Our columnist's trip to Drayton to see the threatre's production of Grease stirs up some nostalgia

This week’s column is pure nostalgia for me.

On July 15, Clare and I travelled to Drayton, Ont., to catch a production of the hit musical Grease.

I admit that I’m a sucker for the ridiculousness of a good musical and I’m far too simple to be drawn to most dramatic theatre.

It must have something to do with my restless nature.

My analogy for dramatic theatre versus musical theatre would be the difference between reading a 400-page novel of boring dialogue and being required to continually process the plot versus picking up a magazine with lots of short articles and pictures, with no plot.

Yes, I’m that simple.

For the only two in the world who’ve never seen Grease, the musical is set in 1959 and involves a cast of characters who attend fictional Rydell High in Chicago.

The musical has some risqué dialogue and lyrics, but what would one expect from a group of streetwise high school students?

The musical, written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, made its debut in 1971 in a former trolley barn in Chicago before graduating to Broadway the next year.

For me, there is so much to love about this musical.

First, I love the time period it is set in.

I was born in 1956 and, while I was too young to be considered part of the “greaser” scene, it was the era that just preceded me, so I wasn’t too far removed.

Secondly, I love the music of the era.

I have mentioned several times in this column that my friend, Greg Lidstone, had a huge influence on my early musical growth.

Greg was a great guitar player and had a particular love for the music and harmonies of........

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