Bear Grease strikes the right chord with communities

The excitement was palpable on Lucy Antoine’s face as she waited with bated breath for the Bear Grease crew to set the stage on fire.

A die-hard fan of the 1971 classic ‘Grease’, Antoine was one of the first to enter when the doors opened for Bear Grease --- the all-Indigenous musical parody that has been captivating audiences across North America.

Lucy Antoine (fourth from right) and Bernice Garcia of the Coldwater Indian Band pose with the Bear Grease cast

Acting upon the Elders’ requests of the eight Participating Bands, Citwx Nlaka’pamux Assembly (CNA) and K’en T’em Limited Partnership brought the Edmonton-based Bear Grease to perform in Merritt (on December 13) for the first time in their four-year chequered journey.      

The Bear Grease event provided a perfect occasion for the community members of the Nlaka’pamux territory to meet and greet each other, share a laugh, get nostalgic, create deeper bonds for a stronger future. There was bonhomie on full display at the Merritt Civic Centre as Elders and families mingled with one and other, rekindling the spirit of the community.

Community members strike for a pose with the Bear Grease crew

“It was a magical performance; I thoroughly loved it. I had just seen the Grease on television and heard their music on the radio, but today I got the opportunity to see the play live. The Bear Grease team presented this classic in their unique style,” said Antoine, a proud member of the Coldwater Indian Band, which is one of the eight Participating Bands of the CNA. Antoine had her family (Ellen and Sharon Antoine) and friends (Bernice Garcia and Rachel Williams) besides, making the performance totally enjoyable.

Revitalizing the ‘Grease’ with vibrant cultural expression, the ‘Tell Me More’ song received a huge round of applause. The Metis jigging as well as the Salish drumming got thunderous reactions from the audience. The popular ‘Wichihin’ had all the elements to go viral. The rap and fusion mix as well as the break-dancing struck the right chord, especially with the younger ones in the audience.  

The Bear Grease cast is in awe of their youngest fan

Delilah Walkem (centre) of the Nicomen Indian Band chats with friends and family at the Bear Grease musical

Delilah Walkem, of the Nicomen Indian Band, who came with her mother and daughter, was thrilled with the show that was put up. “We had a great time; there were a lot of laughs. We enjoyed the humour, the references, the singing, and the dancing. We would love to see this again and with other people. It really meant a lot as our community and our people were able to laugh,” she said.

The Bear Grease’s unique way of engaging the audience with eye contacts and gestures into their performance of the Pow-wow led to a standing ovation.

Community members are all smiles after the Bear Grease performance

For the Bear Grease, it was truly special to perform on the Nlaka’pamux land and get a chance to connect with the eight Participating Band members. “Thank you, CNA and K’en T’em for having us into your beautiful communities. It always means a lot to come back into our native communities and spread our message, spread our narrative. Remember, if nobody loves you, Bear Grease loves you,” the troop signed off.