Run and Tell That: Grease Live

(From Left to Right, up and down)
Keke Palmer, Kether Donohue, Julianne Hough, Andrew Call, Carly Rae Jepsen, Carlos PenaVega, Aaron Tveit, David Del Rio, Jordan Fisher, Vanessa Hudgens

*I apologize if this just seems like one long rant I'm not good with organizing my thoughts* Is Grease really the word? Grease Live was not a smash hit, but it was not a box office flop either. It was simply a show of mediocrity. The opening scene with Danny & Sandy were on the beach I thought I was about to start watching a bad 80's romance movie. I was not having it and then Jessie J while singing a spectacular rendition of "Grease is the Word" was roaming around the sets just felt like an MTV teen special from the 00's. What also did not help the production was the constant interruptions by Mario Lopez and talking like a cheesy game show host and seeing behind the sets would totally take you out of the moment of the show. What was also annoying was how some of the sets and costumes for the musical were exact copies from the movie (Originality at it's finest) In the beginning Julianne Hough

as the prissy, pure Sandy just felt bland and boring and their was nothing special about her. Later on though Hough's performance improved greatly especially during her rendition of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" was very good and powerful, but lacked emotion at times. When she got to be the sexy, skin-tight leather pants wearing Sandy she was definitely more in her element and was better overall. But she was still no match for Olivia Newton-John. The Broadway veteran Aaron Tviet [Hairspray, Next to Normal, Wicked] as greaser Danny Zuko was good casting, but his acting was nothing special. The other T-Birds, who took the gang name from the movie and not the Burger Palace Boys from the musical, Jordan Fisher, Andrew Call [Rock of Ages, American Idiot] and David Del Rio [In the Heights] who played Doody, Sonny and Putzie while they did pretty good jobs their character portrayals were nothing special and to be frank they were rather boring. However on the bright side of things the second in command of the T-Birds, whose hickies are like Hallmark cards, Carlos PenaVega as Kenickie did a very good job on portraying his character and tried something new with the character, while that was worth mentioning he lacked on making the character memorable. The infamous T-Birds song "Greased Lightning" was lacking quality and skill and I felt like they were trying to imitate the movie throughout the whole sequence. Also why was their these random girls doing pelvic thrusts in the middle of the number. "Greased Lightning" is supposed to be about the men trying to sell sex that means no girls allowed, but hey that is just my opinion on it. Vanessa Hudgens [Gigi] as the Pink Ladies leader, Betty Rizzo, gets my props for

performing just hours after her father died, but she does what she always does and that is over act. Hudgens has amazing talent and she always tries too hard on her roles she has the potential to be a great Rizzo, but I think she needs the right director who will work with her on her roles. Hudgens did get better as the night progressed, but no one can ever beat Stockard Channing from the film. Carly Rae Jepsen [Cinderella] as Frenchie was just awful she was also bland and uneventful, no one will ever match with Didi Conn (Who had cameo as Vi) and her cute nasally voice she did, but what made matters worse was that pointless song "All I Need is an Angel" for Frenchie right before the unnecessary riff filled, carbon copy of the movie costumes and all rendition of "Beauty School Dropout" sung by the 1 to many Boyz II Men. In my opinion they only needed one teen angel not three that is just excessive. Kether Donohue who played Jan, the lovable Twinkie eating Pink Lady, was again not on the same level as the movie actress Jamie Donnelly who will always be the one true Jan (Besides my amazing mentor Tara Tagliaferro) On the opposite end was Keke Palmer [Cinderella] who gave us quite the shocker as she pulled of the role of the smart, sophisticated, man hoarder (For lack of a better term) of

the Pink Ladies, Marty, while putting her own sassy twist on the role. Her rendition of "Freddy My Love" was absolutely superb and a wonderful performance and I can't wait for her Broadway return (Maybe as a replacement Dorothy in The Wiz revival.) Elle McLemore [Heathers, Bring it On] who portrayed the over-excited, optimistic annoying student council vice-president Patty Simcox was again no match for the movie actress Susan Buckner who again played the role to perfection, but McLemore was definitely a good choice to play this role. The dance legend of St. Bernadette's Charlene "Cha-Cha" DiGregorio looked like a cheap hooker with a drug problem when we first met her in that unflattering dress and teased hair. While the students of Rydell High may have lacked the staff knew what they were doing. Principal McGee played by lovely Ana Gasteyer [Wicked, The Rocky Horror Show] did a great job in her role. (However I would have loved to see Stockard Channing return to play Principal McGee that would have been pretty cool.) Wendell Pierce [Serious Money, The Boys of Winter] who played the funny Coach Calhoun was absolutely amazing and was very funny in his small role. And by far the knock-out performance of the night was that lovable, charming, charismatic secretary Miss Blanche played

by the amazing Haneefah Wood [Rent, Avenue Q] was down right funny. From when she was grooving to the bells that ring during the daily announcements, to getting down at the night of the dance, and of course her hungover state after the dance and realizing that her bra was left under the bleachers. I mean talk about a knock-out! She was absolutely hysterical, but didn't try to steal the spotlight from her co-stars. Grease Live had some good moments, but felt like a complete carbon copy of the movie from the script, as well as the costumes (The dance scene are you kidding?) and even the choreography was taken from the movie. I felt there was no originality at all. That being said for a first try this was not bad Fox. Every station will have their own The Sound of Music Live, so I hope that Fox does continue with the live musical trend these days for it gets people aware of how great musical theater is. As we know Fox is planning a remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Which will not be live and will be released October 2016) I wonder what they will plan to do next year. Perhaps Rent, Footloose, Chicago or maybe even Avenue Q. I think we can bet on Fox doing more teenage and adult musicals while NBC will stick to the family friendly. The only question I have is: Who will be the next channel to join us with live televised musicals and more importantly will they finally get the right formula?