In the balmy dusk a sold out crowd patiently waited for dark to descend on a former walnut orchard so the lights could go up on The Acting Company's ambitious production of Grease.

The lights went up on Bonnie Williams' character leading the timeless reunion of Rydell High, Class of '59 in the alma mater. Then down. Then up again.

And Heidi Ramey's wireless microphone sometimes cut out as her, "Margie," gave the keynote speech.

But from the moment she recalled to mind images of absent classmates dearly remembered and the players silently backed into the precious past, all technical problems receded before the energy of the talent cast.

The two months of work and imagination paid off with a relatively tight, well-paced show with consistent quality among the players and their individual numbers: No clunkers, several show-stoppers.

It has been interesting to watch co-directors Staci Johnson and Pierrette Jensen put the show together over the last two months, see the cast grow in their roles and the crews assemble the theater, stage, set, lights and sound from scratch in the last few days.

Mid-way through rehearsals it was learned that the Marysville Community Auditorium -- the planned venue for the show -- would not be available. After some fancy footwork Johnson hit upon the unusual solution of putting the show on amid the walnut trees of the Peach Tree Golf and Country Club.

Johnson, who is also musical director for the show, deserves much credit for helping the actors grow and improve. She made it clear what she wanted to achieve on stage and helped them to create it by, among other things, physically demonstrating the smiles, scowls and sashays she expected them to deliver.

To co-director Jensen goes much for the credit for realizing in costume and in color the overall atmosphere of the set.

A dance-heavy musical, Grease can stand or fall on its choreography. Luckily and skillfully, Candee Jensen and Jonathan Bryson rose to the challenge.

Master carpenter Randy Fayette and his helpers made the minimalist campus of Rydell High rise from a vacant lawn

And credit for the graphic touches that made it believable goes to Linda Plummer, with a little help from her friends.

As for the actors, singers and dancers a few words are worth saying.

Matt Monaco: A trophy of some sort should be created for him as "Danny Zuko." He was already an excellent and thoughtful actor, but arrived at this musical with what can only be described as a negligible singing voice. Yet, in the space of two months he bootstrapped himself from whispering around unreachable notes to hitting the high C's, strong and clear. Now that's an accomplishment that should stand him in good stead in the future. Still, no one's perfect, and Monaco needs to refrain from ad-libbing certain of "Danny's" lines and be more fastidious in his costumes and sound gear.

Colleen Sullivan: She's another voice that has magically morphed from marginal to melodious. Here is a talented actress with natural ear for dialogue. She is fairly consistently good throughout, but occasionally suffers inexplicable lapses. Two spring to mind. While singing "Hopeless Devoted" -- superlatively, it might be added -- she for some reason wanders over to the uttermost corner of the stage right apron and, instead of looking back over the crowd so they can see her face, instead has her "Sandy" face into the black, off-stage void. And when she returns to the picnic scene to chastise "Rizzo" for making fun of her she has this line where she says "I saw you making fun of me…," whereupon she is supposed to hit Rizzo. Only between the line and the punch is this little inexplicable gap, like she's reading the script in her mind and saying, "OK, this is where I reach out and punch Rizzo, and here I am doing it."

Dahni Trujillo: What I want to know is: Where's this girl's recording contract? She's the best voice in the cast. Absolutely star quality. Her "Rizzo's" "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee," is flawless, and her version of "There are Worse Things I Could Do" is enough to break the heart of any middle-ager thinking back on the One That Got Away;. But her "Rizzo" is a trifle diffident. Could be tougher, more mixed up and vulnerable. But then Trujillo did manage to get her large, powerful eyes under control just in time for opening night. Eye position is everything in acting and in rehearsals her liquid browns were roaming all over the set in a most disconcerting way.

Tyler Brand: At 15, this is one precocious actor. He has "Kenickie" well in mind and executes the role with ease. His is another surprisingly good and strong voice. His mannerisms are somewhat narrow, but they will widen as he takes on more different roles -- which he really ought to do.

Sara Guerrero: Tall, long-legged and very commanding, her "Marty" is visually the queen of the cast. Vitalizes her character with unassuming ease. Her smooth acting, coupled with a strong, mid-range voice provides the audience with an unforgettable "Freddy My Love." On the money from first entrance to curtain call.

Austin Dixon: Well known already as a prize-winning competitive jazz dancer, he sings well and his "Doody" displays an innate sense of stage acting -- which is not to be confused with film acting, which most of the cast seems to emulate. Of all the performers in this show, Dixon is probably the most well-rounded. If he sticks to it and works a little tap into his repertoire, he could be another Ray Bolger, or even the next Tommy Tune.

Mary Cobb and Shannon Doscher: These two deserve mention together, because they've run a dead heat for creating the best, most fully-realized characters in the show -- as "Frenchy" and "Jan," respectively. Grease will be made many times over again by other community theater groups, but they’ll be hard pressed to top Cobb and Doscher. Cobb has so perfectly captured the sweetly ditzy "Frenchy" that it will be hard to think her voice could ever sound like anything but a squeak.

James Wilton: streetwise dancer, effortless actor, serviceable singer, just needs to smile more. His easy-going energy as "Sonny" exemplifies why the Burger Palace Boys fit together so well a chemically balanced unit.

Jasper Oliver: A comic in life, a comic in theater. This guy is a true trouper who can take any role and enthusiastically make it his own. As "Roger," he has parlayed his untrained voice into one of the most applauded solos in the show, "Mooning."

Bonnie Williams and Heidi Ramey: These two advanced the plot by delivering good performances of stock characters in the collective national memory of high school days. Williams aptly plays, "Patty," the sugary over-achieving blonde running for office. Ramey, who fairly exudes innocent enthusiasm, sets the whole play in motionher "Argie" conjures the past, sending the cast and audience back to relive it in song and dance.

Candee Jensen: Jensen is a complete professional: a jazz and tap dancer, a seasoned actor who proudly squeezes every last little bit of juice out of every part, and oh what a voice. When she walks in as "Cha-Cha" the audience lights up and the characters around her shrink away. She has too much talent to linger longer in Yuba-Sutter. Get this girl to Hollywood fast. Better yet, New York, and NOW!

Joe Moye: "Johnny Casino" lives! He gives the most authentic '50s stylings to the two parts he plays, as a rock 'n' roll singer and a nerdy high school student. Where does all this talent come from in a town this size?

Noah Gillet: He plaus "Vince Fontaine" wiht a true radio quality voice and good looks that remind one of Russell Crowe.

Derek Riley: This "Teen Angel" is the biggest surprise in the show. He started out in rehearsals as something of a tousled tike with "What am I doing here, anyway?" worried look on his face. His voice seemed to be getting stronger, that was for sure. But it wasn’t until he popped out as the white clad angel and reaching for the audience that he finally revealed what he had -- like a maiden colt in the seventh race at Aqueduct entering the clubhouse turn dead last and the suddenly sprinting by the pack to win by a nose at the finish.

Pierrette Jensen: The musical's co-director and chief costumier plays "Miss Lynch" the quintessential high school principal with comic verve. The up-and-comers in the cast would be well-advised to watch her stage techniques, for with such examples there would be no future

April Clark and Alex Mazerolle: This "Prom Singers" duo work together well, providing back up singing to "Sandy's" "Raining on Prom Night" and as singers, dancers and high school students in the ensemble. April is a developing singer who deserves more notice and a couple of good parts to grow into. At 12 Mazerolle is the youngest in the cast, She has seems to have learned the most in her time in Grease and made the most of it. She started out as a modest dancer, but soon assimilated all the social cues and moves she saw in the older players. In two months of grueling rehearsals, her smile widened and voice strengthened to a remarkable degree.

Kenni Fayette and Lindsey Tabler: These two well-trained, award-winning jazz dancers added considerable energy and physicality to the show's musical numbers. They put in the highlights so needed to bolster the less-trained actors' limited moves. Fayette especially added winsome charm and austere grace to the show's front line.

Mark Johnson and Jenny Grining: This couple -- married in real life -- provided the show with some great dancing and its longest running sight gag. They were the "make-out couple" always seen smooching in the background when they weren't rockin' and rollin' through arduous acrobatic spins.

Amanda Gray: another dancer/high school dancer whose yeoman's work in the dancing line added personality to the production. She's another natural dancer with very exuberant moves.

Kyle Noland and Philip Roberson: These two deserve special mention, if only under the rubric of "most improved." At 14, both are in the glorious process of smoothing their youthful talents into more polished forms. It was amazing to watch the basketball-tall, sometimes gawky Noland mellow -- with an actual girl, no less -- at the Rydell High School prom. And Roberson, really has come out of his shell as a dancer, neophyte guitarist and performer. He's still miserly with his winning smiles, but that will come in time. Let's hope there are more plays and parts on the near horizons of both boys.

The show runs through Aug. 3, with tickets for $12 on sale at the customer service kiosk at The Mall in Yuba City.