An ambitious production of the musical "Grease," known in Spanish-speaking countries as "Vaselina," will transport audiences in Venezuela back to the 1950s starting next Saturday at the Teresa Carreño theater, the country's main performing arts venue, in Caracas.
More than thirty Venezuelan artists will tell the story written by the American writers and composers Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey on a stage considerably larger than the average used for musical theater, one that even rotates to reveal numerous settings during scene changes.
A large-scale set design places the audience inside Rydell High School and other locations where the plot unfolds, accompanied by live rock and roll, following the story of the sweet Sandy and the rebellious Danny Zuko. The characters were made famous on screen by American actors John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 film adaptation.
Minutes before the dress rehearsal, the choreographer, Taba Luis Ramirez, told the EFE news agency that the Teresa Carreño theater has three or four times the dimensions typically used in musical theater, which meant a larger cast and crew were needed. He said that made this production of "Grease" unique in the world.
Hundreds of People Behind the Production
The staging is the work of Clas Producciones, whose chief executive, Claudia Salazar, said that more than 300 people are involved in the production, including nine musicians and the 36 performers who were selected following auditions held in January. Those auditions drew 1,500 hopefuls.
Rehearsals Paused by Earthquake
Rehearsals began in May but were temporarily halted after a devastating double earthquake struck the north of the country on June 24.
Salazar told EFE she is convinced that culture will, without doubt, also help heal Venezuela. She said that at a time when addressing structural damage is not their role, the production team is instead focused on the emotional structure of the public, and that this is what they have come to do.
The dress rehearsal audience also included people from La Guaira state, in the north of the country near Caracas, which was the region hit hardest by the earthquakes. According to the report, the quakes left at least 6,509 people dead, and those affected are currently living in shelters.
Clas Producciones' Track Record
"Grease" is the latest project from Clas Producciones, following stagings of the musical "Les Miserables" in 2019 and again in 2023, and "Mamma Mia!" last year. Those productions came after a run of shows that began in 2013 with "Godspell."
