‘We know better now’: Lake City Playhouse’s Brooke Wood takes ‘Grease’ in new direction

There are some things that, though we loved them when we were younger, don’t age so well upon a later review. For Lake City Playhouse Artistic Director Brooke Wood, that was “Grease.”

Wood played Marty in Lake City’s previous production of “Grease” in 1997 and later played Betty Rizzo in a production at another theater.

Looking back at those performances, Wood doesn’t recall questioning how many jokes were made about a person’s weight or how many times one character made a dig at another.

Now in the director’s chair, revisiting “Grease” has brought up a chorus of “We don’t say that anymore” for Wood.

To get past the cringeworthy moments, Wood has changed not the script but the way some jokes were delivered so that, while still funny, they play more sarcastic than hurtful.

“Now that I’m older and I’m directing, and I think coming from a mom’s perspective too, right? I’m a parent. I’m now a grandparent, and so I see things and I’m like ‘Oh, wow, we know better now.’ “

Humor aside, Wood said there is a nostalgia about both the show, which premiered in 1971, and the 1950s, the time period in which the musical is set, that keeps people coming back to “Grease.”

The musical begins at the Rydell High School reunion, before flashing back to the first day of school, with the Pink Ladies in the lunchroom and the T-Birds sitting in front of the school.

Pink Lady Frenchy (Juno Otis) introduces her new neighbor Sandy Dumbrowski (Lorelai Provolt) to Jan (Zoey Evans), Marty (Stevie Astudillo), Betty Rizzo (Josie Brett) and Patty Simcox (Marianna Madsen). Dumbrowski then tells the gals about an unresolved fling she had over the summer.

At the same time, womanizing greaser Danny Zuko (Daniel Renz) is telling his friends Kenickie (Sawyer McCrummen), Roger (Blake Carlson), Doody (Kai Campbell) and Sonny (Luke Odenthal) about his own summertime fling.

The Pink Ladies eventually realize Dumbrowski is talking about their schoolmate Zuko and arrange for the pair to run into each other at school. Zuko doesn’t want to admit to his friends that Dumbrowski was his summer girlfriend, which upsets her. The gals invite Dumbrowski to Marty’s pajama party to cheer her up, though at the party, Dumbrowski gets overwhelmed with her friends and their antics, leading them to tease her behind her back.

Running into each other once again at school, Zuko tells Dumbrowski that he will join the track team to prove himself to her. The T-Birds are skeptical after Zuko tells them of his plan.

As the musical continues, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds handle high school, life, love, heartache and the all-important sock hop.

The cast also features Tyson Beckett, Abby Zimmerman, Nathan Pichette, Hannah James, Mirsa Wells, Joann Latimer, Chloe Latimer, Preston Dunn, Michael Dunn, Lauren Arakelian, Ashley Techavimol, Kalli DeLeonard, Scarlet Hunt, Brooke Dayly, Lydia Kirkbride, Delaney Utigard, Shaemus Wheeler and Nathan Ebberts.

The show is directed by Wood, music directed by Jolena Long, choreographed by Zimmerman and Brett and stage managed by Destanie Dunbar. The musical features music, lyrics and a book by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.

In 1978, “Grease” was adapted into a film starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John. Thanks to the success of the movie, productions of “Grease” now often feature songs that were written for the film including “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “Sandy.”

Wood wasn’t originally going to include “Sandy,” a solo number for Renz, in her production, but she realized without it, Zuko wouldn’t have a character arc.

“Then Daniel sang it, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I wasn’t going to have this in the show.’ Daniel sings it like an angel,” she said.

While she’s leaning into the kitschyness of the show, with pop art-inspired sets and bright costumes, Wood said Renz and Provolt have done a lot of work to make Zuko and Dumbrowski feel more grounded and real rather than cartoonish.

Provolt and Wood discussed what makes Dumbrowski different from the other girls, with Provolt saying she wanted to make it clear that Dumbrowski didn’t feel as if she completely fit in with the Pink Ladies or the girls who follow the rules.

“Lorelei wanted to make sure that she was a lot more tangible and not like that cotton candy store, so how do you portray that but still keep what is iconic about that character?” Wood said.

Renz, an actor Wood has worked with since he was a child, is a “consummate background researcher,” who often writes backstories for the characters he plays, including what his character would think in a certain situation.

Brett, as Rizzo, too has worked to make her solo number “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” as Wood said, “something otherworldly.”

Though we spend a lot of time with Zuko and Dumbrowski, “Grease” is an ensemble piece that also focuses on several other storylines including Frenchie’s having dropped out of school and Rizzo’s unplanned pregnancy.

“Everybody has their own moments that you don’t normally see,” Wood said. “You don’t see them in the movie. They just cut it.”

Wood said the actors are able to so convincingly play the tight knit Pink Ladies and T-Birds because they actually are that close. During rehearsals, both groups of actors have held sleepovers to hang out and practice songs.

“This group is the cutest, most intentionally kind,” Wood said. “They are the epitome of kindness. It sounds so cliche to say that, but they really are. They’re so good to each other.”

Though there’s a lot of kindness among the cast, their characters aren’t always so. Again, Wood has changed the delivery of many jokes so they don’t sting like they did in the original, but students still experience teasing and bullying from classmates, now primarily online instead of in person.

Even still, Wood feels like the younger generation is a kinder generation. The actors in “Grease” even asked during rehearsal if they really had to call another performer a “scab.” It’s a sign of the work they do at Lake City to build a community that’s open to everyone.

“At the Playhouse, we try so hard to work with these younger kids, this younger generation, and give them a place where everyone feels welcome,” she said. “There are all these things online of people saying ‘Oh well, this younger generation, this, this and that.’ This younger generation, I’m with them more than I am the rest of the people, and they’re amazing.

“I have nothing but amazing things to say about these kids.”