An overwhelming response to the announcement of a concert version of Grease, touring Australia throughout April and May, has been registered in a number of extra shows added for each city. Producers are now announcing matinees in Sydney and Melbourne. This brings the total to six performances for Melbourne, seven for Sydney, and four each for Adelaide and Brisbane.

Grease:The Arena Spectacular is proving the enduring popularity of the musical in Australia, and coincides with the 20th anniversary celebrations of the film version, starring Australia's Olivia Newton John.

Producer John Frost, who toured the theatrical version throughout Australia and New Zealand in the early 1990's, is staging the concert version in conjunction with Sports and Entertainment Limited. Frost, who enjoyed recent Broadway success with The King and I, hopes this association will lead to future productions locally and internationally.

Billed as fully staged and costumed, the show has employed some of Australia's leading theatre talent including Tony-winning designer Brian Thomson. The cast is lead by Craig McLachlan as Danny, Jane Scali as Sandy, Dannii Minogue as Rizzo, and Australia's original Phantom, Anthony Warlow, as the Teen Angel.

--By Russel Watson
Assoc. Australia Correspondent