Grease is still the word, have you heard?
It may be hard to believe, but Grease is turning 40 this year. It was a Broadway smash that became a cultural sensation on the big screen and cemented the stardom of both John Travolta and Oliva Newton-John.
Head back to high school with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies (and try to ignore the fact that a bunch of actors well into their 20’s and 30’s were portraying teenagers) and sing along with all your favorites.
Sure, some of the songs may cause a bit of a, “Wow...that’s a touch misogynistic” reaction to modern ears (a certain scene centered around restoring an old car comes to mind). And let’s not even get into the central theme of the film: that a good girl needs to go “bad” in order to get her man.
No, we can save the cultural critiques for another time. What we can celebrate is a raucous musical romp through some great ‘50s and ‘60s style songs. And this 40th Anniversary event includes exclusive commentary from TCM hosts that will give lots of insight into the film and how it affected moviegoers four decades ago.
So roll up the sleeves on your white T-shirts or dress out in your best pink ensemble and journey back to a time when Grease was indeed the word.
Plays Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at both the East Ridge 18 and Hamilton Place 8 theaters.