The Original Grease- Opening Night Interviews
Two weeks ago, the Greasers and I opened our show. After a crazy week of tech/ previews, the full audience brought us ridiculous energy that kept us on a high from start to finish. The night went by in a whirlwind and before I knew it, we were munching on hot dogs and fairy floss at the after- party.
Opening night for me was a mix of pure adrenaline, excitement and a calmness that came from having run the show many times previously that week. One story summarises my experience quite sufficiently.
After the Halloween Hop scene in the second act, the girls and I have a quick change that involves a run through the foyer to backstage, where we change costumes from head to toe (Including the addition of stilettos and a head piece that force me to duck under doorways when combined with my height.) On opening night, the door that separates the foyer from backstage had locked shut, costing us precious seconds as we knocked and yelled for someone to open it from the other side.
Realising we had lost a minute of change time, we all stripped our costumes onto the foyer floor. When the door finally opened, six nearly nude girls sprinted through the corridors to our changing area. When we all realised we had just made it, the giggling fit began. We made the next entrance with seconds to spare and big smiles on our faces.
Neither the cast nor I can quite articulate our opening night experience, so I’ve recorded a 10 Second interview with each actor on their memory of the night.