EDUCATION PACK - Millennium Forum
Transcription
EDUCATION PACK - Millennium Forum
‘ IT’S ELECTRIFYING GO GO GO! ’ Neil Sean, Sky News EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Contents Introduction 2 The Show 3 The Players 3 Song by Song Synopsis: Act One 4 Song by Song Synopsis: Act Two 5 Timeline of Grease 6 Rydell High Slang Dictionary 7 Style File 8 Growing Up on Grease – 1950s Teen Consumers 8 1950s American Music 8 Dancing 1950s Style 9 1950s American Fashion 10 Picture Resources 11 1950s American Motors 12 Art and Design Activities 13 Backstage Pass 14 Who’s Who – The Big Hitters 14 In Conversation with the Director and Choreographer 15 A Day In The Life of Danny Bayne and Jason Capewell 16 A Day In The Life Of The Stage Manager - Louise Cobbold 17 A Day In The Life Of The Director of Marketing - Michael Havard-Bilton 18 Wigs and Hair 19 Marketing Worksheet: Design a Poster 20 Technical Cues Worksheet 21 Set Design Activity 22 Follow Up Activities 23 Write Your Own Teenage Love Song 23 Music Worksheet: Those Magic Changes 25 Write a review of Grease 26 Further Ideas for Citizenship and Drama 27 Bibliography/ Further Information and Resources 28 1 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Introduction Welcome to Rydell High where Grease is always on the curriculum! We hope this Education Resource Pack will be a useful guide to Grease. In each section there are discussion questions and activities. The Show gives you information which might be useful before your visit to see Grease. Style File includes background resources about the styles and fashions of the 1950s. Backstage Pass will enable your students to find out more about the process of creating the show. These pages are particularly suited to BTEC or Vocational GCSE Performing Arts Business modules. Curriculum areas and Key Stages are indicated as a guide, but most activities can be differentiated to fit the needs of students from the top of Key Stage Two up to and including post 16. The Slang Dictionary page is not suitable for pupils below KS3. Images Photos are from the 1978 Paramount Film, the current production and previous productions of the stage show of Grease. Additional Resources Grease Is The Word, the original London Cast Recording and Grease, the DVD by Paramount Films are both widely available. Enjoy the show! Follow Up Activities include Writing a Review and classroom sessions for Drama and Citizenship. 2 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. The Show Vince Fontaine: local radio star and band leader, Vince wows the girls at the school dance. The Players Miss Lynch: harassed Head Teacher at Rydell High, she struggles to keep order amongst the kids – but is not always successful. Eugene & Patty: the school nerds, always willing to help the teachers and get everyone organised, are universally disliked by all the ‘cool’ kids. Patty heads the cheerleading squad and is keen to be Sandy’s ‘best’ friend. Cha-Cha: a great dancer with a bad reputation, she wins the school dance competition with Danny and distracts him from Sandy. Danny: the coolest kid in school, Danny is a founding member of the T-Birds. His aims in life are looking good, being surrounded by pretty girls and, above all, being cool. The Teen Angel: a figment of Frenchie’s imagination, he tells her to return to high school as she is not cut out for beauty school. Sandy: new in town, she is a good girl (like Doris Day) but is desperate to fit in with the crowd and find someone to love. Kenickie: Danny’s best friend and leader of the T-Birds, he lives for his car and hanging out with the gang. Rizzo: top girl in school and leader of the Pink Ladies, she does what she pleases and has a hard shell with a well hidden soft centre. The T-Birds: Roger, Sonny and Doody may not be the brightest sparks but they know enough to hang with the cool guys, learning a lot about girls along the way. The Pink Ladies: Jan, Marty and Frenchie make up the Pink Ladies and are all devoted to love and romance. Frenchie longs to be a beautician, while marriage is the ultimate goal for the others. 3 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. The Show Song by Song Synopsis ACT ONE G Prologue: Sandy The summer holidays are over for the students of Rydell High School and Sandy is trying to fit in to her new school. She’s still dizzy from her summer romance with Danny Zuko, whom she met on the beach, while the cats and chicks of Rydell High are all pleased to see each other again. G Grease Danny and Sandy tell their friends about a certain summer romance, but what they don’t realise is that they are about to be re-united. G Summer Nights Despite his happy memories, Danny’s all wrapped up with his friends and he’s not about to lose his reputation for playing the field. So when Sandy turns up, Danny pretends not to know her. Love is in the air for all the friends: as Doody attempts to strum a tune, the guys join in, contemplating the fact that they are all growing up. G Greased Lightnin’ Meanwhile, Sandy wonders if she would fit in better with the cheerleaders, led by squeaky clean Patty, but Danny turns up and there is an awkward moment of ‘history’ between him and Patty. Danny announces he might try out for the track team, but is it to impress Patty or Sandy? G Rydell Fight Song The friends all meet up on the football field and romance blossoms between Roger and Jan. G G The Pink Ladies, the hippest girls in school, reluctantly take Sandy under their wing and invite her to a pyjama party, although hard-nosed Rizzo remains antagonistic towards her. Rizo and Kenickie start arguing. Sandy appears with the school nerd Eugene, and Danny once again fails to hide his feelings for her from his friends. The school dance is the hot topic of conversation, and as everyone tries to secure their date, Danny asks Rizzo out. Act One ends with a celebration of friendship. Those Magic Changes Mooning G Look At Me I’m Sandra Dee Kenickie has been working all summer to buy a car and although it looks like a heap of old junk, he and Danny persuade the boys it could be a babe magnet and they dream of transforming it. G We Go Together 4 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. The Show G Song By Song Synopsis ACT TWO Things aren’t working out too well for Frenchie either, so she calls on her Teen Angel for some advice. Hopelessly Devoted To You Local DJ Vince Fontayne is hosting the High School Hop where everyone is strutting their stuff. G Shakin’ At The High School Hop Jan gets a big break singing in the talent contest, while Sandy is missing out as she is stuck at home with a head cold. G It’s Raining On Prom Night Danny and Kenickie swap dates just before the dance contest and Danny goes on to win with Cha-Cha, champion dancer. G Born To Hand Jive G Beauty School Dropout Danny takes Sandy to a drive-in movie and it’s going well until he makes a move on her and then takes it too far. She storms off and leaves him wondering how to get it right. G Sandy The atmosphere is sour when the gang all meet up at the garage. Sandy is hoping to see Danny, and Rizzo thinks she may be pregnant. The two have a row and Sandy’s sympathy for Rizzo is brushed off. G There Are Worse Things I Could Do Sandy knows she has to make some changes. Meanwhile, Sandy is all alone and facing up to the fact that she still loves Danny. G Look At Me I’m Sandra Dee – reprise Everyone gets the shock of their lives at Sandy’s transformation. G You’re The One That I Want Rizzo’s pregnancy turns out to be a false alarm, the mood is up and everyone can celebrate being young and in-love. G FINALE Gre In 197 ase Fact: 8 You’ re The That I One Want spent 9 wee ks at t he the ch arts, f top of ollowe by 7 w d eeks f or Summe r Nigh ts. 5 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. The Show Timeline of Grease 1970 At a cast party, Jim Jacobs and his friend Warren Casey come up with the idea of a show featuring music from the 1950s, the golden age of Rock and Roll. Jacobs decides it should be about the kids he went to high school with. Soon after, Casey is fired from his job and so with time on his hands, he sits down at his typewriter and Grease is born. 5th February 1971 Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey mount their first production of Grease in an experimental theatre in Chicago. With a non-professional cast of 18 and a budget of only $171, the “four night only” run plays to full houses of 120 each night, and then the run is extended again and again… 14th February 1972 Grease opens in New York, off-Broadway at the Eden Theatre. It receives seven Tony nominations after the producers threaten to sue the awards committee for saying off-Broadway shows can not be nominated. The show moves onto Broadway proper and goes from strength to strength. 1971/ 1972 A national tour of Grease crosses the US and Canada with a seventeen year old called John Travolta playing Doody, the nerdy kid who idolises Danny. 1978 John Travolta hits the big time playing Danny Zuko opposite Olivia Newton John as Sandy in the smash hit film from Paramount Pictures. 1993 David Gilmore directs and Arlene Phillips choreographs the London production of Grease which opens at The Dominion Theatre, starring Craig Maclachlan as Danny Zuko. This version has played ever since in London, on tour in the UK and across the world. 1997 Grease goes on a UK tour starring Shane Richie and then Ian Kelsey as Danny. 1999 After 6 successful years, the London production of Grease closes at the Cambridge Theatre. 2007 Grease re-opens in London at The Piccadilly Theatre, starring Danny Bayne as Danny Zuko and Susan McFadden as Sandy (both winners of the ITV programme Grease Is The Word). Grease also re-opens on Broadway in New York at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on July 24, starring Max Crumm as Danny Zuko and Laura Osnes as Sandy (both winners of the US/NBC reality series Grease: You’re the One that I Want!). 1973 The first London production opens at the New London Theatre with a then unknown American actor, Richard Gere, as Danny Zuko and Stacey Gregg as Sandy, followed by Paul Nicholas and Elaine Paige in the lead roles. 2009 On January 4, the Broadway production of Grease closes after 31 previews and 554 performances. In July, the London production of Grease becomes the longest running show at The Piccadilly Theatre. Grease Fact: The first scene to be written was the girls’ pyjama party scene 2011 The London production of Grease closes on April 30 having played over 1,500 performances and immediately begins its new UK tour. www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. 6 The Show Rydell High Slang Dictionary Cats and Chicks: guys and girls, but kittens are also girls, as in “throw your mittens round you kittens” Foam Domes: or falsies, something to make a girl’s bust look bigger Fongoole or fongulo: Italian-Americanised mispronunciation of the phrase “Va’a fare in culo”. The nearest printable English equivalent is “up yours!” Hand-jive: a dance where everyone lines up and follows a sequence of hand movements in time to the music Hickey: a red mark on the skin, otherwise known as a ‘love bite’ Hop: a dance or school disco Jive: Jazz slang from the 1930s and 40s. The language of “swing” came to mean everything that was hip, including a dance and musical style of the same name. Jocks: athletes, from the term jockstrap Neat: terrific Prom Night: a dance party or disco to mark the end of high school, now common in the UK too (possibly because of the wide influence of Grease and other American teen movies) I play it cool And dig all jive That’s the reason I stay alive. By Poet Langston Hughes Who’s Who? Research Activity The six famous fifties icons listed below all get a mention in the script of Grease. What were they famous for? Choose one of them to research and feed your findings back to the group, or write a short piece about them for a 1950s retro magazine. Elvis Debbie Reynolds (and who was her famous daughter?) Sandra Dee Ricky Nelson Shelly Farbares Doris Day 7 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Style File Growing Up on Grease: 1950s Teenage Consumers Curriculum Links: History, Historical and Social Context for Performing Arts/Drama For Jim Jacobs the word “grease” seemed exactly the right title for his show about 1950s teenagers. Until 1950 the term “teenagers” had barely been heard of. There were children, who briefly became youths and then at eighteen were considered adults, winning the full legal responsibilities of adulthood at twenty one, by which time many were married or on the way to being married and raising a family. After the war a new range of consumer goods became available as teenagers had spending power, either because they had jobs of their own or because their parents were enjoying America’s new prosperity. Television, cinema, magazines and music were all deliberately targeted at this age group, who began to carve out an identity of their own, in stark contrast to the culture of their parents. In Grease, Jacobs and Casey created a community of teenagers which functions entirely separately from the adult world. Greasy Food: The Diner The burger palace is typical of the cheap restaurants which were popular across America in the 1950s. The diner was the predecessor of the fast food outlets we have today. Usually pre-fabricated buildings or converted railroad carriages (the original diners were not stationary, they were actually dining cars on the railway) 1950s diners often used steel panels, tiled floors and chrome trim. They served what would now be considered an unhealthy menu of burgers, fries and various milkshakes, ice creams and sundaes. Greasy Hair Oily quiffs held up with brill cream were the hairstyle of choice for “greasers”- the leather jacket and blue jean clad rebels of teen America. In the UK the nearest equivalent was the “teddy boy” who took a similar amount of care in his appearance and competed with his mates to achieve the biggest, most luxurious quiff. For more information of what’s involved in recreating the 1950s hair for Grease go to Backstage Pass: Wigs and Hair. Cool Custom Cars More grease and motor oil involved here, see Style File: 1950s American Motors for further information on icons of American motor design. 1950s American Music Curriculum Links: Music, Music Technology, Media Studies Level: KS3/4/5 a VINCE BEFORE I WAS BORN LATE ONE NIGHT MY PAPA SAID EV’RYTHING’S ALL RIGHT THE DOCTOR LAUGHED WHEN MA LAY DOWN WITH HER STOMACH BOUNCIN’ ALL AROUND ’CAUSE A BE-BOP STORK WAS ’BOUT TO ARRIVE AND MAMA GAVE BIRTH TO THE HAND JIVE The DJ The term was invented in America in the 1930s from the word “disc” (record) and “jockey” which was slang for someone who operated a machine. They were the kings of the airwaves through the 1940s and early 50s, when every American home had a radio. Who Invented Rock and Roll? The phrase “Rock and Roll” was attributed to American Radio DJ Alan Freed, but he did not actually invent it. There are examples of it being used as far back as the 1920s in song lyrics by Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway and others. It was a useful term for marketing Rhythm and Blues (R&B), previously considered an African American musical style, to young white audiences. Rockabilly Rockabilly is a term that was also coined in the 1950s to describe music which was a cross between R&B and hillbilly music (the old folk music of white America). 8 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Doo-Wop Several songs in Grease employ Doo–Wop or nonsense lyrics. Jacobs and Casey had fun parodying some of the excesses of this style, particularly in We Go Together. WADDA WADDA YIPPITY BOOM DE BOOM CHANG CHANG CHANGITY CHANG SHOO BOP THAT’S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE, WAH-OOO YEAH! An earlier example of Doo-Wop can be found in Dizzy Gillespie’s 1947 hit “Oop Boop Sh’Bam” which was full of meaningless sounds used to mark the beats and create a vocal background. In the 1930s, sounds like “boo-wop, boo-wop” were used by vocal groups to imitate the horn sections of jazz bands. Activity Is Vince Fontayne typical of a 1950s DJ? Research the history of disc jockeys to the present day and see how they have evolved. Lindy Hop: Sometimes described as the grandfather of both Rock and Roll and modern swing, the Lindy Hop was named after Colonel Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic. It originated at the Savoy ballroom in Harlem in the 1930’s. It is a partner dance which brings together improvised African dance and the eight count structure of European styles. Jitterbug: A ballroom style swing with a triple step pattern. The Twist: In repressed and segregated 50s America, white girls were not supposed to wiggle their hips, and it certainly wasn’t going to be shown on prime time TV. Chubby Checker’s recording of The Twist was specifically tamed down for American Bandstand, as the original version from the Swing Era had required a lot more hip action. Dancing 1950s style Curriculum Links: Dance, Performing Arts Thousands of American teenagers watched the hit show ‘American Bandstand’ in their living rooms and learnt to copy the amateur studio dancers. New styles of dance began developing both on and off the screen, and soon high school dances across the country were moving to the steps of Rock and Roll. The Bandstand dancers called it Fast Dance as it employed a six count pattern (two tap-steps followed by a rock step). These moves were constantly being adapted throughout the 1950s. Cha Cha: The Cha Cha has a triple-step movement and is believed to have come from Cuba, as a development of the slow tempo “Mambo”. Jive: A six count swing dance that is open to improvisation. 9 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Style File 1950s American Fashion Curriculum Links: Art, Design Technology - Textiles, BTEC Performing Arts/Technical Theatre/Costume. Level: KS3, KS4, BTEC Influences The styles of 1950s fashion have their roots in the post war period. After the shortages and austerity of the Second World War, when fabric had been rationed, a lavish use of material burst onto the scene. In 1947 the French designer Christian Dior presented a collection featuring a fitted jacket with a nipped in waist and full calf length skirt, which used meters of fabric. Life magazine called it “The New Look”. In the film of Grease, Sandy’s early look of a fitted blouse under a light weight cardigan with a full skirt underneath is an adaptation of “The New Look” which found favour with American and European women. The fullness of the skirt could be further emphasised by large petticoats made from layers of nylon or starched paper. Men The rebel look, as worn by movie stars James Dean and Marlon Brando, consisted of denim jeans, which had made the transition from work wear to fashion only a decade earlier, and leather jackets. This contrasted with the attire of the more conventional young men who wore a jacket and shirt like their fathers – or the sportswear worn by the ball playing “jock“. Hair During the 1950s, women’s hairstyles were transformed from the simple, smooth pony tail to the ultra “done” look of the beehive. It was the era where hairdressers and beauty salons really took off - Frenchie wasn’t the only one trying to capitalise on the new found leisure spending of the American public. For more information of what’s involved in recreating the 1950s hair for Grease, go to Backstage Pass: Wigs and Hair. In America, and later in Britain, other influences began to dilute the Dior style, such as sportswear. The “windcheater” jackets worn by the Pink Ladies were based on men’s work jackets and gym shoes were worn by young women instead of heels. After 1956, the continental “chic” look became popular, with short haircuts and simple lines. Influenced by stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Leslie Caron, it included simple black sweaters and slim trousers. Rizzo stands out as a truly modern girl with her short hair, tailored shirt dress and figure hugging skirt. 10 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Style File Picture Resources 11 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Style File 1950s American Motors Curriculum Links: Art and Design, Design Technology The 1950s saw the birth of the jet age, when advances in aeroplane design inspired normally mundane family cars to begin sprouting wings and fins and extra tail lights to imitate jet engines. New technologies enabled curves and forms which had not been possible before. The sweeping lines of body work and slick chrome detailing were replicated in designs for everyday household items such as toasters, hair dryers and coffee percolators. This car one could be co of m ol piece ac Why hinery. this coul car d Auto be: mati S c y ste Why it’s G Hydr matic reas ed L omatic ightn in’! 12 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Style File Art and Design Activities Design Technology Activity • • • Research the elements of 1950s car design, for example fins, jet engine shaped rear lights and the line of the bodywork. Adapt them for your own design, showing how you would use modern methods to create a 1950s retro-look car. As part of your portfolio, collect images of modern cars which use elements of 1950s styling. Art Activity: Greased Lightnin’ Pop Art • • • • • Look at the pop art painting Whaam! (Roy Lichtenstein 1963). Research into the jet inspired shapes of the 1950s and early 60s for preliminary sketches. Create your own pop art painting, with at least two frames, showing the transformation of the T- bird’s car, Greased Lightnin’. Let you imagination run wild on how the car might turn out! Extension activity: what happens next? Can you create an extended cartoon strip featuring Greased Lightnin’? Costume Design • • Design your own outfits for the Pink Ladies. Research the period details of shoes, belts, trousers or skirts. Make a scrap book of pictures, fabric swatches and colours before you create your final costume drawings. Bring Sandy up to date – if she was a modern teenager, how would she be dressed when she first comes to Rydell High? How would you transform her for “You’re The One That I Want”? Create two contrasting costume drawings, describing what kind of fabrics you would use. 13 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass Who’s Who: The Big Hitters Who? The Job The Brief Biog Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Writers Jim has worked as an actor and writer, while Warren was a teacher, then an actor and songwriter. Jim and Warren co-wrote the book, music and lyrics for Grease. Together they also wrote Island Of The Lost Co-Eds, a musical satire of the B-movies of the 1950s. Jim has gone on to co-author several plays and musicals. Sadly Warren died in 1988. David Gilmore Director David has directed more than a dozen West End shows as well as many shows in Australia. His original production of Grease ran for six years in London. He has directed musicals, straight plays, Shakespeare and comedy and he also directed Jamie Oliver’s performances in England and Australia. Arlene Phillips Choreographer Arlene created the dance group Hot Gossip and since then her choreography has been seen in theatre, feature films, concert arenas, television, music videos and commercials. A few of her theatre choreography credits include Grease, The Sound of Music, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express, and the US touring productions of Joseph and Jesus Christ Superstar. Arlene appears as a judge on BBC1’s hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing and she judged the followup series Strictly Dance Fever. In 2007, together with Bruno Tonioli from Strictly Come Dancing, they created a new BBC1 show DanceX. Terry Parsons Designer Terry has designed thirty seven productions in the West End. As well as his famous design for Grease, he has also designed for hundreds of musicals, pantomimes and straight plays. His most unusual job was creating a spectacular version of Arabian Nights in the desert for three thousand guests at the birthday of an Arab sheikh. Andreane Neofitou Costume Designer Andy has created costume designs for numerous West End shows, including Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, and has also worked for many years at The Royal Shakespeare Company. Internationally her credits include New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Miss Julie in Athens and Cameron Mackintosh’s new version of Martin Guerre in the United States. 14 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass In Conversation With Director David Gilmore and Choreographer Arlene Phillips past on stage now it would be greyer and duller and smaller. What we have done is to show the past in a distorting mirror – it’s bigger, better, livelier and funnier than the reality. Q: How have you been influenced by the film of Grease? DAVID: I saw the film once. The film re-defined the stage show for all time. You have to take that into account. Q: What makes Grease such a special show? DAVID: Its verve and energy and such toe-tapping tunes. ARLENE: This show has the hottest dancers in town and the best singer-actors with voices that everyone will wish they owned. DAVID: The casting is inspired. ARLENE: It’s been fun teaching the company to dance – they weren’t all dancers but they’ve been eager to learn. DAVID: The set and costumes have been designed by Terry Parsons and Andreane Neofitou, who are two of the most talented people in the business, and they’ve achieved wonders. Q: How do you create a 1950s feel for a modern day show? ARLENE: We’ve done a lot of research into the 1950s. ARLENE: The film is part of my life. I’ve watched it many, many times with my daughter, Alana. It’s a lot of fun. One is aware that Grease is now part of a cult and the audience is expecting what they know. We’re hoping that this production will inspire them to keep the cult going. Q: Have you had any help from Jim Jacobs? DAVID: Jim has come over and made changes to the script to enhance what was already there – we’ve done that together. ARLENE: There were some changes made to the script for the modern day audience. Q: Is there anything you would like to add? ARLENE: I’ve loved working on this production. It’s great to do a show with lots of dancing in it. DAVID: Grease doesn’t have a message. It gives you a flavour of being a teenager in the 1950s – when Rock ‘n Roll and putting grease in your hair were the most important things in life. If people come along to the show and take it on that level then we’ll give them a party. In fact, if you come out of the theatre feeling that you’ve been to the best party in town, then we know that we’re getting it right. DAVID: What we are giving the public is what they think that they remember, because the past was not actually how people remember it now. If we put the 15 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass A Day In The Life Of Jason Capewell - Resident Director A Day In The Life Of Danny Bayne - Danny I just love being on the road with a show, it’s such a buzz, travelling the country and seeing new places every week. How many people get the chance to do a midnight ghost tour round Edinburgh one week, then a tour of the Guinness Brewery in Dublin the next. We are so lucky. But it’s not all fun and sightseeing, of course. I tend to get up early each day but lots of theatre people sleep late, and sometimes it is necessary to make sure you get enough rest so that you are fit and healthy to do the show. It can be tempting to go to the pub every night - but your voice suffers if you do. My average day would start around 10 to 10:30am. I have to be up early so my voice is fully matured and warm for the show at night. Once awake, I like to have a cup of tea, then it’s straight into the shower to start my day. I stay in the shower for quite some time warming up my voice and waking up. My passion, other than theatre, is golf, so I’ll normally grab my golf clubs and head off to the nearest golf course. I’ll usually spend around 4 hours playing, and then head home for dinner. Dinner will usually consist of a high carb and high protein diet, but I have to try and keep it low in fat so I can look good on stage and still keep my energy high. Then if there’s time I like to watch a movie or one of my favourite shows before heading off to work. At 6:15pm an announcement is made for warm up on stage, where the whole cast meet and do a full physical and vocal warm up. Then I am raring to go. So I head to the dressing room, do my hair and make up, put my costume on an head to the stage. After the show, Ill possibly go for a drink, but usually it’s straight home and into bed by 1 to 1:30am. Glamorous, eh?! My role combines being the Resident Director and playing Vince/Teen Angel during the show. The Resident Director is the person who makes sure everyone’s performances stay exactly as they should from week to week. It is easy for small changes to creep into a performance over time and it’s my job to make sure people stay on track. I also have to rehearse the understudies so that if someone gets injured or sick their understudy is ready to go on and perform. Most of this work is done in the first three weeks of a production but after that we have regular ‘understudy rehearsals’ just to keep everyone on their toes. Understudies do have to perform, more often than you might think. We might have an understudy rehearsal every two to three weeks and a general ‘clean-up’ call every couple of weeks when I give the company notes. There aren’t any ‘normal’ days because the schedule is always changing. When we arrive in a venue, I’ll spend the afternoon before the first performance finding my dressing room and looking at the stage to see if we need to change, or ‘reblock’ any of the movements. Later in the afternoon the rest of the cast will do a sound check, then we might run a few bits and pieces. Then it’s a matter of having a quick bite to eat and getting ready for the show. After the show has opened in a new venue, the days fall into a pattern of me-time, rehearsal-time, show-time then sleep. Everyone has their own routine and their own way of coping with being away from home for long periods. The touring company become your extended family in a way and you spend much more time with them than you would in a normal job. Often we’ll spend days off and travelling days together too. It can be great, but it can also be difficult at times. But I love the job: I love the variety and the challenges you have to deal with every day. Don’t ever ask me to work nine to five! 16 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass A Day In The Life Of The Stage Manager - Louise Cobbold Touring a theatre production the size of ‘Grease’ takes a great deal of organisation and demands the show be flexible and versatile….exactly what’s expected of me, the Stage Manager, in order to keep everything running smoothly. During a tour I have a meeting with all the other production departments (Sound, Lighting or ‘LX’, Wardrobe and Wigs) in the final week at each theatre to sort out the order in which everything is to be packed onto the five articulated lorries we have. Like most of the shows this size we’re completely self-sufficient; we take everything we need to run the show. It’s now Saturday evening and we’re getting ready for the last show at this theatre before we move to the next one. At approximately 10:30pm, the show’s finished and each department has already started packing up the show behind the scenes. We pack the large scenery/ prop items such as the Greased Lightning car into the first lorry. The smaller props are then loaded into skips, which we transport and are similar to a bookcase with doors! I then ask for the Wardrobe department to have their boxes of costumes ready to load next. Wigs come after with all of the wigs pinned onto ‘blocks’ (similar to shop mannequin heads) and stored within a shelved bookcase on wheels, like the skips we use for the small props. I then help load in the main parts of the set with the crew and ask the flymen who operate all the ropes for the flown pieces of scenery to start lowering in each piece, which is then de-rigged and packed onto the lorry. The stage space is then almost empty and finally, we’re all packed up and ready to go! The theatre has been cleared and the lorries are well on their way to the next theatre ready to be unloaded. Time to catch some sleep and travel to the next theatre! The next day around 12pm, I’ve arrived at the next theatre with parts of the set already in place having been put together by some of the local crew. I meet the stagedoor keeper and the local crew and quickly take a moment to get my bearings around backstage. I need to know where the dressing rooms are, the route the performers will take to and from the stage and find out where the Wardrobe and Wig depts. are located. I return to the stage and help unload the majority of the large props/ scenery with the crew. This is usually a very busy time as there are many things to try and coordinate at once with the added pressure of time. Usually the most difficult part of the afternoon is working out where all the large scenery items are to be stored backstage, ready for scene changes. This is where the touring aspect of the show becomes interesting! What worked in the last theatre may not work at all in this one as all the backstage space is usually completely different. At 4pm, the performers are due to arrive any minute and I’m seeing to the final touches around the stage. I’m responsible for the Health and Safety on and off stage so I walk round and check for hazards such as loose electric cables. I check entrance/exit doors onto stage are clear and that everything is safe. Once the performers come to the stage, I talk through a stage orientation, which is my chance to highlight differences from the previous theatre we’ve just come from. This time has to be carefully scheduled as many departments will need this time with the performers and there’s a lot to get done. After a dinner break, the performers are called to the stage for their physical and vocal warm-up. ‘Grease’ is an extremely energetic and physically demanding show so it’s very important that the performers warm-up properly to avoid injuries. Myself and the DSM are around in case anyone has any further questions or if any issues have arisen that we can deal with. At 6:55pm, the performers have gone back to their dressing rooms to start getting ready and I liaise with the Front of House Mgr and ‘open the house’ (let the auditorium doors be opened for the audience to come in). The ‘Half Hour call’ tells the company that we have 30minutes until they are called to the stage to start the show. A call happens again at 7:10, 7:20 and 7:25pm to let the performers and crew know how many minutes are left until show time. Once we’ve had ‘clearance’ from the FOH Mgr that all the audience are in and seated in the auditorium we start the show! I stay backstage throughout the 17 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. show and am there to oversee the performance. I have a few cues to do but mainly I’m there to make sure everything runs smoothly and if it doesn’t it’s up to me to sort it out! A very big interval change which takes all the crew and Stage Mgt. occurs, and the second half of the show starts around 8:45pm. After the show finishes near 10pm, I get details of tonight’s show (including the timings of both halves of the show plus anything which may have happened such as errors made or any understudies that may have been performing) and I compile a show report. This is done after every show and is a way of communicating what happened during tonight’s show to all the people who are involved, such as the Director. Finally, I change out of my ‘blacks’ (black coloured top, trousers and shoes which I wear backstage during the show) and am ready for my bed! A Day In The Life Of The Director of Marketing - Michael Havard-Bilton I leave my flat at 7.30am and take the tube to work, which normally takes about 15 minutes, depending on the service. If I’m feeling energetic I’ll take the bus to the Aldwych and then walk through Covent Garden. After saying hello to my tropical fish, and making my first coffee of the day, I’m normally sitting at my desk by 8am and checking my Inbox; this gives me a good hour of quiet thinking-time before the phone starts ringing. I get more than the average number of overnight e-mails, as I receive all the sales reports from the previous night’s performances, and the advanced sales reports for forthcoming performances. A careful scan of these reports helps me focus the marketing effort accordingly. I make a point of using spreadsheets for campaign plans, budgets, targets and sales figures. The effort of updating a cumulative sales spreadsheet, for example, is amply rewarded by the strategic benefits it provides in forward planning. of particular pages; see which search terms people are using to find our sites; and find out where in the world our visitors are based. From 10am the day becomes a whirl of activity. The major part of my job is creating the Sales, Marketing and PR campaigns for our productions. I’m able to draw upon a great team of people to assist me, most of who we’ve worked with for many years: designers, advertising agencies and PR agencies, all working together to devise the most effective and cost- efficient campaigns for the various productions we produce, co-produce and/or manage. A typical day will include dealing with phone calls and other immediate demands; responding to urgent e-mails; working on one of our productions’ websites; dealing with individual campaign needs, such as Advertising, Online, Outdoor and Direct Mail; attending a campaign planning meeting with one of our agencies; brainstorming ideas for new ways to sell our shows; discussing some element of a campaign with the producers; participating in a conference call with the marketing team at one of the touring theatres; instructing the graphic designers; or copywriting and proof-reading a new flyer or advert. As well as running the marketing department, and looking after Grease (UK & International), The Sound of Music, The Bodyguard, Chicago and Steel Magnolias. I am responsible for DIP’s archives, the company’s website and the office IT; so every day brings new challenges of one kind or another and the diversity of these tasks keeps me extremely busy. By 5.30pm the phones have quietened down, allowing me some time to reflect on what has been achieved during the day, and to think ahead to the next. This is a great time for tackling paperwork and generally working through some of the more routine elements of the job, such as clearing invoices, updating the budgets and responding to non-urgent requests. The last thing I do each day is to tidy my desk and jot down a list of things for the following day. I’ll then shut down my PC & Mac, feed the fish, and either head for home or an evening out at the theatre. Next, I’ll review our web statistics, looking mainly at numbers of unique visitors, pages viewed and activity times. Using these statistics, I can measure the response to promotions; identify the popularity 18 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass Wigs and Hair Curriculum Links: BTEC Performing Arts, Technical Theatre, Performing Arts Business The Wigs Mistress has a very important role in creating the perfect 1950s look. Each wig is made to measure. To get an exact fit, clingfilm is wrapped around the actor’s head and their hairline is drawn on. Sticky tape is then added over the clingfilm to create a mould of their head. The wigs are constructed and coloured by outworkers, usually using Asian hair as it is the strongest. The Wigs Mistress and her assistant then cut and style the wigs, remembering to leave a little hole in the front for the microphone. All the wigs in Grease use human hair except the “Beauty School” girls who wear acrylic wigs. Before each show the actors pin or glue their wigs in place and the Wigs Mistress is on hand to check everything looks right. During the performance she and her assistant work backstage, keeping the wigs tidy and helping with any changes. The most hectic times are the changes for “Beauty School Dropout” and Sandy’s final transformation. After the show they need to care for and re-style the wigs ready for the next day. Fortunately the men all look after their own hair, but only after they have had lessons in quiff combing! 19 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass Marketing Worksheet: Design your own poster for Grease Curriculum Links: BTEC Performing Arts, Technical Theatre, Performing Arts Business CHECKLIST Image: does it grab people’s attention? What does it say about the show? What colour scheme suits the show? The Marketing Department for Grease often use a pink background, however you could experiment with something different. Graphics: what style do you want to use for the text? Does it fit with your image? Is it easy to read? Information: what does your poster need to tell people? Remember, your objective is to encourage people to buy tickets and come to the theatre, so think about what they need to know. 20 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass Technical Cues Worksheet Curriculum Links: BTEC/GCSE Performing Arts/Drama Technical Theatre The lighting operator will have a list of numbered lighting cues to work from. They take their cues from the DSM (Deputy Stage Manager) who is “on the book”, i.e. following the script in the wings. In the extract below they take their cues from the Musical Director to ensure the lights change exactly on the right beat. Most lighting cues will be preprogrammed into the computerised lighting board. Using the key below, write out in full the bold lines to describe what the DSM is instructing. DSM: SBY LX Q110 to 114, SPOTS, PYROS AND FLY Q12 Each operator should then acknowledge the SBY so that the DSM knows that everyone is ready to carry out their Q. Music: Dancing interlude Chorus: Lightnin’ LX Q110 (on MD downbeat) Lightnin’ LX Q111 (on MD downbeat) Lightnin’ LX Q112 (on MD downbeat) Kenickie: Anybody want a ride? LXQ113 (on MD upbeat at end of line) Chorus: Lightnin’ (actors hold long final note as car drives off SL and music plays) LX Q114, SPOTS, PYROS AND FLY Q12 (on MD cut off) The last cue is for the change between scenes. This is what happens when each of these cues happen. LX Q114 goes to DBO, SPOTS go off, PYROS go off DS, FLY Q12 brings in mid-stage sky cloth for next scene. Key DSM LX Q SPOTS PYRO FLY MD Downbeat Upbeat first SL Cut off DBO DS Deputy Stage Manager Lighting Cue Followspot Big indoor fireworks Item of scenery suspended above the stage Musical Director When the MD moves his conducting baton vertically down to show the first beat in a bar When the MD moves his conducting baton vertically up to show the beat before the beat in a bar Stage Left When the MD signals in one gesture for the musicians to stop playing at the same time Dead Black Out Down Stage 21 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Backstage Pass Set Design Activity Curriculum Links: Art and Design, BTEC Performing Arts/Technical Theatre/Set Design. Level: KS3, KS4, BTEC • Gather research about the look of the 1950s from books, the internet or resources supplied by your teacher and start to make a scrapbook of shapes, colours and items of set (e.g. cars, furniture, decorations for the school dance). • Think about the size and shape of the stage you will use, for example if it is the school stage, measure it so that your drawings are to scale. Theatre models are normally done on a scale of 1:25. • Choose a particular scene from Grease and create a drawing which is a “bird’s eye view”, showing the shape of the stage and where items of set are placed. • Now think about the background - how will you design a backdrop that will suit the other visual elements on stage? • Create you own model box by turning a shoe box on its side and painting or lining it in black. Then make a scaled down set to fit inside, using the same shapes and colours you would choose if it were full scale. Doodle pad for set design ideas 22 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Follow Up Activities Write Your Own Teenage Love Song – even if you’re not a musician Curriculum Links: GCSE/GNVQ/BTEC Music, Performing Arts Where to begin Start by listening to love songs that you like - what is it about them that rings true? What is the structure of the story they tell? Grease is like a long extended love song; boy meets girl but then boy messes it up by trying to be cool, girl’s heart is almost broken but in the end girl makes boy see that she’s worth it, and they fall in love all over again. There is a happy beginning, a middle where it all goes wrong and a happy ending. Of course your song might not have a happy ending - that’s up to you. What do you want to tell the world about how it feels to be a teenager in love? having – it won’t be full of the usual padding we put into real life conversations as they haven’t got time for that in a four line verse. The Structure This will vary, but an average pop song of three to four minutes in length will follow a form something like this: verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/verse/ chorus or intro/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/ instrumental/outro. From the 1950s onwards the structure of popular songs went through many changes as “rules” were broken, however listeners today still have certain expectations, so make sure you understand the building blocks. Remember that in musical theatre the instrumental section and chorus may be longer to allow for dance routines. The Title Some song writers begin with the title or a phrase that sticks in their mind and demands to be written about. Start keeping a notebook: all good writers, whether they are lyricists, poets, novelists or playwrights, keep a notebook and pen with them at all times. In the back of your book write down any interesting phrases you hear or see, look in the newspapers and listen to people on the bus. Look through your list and see if there is one that stands out. Ask yourself some questions about your title - the answers will be the lines of your verses. Here’s an example: “You’re the one that I want” – Why? “Cause I need a man” How do you feel about that? – “I got chills they’re multiplyin” If your song is a duet like this one, then you need to think about the conversation the two people are 23 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Pitfalls If you are not a musician and would like someone else to set your lyrics to music, be careful that you don’t get hung too up on writing verse with a perfect rhythm and rhyme structure. It is often more satisfying for the listener if you can come up with some unexpected rhymes, like the example below which uses irony in the lyrics as well. BABY, DON’T SWEAT IT YOU’RE NOT CUT OUT TO HOLD A JOB BETTER FORGET IT WHO WANTS HER HAIR DONE BY A SLOB? NOW YOUR BANGS ARE CURLED, YOUR LASHES TWIRLED, BUT STILL THE WORLD IS CRUEL WIPE OFF THAT ANGEL FACE AND GO BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL Try writing the lyrics to fit an existing tune so that your structure and rhythm will sound right! Then take the tune away and give the words to your friendly musician to compose a tune to fit. Don’t, under any circumstances, tell him or her what your starting tune was, as that will have too much influence. Stand back and see what she or he comes up with and you should be amazed by the end result. On the next page is a worksheet to start you off, featuring the song Those Magic Changes from the show. The Tempo Pop songs are usually written in 4/4 time; one, two, three, four. As a lyricist you need to be aware of that, but don’t get hung up about it. Set the tempo according to the mood of the song - fast if it’s energetic or angry, mid tempo for a good solid pop song or slow for a sad song or a ballad. Definitions Verse: The verses all have the same melody but different lyrics. The verse lyrics give us information about the situation, emotions or people in the song. Chorus: The chorus is the section in which both melody and lyrics are repeated. In the chorus you will usually find the “hook” of the song - this is the melody which will buzz around in people’s heads for days after they have heard it. The title may well be the words that go with the hook. The title of the song almost always appears in the chorus section and may be repeated two or more times. Bridge: Also known as the middle eight. The bridge has a different melody, lyrics and chord progression from the verse or chorus. It provides a break from the repetition of verse and chorus and is sometimes an emotional turning point. Inspiration To Get You Started: 5 Top Love Songs Through The Ages All these songs have different structures. See if you can work out what they are. Love Me Tender Let’s Get it On Teenage Kicks I Will Always Love You Breathe Can you name the year and artist of these songs? What are your top five love songs? 24 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Follow Up Activities Music Worksheet: Those Magic Changes Curriculum Links: GCSE music Doody is getting to grips with the ingredients of a good love song as he struggles to work out what chords to play at the opening of “Those Magic Changes” – listen to it on the original cast recording and look at this extract, which shows the opening verse before the “magic change”. 1. Write your own lyric to this short section of melody. 2. In pairs, compose a new section of music to fit your lyrics. 3. Advanced composers can try to work out what comes next. Can you continue the melody line? When you’ve had a stab at it, listen again to the cast recording and see if you had a similar idea or did you create something entirely new? 25 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Follow Up Activities Writing A Review Of Grease Curriculum Links: GCSE/GNVQ level Drama/Performing Arts To write a review, watch the show carefully and write notes during the interval or after the play – we ask that you do not write notes during the performance. What do you see and hear on the stage and in the audience when you are waiting for the play to begin? To work out what effects are being created in the production, ask yourself these practical questions and think about why these choices have been made: The • • • • Set what is your first impression of what you see? what shapes, levels and colours are being used? how does the set hide or reveal the actors? how are the different locations and scenes in the show demonstrated? Costume • what colours and styles are being used, and what do they tell us about the historical period of the show? • compare different costumes, for example Sandy’s look at the beginning and her transformation for “You’re The One That I Want” or the difference between Kenickie and Eugene’s costumes. • How does costume help define a character? The • • • • • • Performers how does each actor create their character through the way they move? how effective is the transition from speech to song – can you give an example of a point in the show where this happens? how do the performers use the set? how do the performers relate to the audience – and when does this change? which performances do you find the most convincing? Why? Which performances do you find less convincing? Why? how do the dances affect the mood of the show? And lastly how does Grease make you feel? “Grease doesn’t have a message…it gives a flavour of being a teenager in the 1950s – when Rock n’ Roll and putting grease in your hair were the most important things in life..” David Gilmore, Director Do you agree or disagree? What are the differences and similarities for teenagers today? If you wrote a musical about your lives, what would it celebrate? Write notes here Lighting • what colours and shades are being used to create time of day or location or mood? • what levels of brightness are being used? • think about angles of light - who is well lit and who is in shadow? • when do the lights change? • what atmosphere and emotions are suggested by the lighting? 26 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Follow Up Activities Further Ideas for Citizenship and Drama Bridge the Gap (Citizenship – extended project) Interview people you know - grandparents, family friends or local residents who were teenagers in the 1950s. What do they remember of the hair and fashions of the time? Find out where, in your local area, did dances takes place. Re-create a 1950s dance in your school and ask local residents to help you choose the music. Invite them to the “hop” and alternate the playlist between 1950s and modern dance music. See what you can learn from each others’ dance styles. Follow The Story (Drama – three sessions) What do you think happens next to the characters of Grease? 1. In small groups choose four or five characters and create a scene which shows them ten years on. Plan and rehearse. 2. 3. 4. Polish and perform your scenes to the group. Follow the performance with a spontaneous improvisation where everyone meets up for a ten year reunion, dancing to the hits of their teens and talking about their lives. Depending on the size and ability of the group, this could be managed as a whole class improvisation. Extension activity to explore how to create characters of different ages: a whole class improvisation as in (3) but at a signal from the teacher everyone travels forward in time ten years. Let each period play for a minute or so, then flash forward again until you reach the present day (average age of characters is now sixty six). Grease Day Why not have a “Grease Day” as a charity fundraiser? Everyone pays a pound to come as their favourite character from the show. The teachers can join in too! Decorate the school hall to resemble Rydell High and even the tannoy announcements could be authentic. Raise additional funds from sponsored Rock n’ Roll dances and tallest beehive and best kept quiff competitions. The possibilities are endless and there’s a lot of fun to be had for your school’s chosen good cause. The End 27 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. Bibliography/Further Resources and Information DVDs Websites Grease [1978] Starring John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (DVD - 2002) www.thesoundofmusictour.com • everything you need to know about the current production of Grease. www.facebook.com/greasethemusical • official page on social networking website. www.davidianproductions.com • official website of David Ian’s company, with links to current shows, company history and news. Education Pack Credits Created by Helen Cadbury Additional Research by Michael Havard-Bilton, Su Newell & Paramount Films. With thanks to Jacob Todd, Julia McInally, Sarah Seddon and the cast and company of Grease over the years. Grease Production Photography by Paul Coltas Designed by Hazeldine-Coltas www.imdb.com/title/tt0077631/ • film listing page on the IMDb website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease_(musical) • information about Grease on Wikipedia. This education pack has been designed so that individual pages may be printed off by teachers/ group leaders for individual use within the class room. Any further distribution or reproduction of the text and images contained within it is prohibited. Books All photographs are of the 2011 UK Tour Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (Samuel French Paperback - Jan 1997). The Grease Education Pack © PNDI/DIP 1993-2011 Grease Is Still the Word by Neil, Sr. David (Paperback - Apr 1999). www.greasethemusical.co.uk Grease 20th Anniversary Edition by W. Casey and J. Jacobs (Easy Piano Paperback 10 Nov 2007). For more information contact: The Marketing Department David Ian Productions Ltd 3rd Floor, 33 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8NA +44(0) 20 7257 6380 Grease - School Version by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (Samuel French Acting Edition Paperback 30 Sep 2009. CDs Grease - Original 1978 Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD - 1991) Grease - Original London Cast Recording (Audio CD - 1994) Grease - The New Broadway Cast Recording (Audio CD - 2007) Stock and amateur rights for GREASE are represented in the United Kingdom, Eire and throughout Europe by Theatrical Rights Worldwide. www.theatricalrights.com and in the US & Canada by Samuel French Inc. www.samuelfrench.com 28 www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2011 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved.