Go greased lightning!

The adaptation of the classic 1978 movie, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, Grease is all set to hit the Arts Council stage on January 16, after an intense three months of non-stop rehearsals.  Starring Ahmed Ali as Danny Zuko, Ayesha Omar as Sandy, Mustafa Changezi as Kenickie and Sanam Saeed as Rizzo, along with an ensemble cast of familiar faces and promising newcomers, Grease is expected to be a rock-and-roll trip to Rydell High. Sitting down with the stars and director in the middle of a gruelling rehearsal session, The Express Tribune brings you some behind-the-scenes on what they went through and what can be coming our way on the opening night.

Nida Butt

Why Grease?

Everybody loves Grease. I didn’t do it earlier because I wasn’t ever sure how to go about it. About six to seven years ago, I wouldn’t have known how to actually stage something like this, but now we have figured out how to make it work.

It’s the first licensed musical play in Pakistan. How do you feel about that?

We were quite thrilled; it’s a great show of confidence by theatrical rights worldwide to have awarded the license to us. It took me weeks to find the right people to contact, but eventually, we got the rights. It’s the socially responsible and legally correct way to stage Western musicals if we are going to be using their titles.

How did you manage to translate the quintessential American nature of the story for a Pakistani stage?

Grease is a classic, so you can’t really mess with it or tweak it or localise it. It would steal the essence of what Grease is. We wouldn’t do that.

Do you think the actors are going to live up to the expected standards?  John Travolta was one of the most charismatic leading men in Hollywood. Is Ahmed doing justice to the role of Danny Zuko?         

The talent this time is splendid. We do understand that the characters are so well-known from the movie that we would not want to move too far away from the characterisation of those, but naturally, every actor brings their own flavour. It’s very important that you do that and make it your own, while staying true to the spirit of the character.

How did you manage the costumes and sets?

The costumes are colourful — they’re young and they’re fun. The designers have done a great job bringing back the 50s era. We have managed to create five sets and the integral part is to be able to shift from one scene to another in an instant. I started working on these sets in June last year; it’s been a real thorn in our side. We want people to pay attention to what we have done to the sets and not just the songs and dances.

Today we completed our 100th rehearsal for GREASE. 3 more rehearsals and we move into Arts Council.the final stretch.

— Nida Butt (@Nidabutt9) January 8, 2014

Some people are complaining that Rs2,000 per ticket is too steep. What do you have to say in response to that?

If you look at theatre around the world, it is not a cheap hobby. You’re paying a couple of hundred dollars for the best shows. We’ll be putting up the best musical show that Pakistan has ever seen. I think they got off easy.`

Ahmed Ali

How did you get in to the character of Danny?

I watched the movie a couple of times, mainly for the relationships the characters have with other characters. I started acquiring the traits from him over the months. The walk and the laugh — I have done them so much that they’re my thing now. I don’t even remember how I used to laugh!

Travolta and Newton-John had a lot of chemistry between them. What is your chemistry like with Ayesha Omar?

Ayesha is amazing to work with. She is very humble, very down to earth. When I heard Ayesha was playing Sandy, I was a little intimidated, but she eliminated the feeling. She is awesome to work with.

What is your relationship like with Mustafa? Do you think he’d make a better Danny and you a better Kenickie?

I have taken some inspiration from Mustafa actually, he doesn’t know that (he laughs). He is quite the ladies’ man and the laugh he does is very similar to Danny’s — I stole that from him. Mustafa could have been a good Danny. Danny has a slight feminine touch to him, and Kenickie is a bad-ass. Had we been asked to and given time, we could have swapped roles. They’re both similar; they’re both the leader of the pack with a smooth style. In real life, Mustafa can probably relate to Danny more than I can.

How do you feel about being part of this musical?

I was a musician before I started acting. This is where music and acting come together — in musical theatre, and I found it to be my true calling. I am honoured and humbled; Grease is an opportunity to make history. My father is a huge Grease fan. After the first play I did, he was very encouraging and said, “Good, you should go into acting. There is a play Grease, you should ask the producers to do that.” I did seven plays and he would say the same thing every time. When I got this role, I went up to him and told him I am doing a play, he asked which one. When I said Grease, the smile on his face was amazing. I hadn’t seen it for years!

Mustafa Changezi

How does it feel to play Kenickie? How did you get into character?

It’s pretty cool. I don’t really have a tough guy persona, so to pull someone like Kenickie off was a lot of fun. It wasn’t too hard to get into character; I watched the movie a couple of times and tried to act like the guy throughout.

What was it like to be paired up with Sanam Saeed?

Sanam is one of the strongest actors in the industry. Initially, when I heard I was paired with her, I was like ‘Fine. It’s cool’. Then, when I saw her act, I saw how confident she is and that intimidated me a little, but it’s been fun. She’s a genuine sweetheart.

Do you and Ahmed have the kind of relationship on stage that Danny and Kenickie did?

I love the guy. Initially, I didn’t know who he was, and I really doubted the fact that he can do justice to the benchmark Travolta set. Then I met Ahmed. He is so committed and dedicated to his role and nobody but him deserved to have it. He and I are the closest amongst the cast.

Ayesha Omar

How does it feel to be a part of Grease?

My career just took a very busy turn. Every day, there is some offer coming in after the success of Coke Studio [season 6], but I just can’t take up anything. It’s like letting go off something you have worked for, for ten years. However, getting away from the petty TV mind-set was very refreshing for me mentally.  We are all like family here. It’s team work. It’s very exciting and it’s been a wonderful experience. And I couldn’t have asked for a better co-star than Danny.

Do you have a message for the readers and audience?

It’s the first licensed show and we have put in a lot of effort. The audience needs to know it’s very difficult to put something like this together. People should come and look at it with an open mind and encourage the newcomers.

Sanam Saeed

How does it feel to be Rizzo?

I wouldn’t have picked any other character to play. It’s a role I’ve always wanted to do. With the support and the kind of chemistry we all have, each one has done justice to their role. Ahmed, Ayesha and I are the eldest in the cast and the most experienced, so we automatically had some sort of hold over the kids ­— they’ll kill me for saying this — and that kind of helps the character, considering how Rizzo is and how she bosses around her minions. It’s fun, it’s perfect, everything has worked out really well.

Do you have a message for your fans?

Don’t be frightened of the price. It’s a once-in-a-life time experience to watch Grease in Pakistan. It’s off Broadway now, you missed that boat. Might as well catch this one!

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2014.

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