‘Grease’ is the cleaned-up word

Young Chang

Some oxymorons to try:

True lies.

Clearly misunderstood.

A G-rated “Grease.”

Bill Gekas, co-director of the “Summer Stock” show that opens at

Lincoln Elementary School today, cites “I Love Lucy” tactics to explain

how it’s possible.

“You had to wonder how Lucy and Ricky got Little Ricky,” he said.

“What we’ve tried to do is keep the joy and the fun and the irreverence

of [Grease], but not make it overt as to offend anyone.”

With no one older than 14, and one as young as 10, a cast of 18 children donned everything from hair scarves to poodle skirts Wednesday

during rehearsal for the summer show.

Though small in stature, cast members proved unabashed about shaking

their hips and dancing more sultry than kids usually do. But that’s where

the precociousness stops.

Jennie Geoffroy, a 14-year-old choreographer for the show, said she

chose less touching and more looking.

“In the movie they have a lot of things like you’re all over your

partner [dancing,] but I tried to not have so much touching. More of

by-yourself kind of looking or holding hands,” said Jennie, who also

plays the part of Pink Lady Rizzo in the show.

She and Gekas kept in mind their audience -- a room of parents and

siblings.

“I love what they did in the movie, but there’s some things . . . I

just don’t really want to go there,” Jennie said. “The audience wouldn’t

feel comfortable watching it, we wouldn’t be comfortable doing it.”

Gekas added that the raunchiness of the show isn’t necessary to tell

the story. Kisses are simulated behind two hands, for example.

“But what we’ve tried to do is keep to the spirit of the play but

still keep it ready for audiences we have,” he said.

Cast members come from the Orange County High School of the Arts,

Corona del Mar High School and surrounding schools. Most of them are

graduates of Lincoln Elementary in Corona del Mar who are reuniting after

previous productions together.

James Markel, a round-faced and cheerful 13-year-old playing the lead

of Danny, said he tried to be a “non-jock” type of cool for the part. He

toned down the smiling -- Danny’s just too cool to smile much -- and

walked a smoother walk.

“You have to be like a John Travolta type if you want to be Danny,” he

said.

Torrie Jaynes plays Sandy. At 5-feet tall, she’s a convincing

good-girl who falls for the head T-Bird.

She gets eight costume changes -- twin sweater sets, little ankle

socks and a dance dress, too -- but has two favorites.

“Either the first day of school outfit or the sleepover scene robe.

It’s really comfortable, quilted from the 40s’s,” said Torrie, 12.

Despite the slight sterilization of the production -- and a cast

generations younger than the Broadway and Travolta versions -- Gekas said

his young cast’s show has personalized the script no more than every

other “Grease” out there.

“Everybody does ‘Grease’ for their own audience,” he said. “We just

didn’t want anyone feeling their junior high kid was doing something

immoral.”

WHAT: “Grease”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday, Thursday, Aug. 10 and Aug. 11

WHERE: Lincoln Elementary School, 3201 Pacific View Drive, Corona del

Mar

COST: $8

CALL: (949) 644-5584