Grease Live (Fox) - General Discussion

[BW Manilowe]

Seems the live event has sparked interest in the movie again: Today on Amazon, the DVD is ranked at #13 for best sellers and the Blu-Ray is at #48.

I bought the movie soundtrack CD from Amazon during the show too (& I may eventually also buy the soundtrack for this, either from iTunes or Target... Or wherever... Since the songs are from the movie more than any other version). Despite being an Olivia Newton-John fan since the beginning of her career, I'd never bought the Grease movie soundtrack since the movie was originally released; I'd just been content to have whichever Grease songs she included on her hits compilations--usually just Hopelessly Devoted... & You're the One That I Want. I decided it was time to get her other songs & some of the other characters' songs, & I bought the physical CD since I pretty much collect Olivia Newton-John's albums/CDs, instead of just downloading the other songs off of iTunes.

Thumper: The guy who played Kenickie last night was Carlos PenaVega, from the (I think now defunct) musical group/Disney or Nickelodeon show stars Big Time Rush. He's married to Spy Kids actress Alexa PenaVega; they both competed on this past season of Dancing with the Stars, where Julianne Hough--& 1-week special guest judge, Olivia Newton-John--critiqued their dancing.

Edited February 1, 2016 by BW Manilowe

[SiobhanJW]

They already have announced them. On Palm Sunday, they're doing a live musical version of The Passion (about Jesus' crucifixion), narrated &--I think--produced by Tyler Perry, with singer/celebrity cookbook author & cooking show host (& Mrs. Garth Brooks) Trisha Yearwood as Mary & American Idol S5's Chris Daughtry as Judas, among others. After that (I think someone upthread said in December), they're doing The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Orange is the New Black's Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank N. Furter, Tim Curry as the Narrator, & solo singer/new lead singer of Queen/American Idol S9 runner-up Adam Lambert as Eddie.

Yes I saw that commercial last night for The Passion.

 

I figured they would do another Musical in January again since this was so successful. So that was what I was wondering about. I feel like Fox would do and can get away with more "risque" musicals then NBC would do. So i'll be interested to see what they would choose next, if they do decide to do another one next January and start this tradition. 

 

And I knew about Rocky Horror, but I believe its going to be a 2 hour movie musical. Not live. 

Edited February 1, 2016 by SiobhanJW

[roughing it]

 

If it helps at all, Kenickie dated Rizzo.  :-)

Yes, of course.  But without Rizzo, and all the T-birds together, I couldn't tell any of them apart, except for Danny.

[Thumper]

Yes, of course.  But without Rizzo, and all the T-birds together, I couldn't tell any of them apart, except for Danny.

 

Me either!  :)

[Kromm]

Are we in a time machine back to 2 years ago with Jessie J. having short bleached hair?

 

Also, Mario Lopez? Go away. Always with you.... just go away.

 

EDIT - Billy Eichner agrees with me about stupid intrusive annoying Lopez.

 

https://twitter.com/billyeichner/status/693963360514220034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

 

And love that Didi Conn was part of this. Clearly there aren't too many opportunities for legacy players in this, between people who are too big stars to be bothered and those who have passed on, but Didi was placed right in this--Vi was a natural role for her. She was also very generous with her replacement: http://www.etonline.com/news/181293_grease_star_didi_conn_gifts_carly_rae_jepsen_with_original_frenchy_jacket_and_locket/  Think of all the people who'd be fake and superficial in their dealings with someone taking over their legacy and compare it to Didi Conn.

 

EDIT 2 - I forgot about the original Doody. Barry Pearl, who played him originally, was in this as the dance contest rep. guy.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Kromm

[Nite Ryder]

This ended up being a lot better than I ever expected because everything leading up to last night screamed disaster. I'm in the minority but I thought all the leads, paricularly Julianne Hough, were great and gave their all.  (Vanessa Hudgens proved the show must go on so major props to her.)   I still enjoyed The Wiz Live! more but Grease: Live! was so visually arresting and the 360 experience enhanced that.  

 

I wasn't a fan of Patty Simcox in this version, like someone mentioned, and too prefer her in the movie.  "Freddy My Love" was a treat that was impressively pulled off.  

[Rick Kitchen]

Jordan Fisher won the evening.  I didn't realize he was Matt from "Until Dawn".

[cynic]

Yes, of course.  But without Rizzo, and all the T-birds together, I couldn't tell any of them apart, except for Danny.

Yeah, all the T-birds kinda blended together for the most part. I preferred how it was in the movie, where Kenickie and Danny were both much more attractive and "cooler" than the rest of the guys. They were obviously the best friends and the others were more like hangers on. This was really evident in Greased Lightning when both Danny and Kenickie got to where different outfits than the rest of the T-Birds. This Kenickie didn't hold a candle to Jeff Conaway.

 

I thought it was a lot of fun.  I smiled the entire time.  I also never realized how graphic "Grease Lightning" was until I noticed there were major phrases edited out!  Did they call it a "braggin' wagon" instead of "pussy wagon?"  I couldn't quite catch that.

I was reading another comment board and learned stuff that I never knew! "Pussy wagon" was one thing (It was dragon wagon in this production). They also pointed out that the bowling reference in Summer Nights (complete with finger motions!) likely referred to Danny fingering Sandy and that Sandy's suit probably didn't get "damp" from sea spray. Also, I can't remember if it was mentioned here or there, but Danny rubbing saran wrap on his crotch was a reference to guys trying to use saran wrap as condoms. I always wondered why he did that! This production also changed the lyric when Rizzo curses in Italian at the end of Sandra Dee.

 

I almost passed out a few times whenever Aaron Tveit thrust his pelvis into the air.  Hellloooooo, handsome.

I normally love Aaron Tveit. He's gorgeous and a wonderful singer. I just wasn't feeling him as Danny though. He just didn't seem like a cocky greaser and he was missing some sex appeal (or maybe just chemistry with Hough). I need to go watch him in Les Mis again on dvd. Mmmmm Enjolras! Edited February 2, 2016 by cynic

[Kromm]

Anyone else think Boyz II Men really tanked?  I was shocked how out of tune/off pitch they were. I mean when a relatively lightweight singer like Carly Rae Jepson was more in tune then them?  Not good.

[Thumper]

I couldn't hear the lyrics by Boyz II Men as well as I could in the movie.   Again, that may have been the microphone/sound issue.

[JustaPerson]

 

a live musical version of The Passion (about Jesus' crucifixion), narrated &--I think--produced by Tyler Perry,

That sounds awfully dour. They couldn't at least do Jesus Christ Superstar or Godspell?

Edited February 2, 2016 by JustaPerson

[ByaNose]

Patty Simcox was a lot meaner in this version. Even, in the movie version when Patty Simcox made fun of Rizzo she was more obnoxious.

[Kromm]

I couldn't hear the lyrics by Boyz II Men as well as I could in the movie.   Again, that may have been the microphone/sound issue.

I didn't need to hear the lyrics--even just hearing the tone it was clear how out of tune they were.

That said, I wonder if we all got the same sound. The version I just watched wasn't nearly as bad as some folks are describing.

 

I wasn't a fan of Patty Simcox in this version, like someone mentioned, and too prefer her in the movie.  "Freddy My Love" was a treat that was impressively pulled off.

I actually loved Elle McLemore as Patty. I thought she was cute as a button. Mean when the role needed her to be, true, but cute. Edited February 2, 2016 by Kromm

[Sara2009]

Boys ll Men got a lot of praise last night, so maybe it was just sound issues rather than vocal issues.

[Kromm]

You know I just noticed rewatching that that dunderhead Mario Lopez said "American Bandstand" instead of "National Bandstand", when they come back from the commercial. Duhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Boys ll Men got a lot of praise last night, so maybe it was just sound issues rather than vocal issues.

I dunno. Out of tune is out of tune. And I COULD hear the words they were saying. It was their pitch (at least two of the three of them) that was the problem for me.

[jennifer6973]

I loved this, it makes me want to buy the Soundtrack even though I have the Original Broadway Prod., the Movie Soundtrack and the New Broadway Prod.  Because you can never have enough versions of "There are Worse Things I Can Do"

[Sara2009]

You know I just noticed rewatching that that dunderhead Mario Lopez said "American Bandstand" instead of "National Bandstand", when they come back from the commercial.

Duhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I dunno. Out of tune is out of tune. And I COULD hear the words they were saying. It was their pitch (at least two of the three of them) that was the problem for me.

Except that not everyone thought they were out of tune.

[WendyCR72]

Granted, it was an honest mistake, but couldn't the "American Bandstand" gaffe lead to legal issues if Dick Clark's estate wanted to be petty? (I doubt it would go after this, but just saying.)

[Kromm]

Vanessa Hudgens was probably the most in tune of anyone last night. I was impressed (especially since I've never really been impressed with her singing before).

Granted, it was an honest mistake, but couldn't the "American Bandstand" gaffe lead to legal issues if Dick Clark's estate wanted to be petty? (I doubt it would go after this, but just saying.)

They'd have to be real dicks, but sure... theoretically. At the very least they might have to dub over it for future playbacks.

[Sara2009]

Vanessa Hudgens was probably the most in tune of anyone last night. I was impressed (especially since I've never really been impressed with her singing before).

They'd have to be real dicks, but sure... theoretically. At the very least they might have to dub over it for future playbacks.

Was Aaron Tveit ever out of tune, or did he just have a bad mic?

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Grease Was The Word
FOX shows that live musicals and television can go together like shoobop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom.

[callie lee 29]

 

Did you mean "petty"? Yvette Nicole Brown(Community) tweeted this and the changes involving both her and Eugene make sense:

Yeah, sorry - I edited it. Typing on my (not great) phone keyboard while walking back to my office was not the smartest move. 

[memememe76]

I loved this. I do think this has a repeatability feature, that will allow the performers and performances to leave their own indelible mark over time. I mean, next time I play golf and am on a golf cart, I will totally belt out We'll Always Be Together. 

[tom87]

Anyone else think Boyz II Men really tanked?  I was shocked how out of tune/off pitch they were. I mean when a relatively lightweight singer like Carly Rae Jepson was more in tune then them?  Not good.

I think it was more then the sound. Plus I do not think it was staged very well.

 

You got no reaction shots from Frenchie when they insulted her and  the singers did not play up the insutls either. 

[merylinkid]

Wait ChaCha died?   Man, I missed that one.   And cancer too.   I hate cancer with the fire a billion suns.   

 

I doubt that the Dick Clark estate would have a case.   Honest mistake, not intentional misuse, fleeting use, etc.   

 

But oh the memories this brought back.   I enjoyed it last night, and I still enjoy reading and talking about it here today.

[BW Manilowe]

I didn't need to hear the lyrics--even just hearing the tone it was clear how out of tune they were.

That said, I wonder if we all got the same sound. The version I just watched wasn't nearly as bad as some folks are describing.

I actually loved Elle McLemore as Patty. I thought she was cute as a button. Mean when the role needed her to be, true, but cute.

I read last night, between the airing of the east coast feed & the west coast feed, that they were trying to fix what they could of the sound problems (like the "crackling" some described during Julianne's Hopelessly Devoted... performance), but I don't know if they could've fixed the 1 place where the sound totally went out briefly or if they actually managed to fix anything for the west coast airing (being in Indiana, I saw the actual live east coast feed).

[ChicksDigScars]

Oh my god, they're keeping Sandy in there? Ugh, that tune is horrible! It felt like pure fan service to John Travolta fans.

The true disservice was that there was no hot dog jumping into the bun on the drive-in screen behind Danny as the song ended. Was the innuendo too much for network TV? Judging from the sanitization of Greased Lightning, I guess so.

I was 16 when Grease came out, so I am predisposed to not liking any remake of something that was a huge part of my generation. I also saw Grease on Broadway with my Nana a year after the movie came out, and had no idea that the stage version was so raunchy. Neither did Nana. LOL.

Cha Cha recast was not good. Not only was she not the "best dancer at St. Bernadette's.....with the worst reputation," but she wasn't even the best dancer on stage, and having her dance right after Julianne Hough cemented that. And come on, with the long crimped hair. She looked like something out of a Motley Crue video in 1988, not a trashy Catholic school girl in 1958.

They did keep my fave line, "What did she give him?" "A lock of hair....from her CHEST." But, alas, part of the beauty of the line was the nasally, snarkish delivery by Dinah Manoff. Wasn't the same last night.

Edited February 2, 2016 by ChicksDigScars

[JustaPerson]

I thought AT was better at puppy-dog/hang-dog Danny though he did a good job overall. He did a good job transitioning between the two. I especially loved when she was at the jukebox and you could hear him approaching with his cocky-guy laugh, but as soon as he got up there, he was all puppy-dog-eyes-"how are you sandy?"-Danny begging for her forgiveness. 

Edited February 2, 2016 by JustaPerson

[Nite Ryder]

I actually loved Elle McLemore as Patty. I thought she was cute as a button. Mean when the role needed her to be, true, but cute.

 

I thought she looked great and was 100% committed, so my issue wasn't necessarily her (tho I hated the glasses, tbh).  I just wasn't a fan of making Patty Simcox so awkward and stilted.  These are the last words I'd use to describe the movie version, and that was royally played up in the Rydell cheerleading tryout scene with Sandy which fall flat for me.  

 

 

[7isBlue]

Overall, I loved this show! I am so impressed with all the leads, and especially loved Keke Palmer - she's a revelation. I agree that Aaron Tveit was a little unexpected as Danny Zuko, but I have to laugh at the complaints that the cast here looked too old: We were watching clips from the movie today and they all look like they're in their 30s. It didn't bother me then and I think this cast looks younger. Also, the dancing in this production absolutely blows the movie away, but these are trained dancers who can act, not actors who had to learn to dance.

[UncleChuck]

I rather liked the sound goofs and Mario Lopez' Americanization of National Bandstand.

It just seemed like validation that this was indeed a LIVE production and mistakes cannot be un-done.

The cast and especially the crew were juggling about a hundred flaming balls and to only drop a few seemed amazing to me.

 

It reminded me of the good ole days of live tv--when half the fun and laughs came not from the planned but the unexpected.

Today we are just too spoiled with perfect productions that take twenty "takes" and several hours just to get one perfect line.

 

With live production, no matter how detailed the planning and how well rehearsed, something can go wrong.  I think of that amazing finale--actors running and driving and singing and running and dancing and every movement planned.  They even had stagehands ready to hop into the carts and move them out of frame after the actors spilled out.  Yet no matter the planning, one of the carts still ran over a curb and scared the bejezzus out of poor Eve Plumb.

[ivygirl]

The true disservice was that there was no hot dog jumping into the bun on the drive-in screen behind Danny as the song ended.

I missed this too. I always watch for it in the movie.

Not that this production had to match the movie, but it would've been a nice subtle homage.

Edited February 2, 2016 by ivygirl

[Kromm]

Everyone see this from earlier in the month?

 

Vanessa apparently does an amazing Didi Conn impression (which would be even more awesome if she'd played Frenchie instead of Rizzo, but still...)

 

 

https://youtu.be/AiRVy5ac4Ig?t=3m52s

[Rick Kitchen]

The Fox YouTube channel has 78 videos from this show -- clips of the songs as well as a lot of backstage videos.

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXd9aCB0yKuiCC4DJsQeEewLOjKwh0DMg

[Kromm]

Favorite Bit:  When that 2nd Tram at the end goes up onto the curb, due to having some unqualified actor drive it, and almost jackknifes that puppy...

[ASpring1900]

I commented up thread that Vanessa had her phone out as Jessie J came out of the trailer, I wonder if she was posting this to IG:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBOSGsxzCvT/

 

I have also watched this clip like a 1000 times.

Edited February 2, 2016 by AManfred

[Unraveled]

It was good, not great. The sets and choreography were superior to the other recent Live productions, but the acting/singing (and sound) left a lot to be desired.

 

I'm a big fan of Aaron Tveit. I saw him on an apparently pre-Broadway tryout in DC for Next to Normal. Also was a huge fan of him in Les Mis (and thought he did a much better job than Eddie Redmayne. I was horribly disappointed him in this though. He's a pretty powerful singer, so I was surprised that I couldn't hear him at times (though that may have been the horrible sound). Maybe I was distracted by the bad (too big for him) wig, but I thought his acting was off too.

 

Julianne Hough is a great dancer, but a bad actor and mediocre singer. She really shined in the dancing, but I couldn't buy her "Nice" Sandy routine. I'm not very familiar with the Broadway production, but movie Sandy was sweet and virginal but very peppy. I didn't really see that in Julianne.

 

The cheerleader skirts were weird. The tryout scene had very short skirts, but a later scene showed them with longer skirts. The only reason I can imagine is that the routines the two of them were doing were not possible/safe/reliable with long skirts.

 

They already have announced them. On Palm Sunday, they're doing a live musical version of The Passion (about Jesus' crucifixion), narrated &--I think--produced by Tyler Perry, with singer/celebrity cookbook author & cooking show host (& Mrs. Garth Brooks) Trisha Yearwood as Mary & American Idol S5's Chris Daughtry as Judas, among others.

For a very quick second, I thought they were going to do Stephen Sondheim's "Passion" and was very confused about the Jesus part. I would love to see a Sondheim production live (though they'll have to use actual professionals). Sadly, the most accessible one (Into the Woods) already had a recent movie.

 

So apparently my one minute of Google Foo last night has come up pretty empty on this one. So I understand that this is a biblical musical about Jesus. (And apparently has nothing to do with Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.) Is this an established musical that I just don't know anything about? Is it any good?

[absnow54]

So apparently my one minute of Google Foo last night has come up pretty empty on this one. So I understand that this is a biblical musical about Jesus. (And apparently has nothing to do with Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.) Is this an established musical that I just don't know anything about? Is it any good?

I don't think it's an established musical, and technically, the Passion of the Christ is an adaptation of the Passion Play. It's been a looooooooong time since I've been to church, but around Easter the church usually puts on a play depicting the final days of Christ, and in between scenes thematically appropriate songs are sung. That's what I think Fox's production is supposed to be, except they are going to adapt the story to modern times.

[Sara2009]

It was good, not great. The sets and choreography were superior to the other recent Live productions, but the acting/singing (and sound) left a lot to be desired.

I'm a big fan of Aaron Tveit. I saw him on an apparently pre-Broadway tryout in DC for Next

to Normal. Also was a huge fan of him in

Les Mis (and thought he did a much better

job than Eddie Redmayne. I was horribly

disappointed him in this though. He's a pretty

powerful singer, so I was surprised that I

couldn't hear him at times (though that may

have been the horrible sound). Maybe I was

distracted by the bad (too big for him) wig, but I

thought his acting was off too.

Julianne Hough is a great dancer, but a bad actor and mediocre singer. She really shined in the dancing, but I couldn't buy her "Nice" Sandy routine. I'm not very familiar with the Broadway

production, but movie Sandy was sweet and

virginal but very peppy. I didn't really see that in

Julianne.

The cheerleader skirts were weird. The tryout scene had very short skirts, but a later scene showed them with longer skirts. The only reason I can imagine is that the routines the two of

them were doing were not possible/safe/reliable

with long skirts.

For a very quick second, I thought they were going to do Stephen Sondheim's "Passion" and was very confused about the Jesus part. I would love to see a Sondheim production live (though

they'll have to use actual professionals). Sadly,

the most accessible one (Into the Woods)

already had a recent movie.

So apparently my one minute of Google Foo last night has come up pretty empty on this one. So I understand that this is a biblical musical about Jesus. (And apparently has nothing to do with

Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.) Is this

an established musical that I just don't know

anything about? Is it any good?

Aaron is a wonderful singer, but just like most modern performers, he needs the help of a much to be heard well. Even on Broadway I can't think of many performers these days who could get by without a good mic.

[cpcathy]

I had a day off yesterday, so I sat down to watch the hour that I had missed, and ended up watching the whole thing again! Some more thoughts: I noticed they "de-asshole-ized" the T Birds. I seem to remember movie T Birds being dicks, but here they seemed like actual people, even Danny seems nicer than Travolta in the film, as in when he gives Eugene's poster back to him after it's taken away. As for Sandy, she grew on me in the second viewing, I hadn't noticed her mentioning her father won't let her attend dances, so now the being on camera thing makes sense. Regarding the cast looking old, it's to be expected--I get it--I do NOT want actual teenagers singing (I don't have kids, so watching kids is not one of my fave things). I don't think Tveit looked any older than Travolta. Frankly, Olivia Newton John's frown lines in the film always bothered me. Love her, great singer, I have her greatest hits, but Sandy is kind of a bitch in the film!

[pigs-in-space]

As for Sandy, she grew on me in the second viewing, I hadn't noticed her mentioning her father won't let her attend dances, so now the being on camera thing makes sense.

 

I was hoping we'd find out she was in the witness protection program.  I called the "strict parents" angle though.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

This production also changed the lyric when Rizzo curses in Italian at the end of Sandra Dee.

When the Coach gives the announcement at the beginning of the National Bandstand taping, he says "Couples only" instead of "All couples will be boy-girl only" and the T-birds razz on Eugene.  (yes, I have seen this movie about 50 times, my kids were obsessed with it when they were younger). 

 

I'm a huge fan of Aaron Tveit but I just wasn't feeling him as Danny in this production. And I wasn't a fan of Boys II Men either. I was hoping they would have a tacky guy as Teen Angel like in the movie. 

[methodwriter85]

I watched the musical the second time OnDemand (just the first half up to the dance because I've got work soon), and I swear the sound in Summer Nights was better than I remember it being the first time I watched it. I also think they took out Boys II Men doing a little Motown Philly riff during the intro. (Maybe I just missed it? It would make sense that Fox would need to take that out.)

 

I'm still really disappointed in Beauty School Dropout. Honestly, they should've gotten Nick Jonas. I  better he would've nailed it. He's in Fox's orbit anyway and he could've had a blast with his brother. And I think Frenchie's song easily could've been something that Natalie Goodman sang in Next to Normal.

 

Julianne's Sandy is kind of growing of me as well. I think she works as the shy type. I also think they did a pretty good job of making her look young. (Which again I question the way they made up Aaron, which just emphasized his age.) I thought she was pretty touching in the scene where Sandy puts on the lipstick and then quickly wipes it off. It was a nice, subtle way of hinting that Sandy wants to change for herself, not just for Danny.

 

I also think it's pretty cool they got a bunch of soliders for Marty to sing "Freddy My Love" to.

 

I mean, the ambition of this was pretty staggering, and they really pulled it off, for the most part.

 

I do really think though that if they do this again and it's a period musical, they need to enforce period dress on the audience members that are on the actual set and by the character.

Edited February 2, 2016 by methodwriter85

[Unraveled]

I mean, the ambition of this was pretty staggering, and they really pulled it off, for the most part.

 

I do really think though that if they do this again and it's a period musical, they need to enforce period dress on the audience members that are on the actual set and by the character.

 

Definitely, the choreography, set design, and costume changes were ambitious and well done. If the sound wasn't so bad, I wouldn't have any problems with the technical production of this.

 

According to that buzzfeed audience member article, they were asked to dress in period, but not very costume-y (so no poodle skirts). Perhaps they should have set clearer guidelines (long A-line or pencil below the knee skirts for the girls and plaid button up shirts or sweaters for the guys). I think the audience did try to attempt casual 1950s dress, but some were more successful than others.

[Jan Spears]

One thing that I liked but I don't think has been mentioned is the conversation between Sandy and Rizzo after the drag race. In the movie, the conversation is between Sandy and Frenchy. As much as I love that scene for the way that it shows Frenchy's unstinting friendship toward Sandy, I liked how the Sandy/Rizzo scene showed them as bonded in a way that you don't see exactly in the movie. Sandy is one of the few people in the movie who displays kindness toward Rizzo during her pregnancy scare but they don't exactly become friends on-screen at that point. But, then, in the carnival scene, they're bosom buddies. The live show scene worked a lot better in showing that Sandy and Rizzo were friends. (From what I understand, this scene is more consistent with the stage show than the movie is.)

I liked that they kept the scene between Frenchy and Vi at the diner. That was a very poignant scene in the movie due in large part to the world weary resignation of Joan Blondell as Vi.

I was hoping there would be a little tribute to "Green Shirt Guy" (a.k.a. Daniel Levins/Levans) from the movie in the "We Go Together" number as he died in 2015. But, alas, I didn't see anyone sporting a green shirt:

You really start noticing him at the 1:30 mark and, once you spot him, you can't take your eyes off him.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Jan Spears

[Kromm]

I liked that they kept the scene between Frenchy and Vi at the diner. That was a very poignant scene in the movie due in large part to the world weary resignation of Joan Blondell as Vi.

Well they had a different, but still valid, motivation for leaving that scene in here. I mean having Frenchie facing Frenchie is too ripe a plum for them to ignore.

[Jan Spears]

Well they had a different, but still valid, motivation for leaving that scene in here. I mean having Frenchie facing Frenchie is too ripe a plum for them to ignore.

Oh, I know. And it was wonderful to see Didi Conn included as she brought so much heart to the movie version.

I just have always liked that scene between Joan Blondell and Didi Conn because it gave the tiniest bit of seriousness to what was, otherwise, a lighthearted (and lightheaded) musical.

[Pete Martell]

Patty Simcox was a lot meaner in this version. Even, in the movie version when Patty Simcox made fun of Rizzo she was more obnoxious.

 

I thought that Patty sort of epitomized one of the more glaring changes from the movie, in how cookie-cutter the female supporting characters ended up seeming. Even with less development in the film, I thought that Marty, Jan, Patty, etc. were more individual. In this version, most of the supporting actresses, aside from Carly Rae Jepsen (who mostly got what made Frenchy work, even if she wasn't as endearing as Didi Conn), were playing to the rafters and had such broad personalities. It felt very showy and distracting, and got in the way of the material for me.

 

For instance, in the movie, it's obvious that Vince Fontaine is a hell of a lot older than Marty, which means that her sexual come-ons to him and his being so sleazy in response adds a real seediness to the atmosphere. Here, Keke Palmer was so committed to the overdone posing and line readings that even though Mario Lopez is about as much older to Palmer as Edd Byrnes was to Dinah Manoff, it didn't have the same impact, because there was no vulnerability underneath. 

 

The movie was cruel to Patty, so I wonder if that's why they changed her character (making her more aggressive and more nerdy), but the actress seemed to be lurching for Mary Catherine Gallagher status.

 

The woman who played Jan was also OTT in so many moments. 

 

The result of it for me was that Rizzo, who was always supposed to be flashier than the other Pink Ladies, at times faded into the background, aside from her solo moments (I think I enjoyed Hudgens' Rizzo the most in the Bandstand scenes).

I'm a huge fan of Aaron Tveit but I just wasn't feeling him as Danny in this production. And I wasn't a fan of Boys II Men either. I was hoping they would have a tacky guy as Teen Angel like in the movie. 

 

As much as I've always been annoyed by Mario Lopez, I think he would have been a lot better as the Teen Angel. He was better than I thought he'd be (which isn't saying much) as Vince Fontaine (Edd Byrnes was surprisingly great in that role so it's not an easy act to follow), but he would have been better there. Boyz II Men were so flat that I ended up preferring that wobbly whispery solo number of Jepsen's...

[Pete Martell]

Yeah, all the T-birds kinda blended together for the most part. I preferred how it was in the movie, where Kenickie and Danny were both much more attractive and "cooler" than the rest of the guys. They were obviously the best friends and the others were more like hangers on. This was really evident in Greased Lightning when both Danny and Kenickie got to where different outfits than the rest of the T-Birds. This Kenickie didn't hold a candle to Jeff Conaway.

 

I never really thought Conaway was more attractive than all the other guys (I always thought the blonde guy was the cutest of the group), but he had a lot of intensity that wasn't in this production. But for me this Kenickie was more in the spirit of the original than most of the other recasts. He seemed to have less to do than Conaway, and less private moments with Rizzo to build the chemistry between them, but I still saw some of the same charisma, which I didn't with several others). 

 

(the guy who took Rizzo to the Bandstand dance also reminded me a lot of Jeff Conaway)

 

For me the T-Birds were, while more generic than in the film, all played by actors who seemed far more natural and comfortable than most of the women playing the Pink Ladies. There was a lot less posing and overbaked line readings. They also seemed more believable as friends than the Pink Ladies. The guy playing Doocy was probably the best of them.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love "Those Magic Changes" and "Freddy, My Love," so I was excited that they were being included in this version but I couldn't watch more than a few seconds of Keke Palmer mugging all over the place so I just skipped the rest of that song. Luckily "Those Magic Changes" made up for it.

 

I have a longstanding dislike of Mario Lopez. I remember back in the early 90s when he was accused of raping a girl. One of my friends went to high school with him and she said that no one was surprised by the allegation. But I begrudgingly admit that casting him as a slimy creepy adult hitting on a high school girl was not the worst idea ever.

 

I couldn't tell if I disliked the new Frenchie song or if I just didn't like the way Carly Rae Jepsen sang it. She was trying to scrape out those lower notes and failing.

Edited February 3, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo