DANBURY— Lightning strikes twice for Musicals at Richter as they continue celebrating their 40th season of performances with a production of Grease, which runs through August 10.

Fresh off the heels of a knockout production of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Richter carries that same passion and love into Grease, with an extremely talented cast and live band, stunning costumes, and eye-catching set that capture the magic of the smash-hit, iconic musical. Richter’s production of Grease is another runaway hit; a night of nostalgia and high-energy fun that is sure to get everyone singing along.

One of the world’s most popular musicals, Grease transports audiences back to the 1950s and introduces them to Rydell High’s senior class of 1959. There are the Burger Palace Boys, the hot-rodding and tough-acting greasers, and then there are the Pink Ladies, the gum-snapping and hip-shaking clique of girls, both of which make a name for themselves around school.

After a whirlwind summer romance between Danny Zuko (played by Eli Foodman), the leader of the Burger Palace Boys, and Sandy Dumbrowski (Rosalie Peña), the sweet new girl in town who gets swept up by the Pink Ladies, Danny and Sandy try to rekindle their relationship as they navigate school and all the chaos that comes during their senior year.

What makes Richter’s Grease such a standout show is that it captures that youthful, infectious energy from the original musical and runs with it. Director Jessica Smith did a fantastic job in guiding the entire cast, from the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies to those in the ensemble, and making them feel like a unit and come to life on stage.

The Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies all feel like they are genuine, tight-knit friend groups through strong body language and character acting. They lean on each other, shove each other around if they get annoyed, and bring this enthusiasm out in each other just as they are hanging out. It sells the connection Danny has with his respective group, and makes the audience really feel for Sandy as she struggles to fit in with hers.

This is also apparent in Foodman and Peña’s super strong performances as the show’s leading couple. Foodman brings Danny’s needed cocky, easy-going attitude to the stage while also showing off his vulnerable side when the scene calls for it.

That especially carries over into numbers like “Alone at a Drive-in Movie,” where Foodman’s powerful vocals are on full display as he goes all out on the stage; climbing over and on top of a prop car, longing for the girl who left him. Comparing it to that soft gentleness his and Peña’s characters show for each other in “Summer Nights,” it makes that teenage heartache later in the show all the more effective.

Meanwhile, Peña gives off this perfect sweet and innocent energy as Sandy. How she carries herself in scenes like the pajama party, where she sits all properly on the floor, hands in her lap, only to get sick trying to smoke and drink for the first time, really sell her as this graceful, yet sheltered girl who struggles to find her place with the Pink Ladies.

That same sadness, along with her longing for Danny, is seen in her big number “It’s Raining on Prom Night,” which gives Peña the chance to show off her gorgeous vocals. This all makes the way Peña pulls off Sandy’s transformation into a confident greaser later in the show all the more amazing.

Of course, the Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies are more than just Danny and Sandy. Rizzo (Jazzy Cores) is a highlight, as she owns the stage with her biting, sarcastic delivery and lounges around like she owns the place. She projects that confident, outspoken attitude so well that when she shows off her vulnerability — and stunning vocals — in “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” it is a treat for the entire audience.

Kenickie (Dominic Chila) is so fun to watch, especially when he messes around and interacts with the other Burger Palace Boys. His charisma is infectious, and makes “Greased Lightning,” when he and all the other greasers show off their dance moves to the iconic song, such a fun, standout number.

Frenchy (Daisy Stott) is as amazingly funny as she is endearing as she tries to support her friend group while failing to go through beauty school. Marty (Jennifer Analise Roberts) is delightfully confident, and shows off her charm in her number “Freddy, My Love.”

Roger (Robert Fontenelli) and Jan (Emma Lubbers) share the funny duet “Mooning,” which perfectly captures their offbeat and chaotic energy. Doody (Christian Eklund) gets to flex his killer vocals in “Those Magic Changes” and shows off a lot of neat character acting quirks, like how he holds his baseball bat upside down. Sonny (Andrew Neil) rounds out the crew with his super fun character moments, bouncing off his castmates as he tries and fails to be a lady-killer.

Beyond them, the ensemble also makes the stage come to life. Big group numbers like “Born to Hand Jive” and “We Go Together” are infectious thanks to the energy they all bring to the table, as are all the cast’s fun dance moves throughout the show thanks to choreography by Melissa Arizzi. It feels like one endearing blast to the past, rocking out as they sing and dance to a much-beloved soundtrack.

A huge shoutout to the stage design, and all of the cool props throughout the whole show. There are so many little things that capture the 1950s atmosphere so well, like the Burger Palace set with its vintage green chairs, blue fluorescent lights running over the counter, and the jukebox with flashing lights. Then there is the fantastic looking car prop that gets rolled out to the stage for scenes like “Greased Lightning” or the drive-in movie, which even has its own car lights that turn on and shine bright out into the night.

The costumes also evoke the look of the 1950s so well, too, and feel like they are plucked straight out of that decade. Highlights in that regard include all the prom outfits, the outfits the Pink Ladies wear for the pajama party, and the greaser get-up that Peña wears at the very end.

There are so many cool moments throughout this entire show that just make it such a fun ride. “Beauty School Dropout” feels magical as the smoke machine goes full blast when the Teen Angel (Helen Seda) descends with her choir to console Frenchy. Every time the car prop comes out and the cast gets to interact with it is so fun. The way all the characters, from leads to supporting cast, bounce off each other and radiate this contagious energy is an absolute delight. All of this carried with a remarkable live orchestra who hit every beat of such an iconic soundtrack and make the audience want to get up and dance.

It all makes for a show that is the perfect summer outing for friends and family alike, and is more than worth checking out.

The final performances for Grease are planned for Thursday, August 8 and Saturday, August 10, at 8 pm, doors at 7 pm, at Richter Arts Center, 100 Aunt Hack Road in Danbury. The performance on Thursday, August 8 will be specially discounted. The performance originally scheduled on Friday, August 9 has been canceled due to rainy forecast.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors (65+) and students (with ID), and $10 for children ten and under. For the specially discounted Thursday, August 8 performance, tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and students, and $10 for children ten and under.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit musicalsatrichter.org, call 203-748-6873, or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org.

=====

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.