Lindsay Ragone
The most influential film of my childhood is without question GREASE. I have a clear memory of the first time I saw it: I was nine years old and curled up in a sleeping bag at a friend’s slumber party. We had just watched SLEEPAWAY CAMP (a horribly misguided selection for a group of nine-year old girls with a final shot that still haunts my nightmares) when GREASE was put into the top-loading VCR. The joy and excitement I felt during the next 110 minutes would forever change me. By the time I was eleven I had seen the film 100 times (I stopped counting at that point, but I would guess by now that number has tripled, at least).
It took many years for me to figure why I loved GREASE so much after that first screening. What the nine-year-old me didn’t know was that I was destined to be a film lover. For years I watched GREASE over and over again because I hadn’t been exposed to anything else. There were films like SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and WEST SIDE STORY that I had never been introduced to, so I latched on to the first musical I saw. GREASE was the placeholder for a future cinefile.
Though I no longer consider GREASE my favourite film, it will always have a special place in my heart. You see, it was my first love. To this day (aside from my husband) musical films are the love of my life, and GREASE was the first, and the first cut is the deepest
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend an advanced screening of SING-A-LONG GREASE at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The chance to see such an important part of my childhood at my favourite theatre (check it out if you can) was something I couldn’t pass up.
This movie is just as fun today as when I first saw it over twenty years ago. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are still the most attractive on-screen couple I have ever laid eyes on, and the music still compels me to break into song… which thankfully at a sing-a-long screening is socially acceptable. Honestly, the only way to make this film more enjoyable is to screen it in a room where the entire audience is encouraged to sing and dance along with the T-Birds and Pink Ladies.
I suspect many of the people who attended the screening have the same nostalgic feelings towards GREASE as I do (as evidenced by the high volume of pink jackets and poodle skirts in the theatre). The lyrics are written on the screen for all the musical numbers, but I doubt there were many in the audience who needed them.
SING-A-LONG GREASE will play at the TIFF Bell Lightbox Feb 24-26 hosted by writer/performer Shawn Hitchins (if you’ve attended a SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC screening in Toronto then I’ll bet you’re already a fan of this man).
There will be singing, there will be dancing, there will be props (never again will you want to listen to “Beauty School Dropout” without wearing a paper bag on your head), and yes, heckling is encouraged. See you there.
Haven’t attended any of the Sing-along screenings before (just bought a ticket for Grease), however I’m a fan of Shawn Hitchins based on the “Singing in the Dark” screenings held at the Lightbox during Nuit Blanche.
Man Lindsay we are so totally kindred spirits. Your GREASE story almost perfectly mirrors mine. I used to watch this every weekend with my best friend, and we’d take turns singing along as Danny or Sandy (we both always wanted to be Danny since he’s so cool, Sandy’s parts aren’t as good!). I could pretty easily quote the entire script of this movie but I actually haven’t watched it in a few years. Last time I was visiting my parents I dug up my old vhs copy (I never got around to replacing it with a dvd) so I’m definitely set for revisiting it. Followed by a viewing of GREASE 2, perhaps!?
Also I’m really jealous you went to a super fun-sounding sing-a-long screening but also really happy for you! A wop-bop-ba-loo-op A-wop-bam-BOOM!