On Theater:

Mention “Grease” to most people and they’ll probably envision John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in an airborne convertible soaring above the crowd at a carnival.

That movie version of the Jim Jacobs- Warren Casey stage musical celebrating the teenage cats and chicks of the 1950s was a big hit, but so was the more-grounded original, which is rocking out in a spirited revival at Golden West College. Either way, the songs and laughs abound.

Golden West’s sprawling “Grease,” with its almost overpopulated ensemble, offers some terrific entertainment under the imaginative direction of Martie Ramm. It’s rough, raw and raucous with a handful of memorable specialty acts such as Tristen Gire’s sizzling cameo as visiting dancer Cha-Cha di Gregorio and Josh Alton’s smooth crooner Teen Angel.

The only drawback is that the Thunderbirds gang members (with the notable exception of Brian Sipkovich’s sterling Kenickie) sport haircuts so short and neat that they could easily crash a Young Republicans meeting. Most noticeable in this regard is Whitney Ackerman, whose clean-cut Danny Zuko could easily be mistaken for the nerdish Eugene.

Fortunately, Ackerman excels both as a singer and dancer, and his rocky romance with the shy Sandy (a dark-haired Katie Del Vecchio) is infectiously entertaining. Both leading players have terrific voices that compensate for any physical disillusions.

As in most productions of “Grease,” the two second leads steal the show. At Golden West, these roles are wonderfully rendered by Sipkovich’s big, burly Kenickie and Amanda Shay’s brash, brassy Betty Rizzo.

Shay’s late-show solo “There are Worse Things I Could Do” is a particular highlight in a production brimming with them, including her own “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” (in which Sal Mineo replaces Elvis in the lyrics).

And, while the movie was propelled by high Travoltage, the stage version offers each of the Thunderbirds and Pink Ladies a shot at solo glory. Highest marks among the gals goes to Amanda Baker’s teen crush anthem “Freddy, My Love” (which was inexplicably excised from the movie) and Sipkovich’s hard-driving “Greased Lightnin’.”

Ramm also choreographs the extensive dance numbers, hitting her stride with the huge ensemble piece “Born to Hand-Jive,” which spotlights the enormous terpsichorean talents of the glamorous Gire, outdoing anything you’ll see on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Other notables include Chantelle Rosinsky as the pink-haired beauty school dropout Frenchy, Jonathan Dean as the rakish deejay Vince Fontaine and Tony Graham as the school’s mooning champ Roger, better known as “Rump.”

Musical director Rick Heckman and his upstage combo keep the pace torrid, though he could tone the sound down a bit in the late-show number, “All Choked Up” (which fills the slot occupied in the flick by “You’re the One That I Want”) so that the audience could catch the unfamiliar lyrics.

“Grease” is, by now, a museum piece, having first surfaced nearly 40 years ago as a tribute to another bygone era.

It still rocks, however, when filled with the level of talent and energy on view at Golden West College.

If You Go

What: “Grease”

Where: Golden West College Mainstage Theater

When: Closing performances 7:30 tonight and Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $10 to $12

Call: (714) 895-8150

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.