Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...And it didn't take me long Thursday to see that Scott Weinstein, the director, got what mattered most even though most directors don't. He has cast actors who can play high school kids. Actually, this is not so much a matter of physical appearance or even of age, but of understanding the mix of braggadocio and insecurity that makes up teenagers, who really don't change much with the times. At the risk of spoiling the dramatic tension - please! - the best moment in this production is the transformation of Sandy (Leryn Turlington). In all those crummy national tours you saw, she changed, right? She dropped her old persona to please her guy. Not here. Sure, she dresses up a bit but she looks ridiculous and Weinstein and Turlington - who plays a nervous kid, not an ingenue on her way to the casting office and a new life - make clear she is still the same Sandy. She hasn't really changed. Teenagers cannot transform overnight."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Perhaps the best way to capture the sizzle that this production lacks is to describe that one scene that's undeniably got plenty of it: the school-dance sequence that opens Act 2, culminating in the furious "Born to Hand Jive" dance-off. By the time that contest kicks off, the room is crackling with teenage hormones. As the cast swarms the stage, bumping and grinding and swinging its way through William Carlos Angulo's electric choreography, there's a giddy sense of a neatly ordered world swaying perilously off its axis."
Daily Herald - Somewhat Recommended
"...Ultimately, much of "Grease's" appeal has to do with nostalgia. It's certainly not the paper-thin plot, which has Sandy inexplicably hanging out with girls who don't really like her and Danny inexplicably dating the head cheerleader. Then again, young love is often inexplicable."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Weinstein's secret weapon is his ensemble, who constantly find new ways to play familiar characters. Michelle Lauto reveals the fire in Marty, a secondary character usually overshadowed by the more drama-filled girls in her squad (Sandy, Rizzo, and Frenchy). This is a production to knock all those memories of second-rate high school theatrical revivals out of your head."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Marriott Theatre has brought back the true "Grease" with its book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. This is the Chicago version and is quite different that the "Hollywood", John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John film. This play was written by Chicagoans about a Chicago high school ( Taft High School is Rydell) and this version if far meatier. At the helm of making this pleasurable theatrical experience take place is director Scott Weinstein who truly knows how to use the in-the-round stage at Marriott. He keeps the action moving and allows all four sides of the theater great views."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This is an energetic, professionally polished production that will delight both newcomers to this musical, as well as those who’ve seen the show several times before. Everything about this “Grease” is first-rate. Jimmy Nicholas and the exquisite Leryn Turlington lead a cast of appealing, accomplished professionals through an evening of belted-to-the-rafters songs and dances choreographed to an unbridled frenzy. Leryn Turlington turns in another great performance, while Jacquelyne Jones brings an unexpected vulnerability to her portrayal of tough-girl Rizzo that makes her more appealing. Neon lighting, brilliant choreography and mellifluous singing (thanks to the always astute musical direction by Ryan T. Nelson), colorful costumes and Scott Weinstein’s creative staging all make this production “The One That I Want.”"
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...Judging by the loud positive reaction by the younger members the opening night audience, "Grease" can still work today, though opening night cheering has become something of a ritual in Chicagoland theater. But the show seems more and more to rise or fall on the dancing and singing and credible casting, most needing enhancement at the Marriott. So there are pleasures in this revival but the charms of the first generation of rock 'n' roll may be on a diminishing entertainment slope unless the show soars like "Million Dollar Quartet." The next Marriott show will be "Kiss Me Kate." Now there is a musical that joyfully has stood the test of time."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...While these four demand paragraphs of their very own, there is no shortage of plaudits to hand out for this production. Michael Kurowski's turn as T-Bird Doody playing and singing "Those Magic Changes" and Kelly Anne Clark's fabulous acting as the tightly wound principal, Miss Lynch, are two. Jessica Palkovic's Cha Cha DiGregorio, Landree Fleming's Frenchy, Kevin Corbett's Kenickie, along with Jake Elkins and Tiffany T. Taylor (as Roger and Jan signing a hilarious "Mooning") are others. So, too, Garrett Lutz and Alaina Wis are the delightful as nerdy Eugene Florczyk and Patty Simcox."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...Director Scott Weinstein has chosen a cast that works together beautifully in Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's hit musical, "Grease," a two-hour snapshot of late 1950's Chicago-area (William Howard Taft High School) teenagers dealing with peer pressure, physical attraction and values."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...There is something about the musical Grease that makes us feel good. Maybe it’s that, for a brief moment, we can feel like we’re back in high school. Or maybe it’s the catchy songs. But I think it’s almost impossible to see a production of Grease and not leave the theater dancing and belting out the lyrics to Summer Nights as you walk to the parking lot. The Marriott Theatre’s production of Grease was no exception. Once again, a Marriott production and the production team of Scott Weinstein (director), Jeffrey D. Kmiec (set design), Sally Zack (properties design), Jesse Klug (lighting design) and others amazed me with their ability to create a great theater experience in a small, in-the-round theater."
Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...While this writer recognizes some of Grease's more problematic scenes in an era of Me Too, this musical may still be recommended for those who have an appreciation for the 50s flair, catchy songs, and the campy high school fun that Grease does so well-especially in a location so close to its origin. It will certainly leave you with a smile on your face, and a few songs that may prove difficult to leave your head."
