoyed spending time with my mom and Nate (though I didn't see as much of him as I'd have liked), but the ride home on the bus was a nightmare.  We chose seats right in front of the noisiest, most obnoxious kids on the bus.  Couldn't get a wink of sleep.  Got home at 1am.

But Nate had a good time, and the Panteges was gaudy and glamorous, so it was fun.  But I wouldn't recommend Grease.

I am dying to see Les Miserables and The Lion King, and would see Phantom and Wicked again in a heartbeat (BTW, if you missed it in LA, Wicked is coming to San Diego in July/August).  Are there some other Broadway type shows that are a must see, or must-not see (like Cats - so dumb)?  Do tell.