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Tired of watching the old John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John version of Grease?

Check out the live version, ‘OnStage’ now through June 16 at the Country Dinner Playhouse.

Preceeding the performance is a buffet with a salad bar and Southern-style items such as green bean casserole and mashed potatoes with gravy. For meat lovers, there is a cook on site carving roast beef and ham.

“They have Salisbury steak!” proclaimed one woman behind me in line…and Salisbury steak is what again? It looked more like the daily mystery meat, which would probably go well with the jello-like baked cinnamon apples (which I encourage you to avoid, by the way. Save your sweet tooth for a Dairy Queen ice cream cone after the show).

The waitstaff, otherwise known as the “Barnstormers,” entertain the audience with a preview of the season’s upcoming shows. These include Annie this summer and Big River, a show beginning in the fall that features a song about the life of a hog (looks like a promising piece of entertainment, with the performers donning plastic pig noses surprisingly seriously).

The main event opens with a stage falling from the sky–but don’t worry, you’ll be warned by the announcer beforehand not to walk under the stage as it is descending. A useful piece of information, I assure you!

Sandy Dumbrowski, played by Annaleigh Swanson, reunites with her summer flame Danny Zuko (Brian Munn) during the song “Summer Nights.” Their style stays true to Newton-John and Travolta’s rendition, with an exceptionally comical ending as both sing “Niii-hiight!” as hokey as possible.

“Freddy My Love” showcases the Pink Ladies with a cute twin-bed chorus-line, headed by the girlie vixen Marty (Sally Myers).

Kinickie, played by Steven O’Neal, proves to be the best dancer in the boy group in “Greased Lightning.” However, if the actors were going to strip down to their undershirts, they should have considered a few trips to the gym before the performance.

The highlight of the evening was a captivating entrance by Kenny Moten, playing the Teen Angel who attempts to motivate Frenchy with “Beauty School Drop-Out.”

Moten’s voice floated through the audience, which surrounds the stage on all sides, mesmerizing listeners with his angelic appeal.

Fortunately for Michiko Sasaki, who plays Cha Cha DiGregorio, Moten’s performance makes up for her own. Cast as Zuko’s phenomenal dance partner, Sasaki demonstrated sloppy hand jives and uncertain executions of simple dance moves. Being a dancer myself, I was thoroughly disappointed in a character that had so much potential to be dynamic.

Overall, Grease provided an enjoyable evening with food, fun and frolicking.

I just wish I could have joined them ‘OnStage’ — the performers looked like they were having a great time!

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