Grease Live (Fox)

[Null37283t03 868]

I caught Peter Pan live, but missed The Sound of Music.  I'm really looking forward to this.  Grease Live will air on Fox and, so far, Julianne Hough has been cast as Sandy, and Vanessa Hudgens will play Rizzo.  Looking forward to more casting news.

 

http://insidetv.ew.com/2015/01/17/grease-vanessa-hudgens-julianne-hough/

 

Any thoughts as to who might be cast as Danny?

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

Julianne Hough is too old by about ten years.

[WendyCR72 30.7k]

Julianne Hough is too old by about ten years.

 

I agree in theory (and because it's true), but the movie version had 30-year-olds, so at least actors too old to play the roles is like tradition.

[TeslaNewton 196]

Julianne Hough is too old by about ten years.

Stockard Channing was too old by about fifteen years but she made a great Rizzo.

[ElectricBoogaloo 70.8k]

Ugh, Vanessa Hudgens? She was terrible in Rent. Stop letting her sing live!

[JAYJAY1979 9.6k]

Julianne Hough.. I can sort of see as Sandy.. but Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo.. hmmm... not sure about that.  I'd love to see who else they approached beforehand.

[luckyroll3 12.4k]

I got kind of excited when I saw the title of this thread, but I'm not sure about Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo. She's not that good of a singer or an actress. I'm also not a big fan of Juliana Hough, although she's a great dancer.

I didn't watch any of the other "live" tv musicals, but I may need to watch this one....I love grease!!

[Happy Belly 477]

I have had just about enough of these Houghs...and I'm very afraid to think that (unless I missed the announcement that the role has been cast) that Golden Boy Derek will be cast as Kinicky...they'll probably try to find a way to cast him as Danny somehow too (I KNOW!). I was looking forward to this, but seeing the cast, as small as it is right now and that it has nothing to do with Vanessa being cast because I have to admit I have no idea who she is...yes I'm old....I'm probably gonna skip this. 

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

Vanessa Hudgens is going to be the lead in an upcoming Broadway production, so I don't understand how she's going to have the available time to do this.

[WendyCR72 30.7k]

Vanessa Hudgens is going to be the lead in an upcoming Broadway production, so I don't understand how she's going to have the available time to do this.

 

Well, Grease isn't airing until January 31, 2016.

[opus 7.4k]

See Rock of Ages for Julianne singing.

[Dancingjaneway 1.9k]

Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo? What a horrible fucking choice. I probably won't watch this anyways because Julianne and Vanessa are in no way strong enough singers for this musical. I have heard them both sing and they are horrible. It's too bad that the casting sucks because I would have really liked to see this. 

[Hanahope 7.1k]

Hmmm, Adam Lambert for Danny?

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

Nick Jonas?

[ElectricBoogaloo 70.8k]

Ugh, I thought Nick Jonas was extremely underwhelming as Marius in Les Mis so if I had to choose between the two, I would definitely prefer Adam Lambert. Although he is known for his wailing rock voice on American Idol, he can also do a nice non-wailing voice as he did when he was in Wicked pre-AI.

[methodwriter85 15.5k]

Julianne Hough is too old by about ten years.

 

So was Olivia Newton John and most of that cast. I think Dinah Manoff, the guy who played Doody, and Lorenzo Lamas were the only ones who looked like high school had been in their recent past.

 

Vanessa Hudgens really does have an amazing agent that keeps getting her these big parts despite the fact that she's pretty limited and High School Musical was a million years ago.

Edited January 26, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

 

Vanessa Hudgens really does have an amazing agent that keeps getting her these big parts despite the fact that she's pretty limited and High School Musical was a million years ago.

 

She's going to star in "Gigi" on Broadway.

[legaleagle53 12.3k]

So was Olivia Newton John and most of that cast. I think Dinah Manoff, the guy who played Doody, and Lorenzo Lamas were the only ones who looked like high school had been in their recent past.

 

Olivia wasn't that old. If memory serves, she was only 21 when she did the movie.

I have had just about enough of these Houghs...and I'm very afraid to think that (unless I missed the announcement that the role has been cast) that Golden Boy Derek will be cast as Kinicky...they'll probably try to find a way to cast him as Danny somehow too (I KNOW!).

 

Aside from the fact that it would be physically impossible for him to be both Danny and Kinicki (since both characters have scenes together), even the casting directors wouldn't be dumb enough to cast Julianne's own real-life brother as her onstage love interest.  The EWWW factor would be so far off the charts that the entire galaxy wouldn't be big enough to even CONTAIN the charts!

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

 

Olivia wasn't that old. If memory serves, she was only 21 when she did the movie.

 

She was 30.

 

There are rumors that she will play the Principal in the Live Grease.

 

Other rumors have Billy Magnussen as Danny, Martin Short as the Coach, and Johnny Mathis as Teen Angel (these rumors are from imdb)

Edited February 6, 2015 by Rick Kitchen

[methodwriter85 15.5k]

See, if I could cast Teen Angel, it'd be JC Chasez. Oh, well.

[ancslove 2.5k]

I'd like Billy Magnussen as Danny or Kenickie!  I'd love James Marsden as Teen Angel, but that will never happen.  

[methodwriter85 15.5k]

See, I would actually want a former teen idol as Teen Angel. James Marsden made several valiant attempts to become one in the 90's, but it didn't take.

 

I always loved that about using Frankie Avalon.

Edited February 8, 2015 by methodwriter85

[ElectricBoogaloo 70.8k]

How about former teen idol Justin Timberlake as Teen Angel? Or Harry Styles since he's much closer to being a teenager than Justin?

[ancslove 2.5k]

Neil Patrick Harris?  Or, god forbid, Johnny Depp.

[Trini 18.9k]

Depp's not a singer; how about a former Backstreet Boy? I like the Timberlake idea, but I don't think he'd do it.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Trini

[ElectricBoogaloo 70.8k]

Depp's not a singer

That didn't stop him from being cast in Into the Woods! Since Teen Angel is just one song, I really hope they cast someone who is a good singer.

[Unraveled 301]

So which Broadway actors will be in the show? And what will they play? The ones that have been in the past ones are too old to play high school students: Audra McDonald, Kelly O'Hara, Christian Borle, Laura Benanti.

 

Most of the musical numbers feature Sandy and/or Danny as the lead. The only other solo numbers I can think of are for Rizzo and Teen Angel.

 

Are they going with the musical version? Because it features more numbers and chances for solos (I've never seen or heard any of the musical versions.)

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

Kanicki does "Greased Lightning" in the play, but they gave it to Danny in the movie because, Travolta.  It will be interesting to see who gets that in this production.

[AstaCharles 306]

See, I would actually want a former teen idol as Teen Angel. James Marsden made several valiant attempts to become one in the 90's, but it didn't take.

 

I always loved that about using Frankie Avalon.

Jared Leto ? Teen heart throb in the '90s. Has his 30 Seconds To Mars band, might be nutty enough to do it. Or Rick Springfield?

[legaleagle53 12.3k]

Kanicki does "Greased Lightning" in the play, but they gave it to Danny in the movie because, Travolta.  It will be interesting to see who gets that in this production.

 

Which brings up another problem.  Have you ever listened to the lyrics of that particular song?  They're raunchy as hell, including one common four-letter word that is absolutely verboten on television and always has been.  How do they intend to clean that song up for a live telecast, I wonder?

[meep.meep 9.2k]

James Monroe Iglehart (just won a Tony for playing the Genie in Aladdin) played Teen Angel in a production of Grease around here about 10 years ago, and brought the house down.  He would be incredible!

[ancslove 2.5k]

Legaleagle, they might resort to the student version of Greased Lightning, or a blend of the two.  

[opus 7.4k]

Which brings up another problem.  Have you ever listened to the lyrics of that particular song?  They're raunchy as hell, including one common four-letter word that is absolutely verboten on television and always has been.  How do they intend to clean that song up for a live telecast, I wonder?

Clean version used on Glee: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/gleecast/greasedlightning.html

[opus 7.4k]

Marty cast:

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/28/keke-palmer-grease-live

[DollEyes 11.1k]

Jared Leto? Was a teen heartthrob in the '90s, has his 30 Seconds To Mars band, might be nutty enough to do it.

 

  Nah, he's too busy playing the Joker in Suicide Squad, plus he's an Oscar winner, which makes him A-list so he wouldn't be caught dead in this thing.

Edited May 30, 2015 by DollEyes

[Dejana 6.7k]

Casting news:

 

Graceland star Aaron Tveit is set to play Danny Zuko in the live production set to air Jan. 31, with Big Time Rush's Carlos PenaVega set as Kenickie, Fox announced Thursday.

 

I liked him in Les Miserables. Aaron's turning 32 this year, keeping in the tradition of the cast being way too old for their roles.

 

Tveit will star opposite Julianne Hough as Sandy and joins a cast that also includes Vanessa Hudgens as bad girl Rizzo and Keke Palmer (Scream Queens) as Pink Lady Marty Maraschino.

[Snow Apple 8.7k]

Man. I wasn't going to watch (not a fan of Julianne's singing), but they just sucked me in with Aaron Tveit.

[methodwriter85 15.5k]

Casting news:

 

 

I liked him in Les Miserables. Aaron's turning 32 this year, keeping in the tradition of the cast being way too old for their roles.

 

Interestingly enough, Travolta was only 24 when he did Grease, making him within shouting distance of the right age, as opposed to Stockard and Olivia.

 

I'm in with Aaron Tveit. Damn it. Although I'm not sure with Carlos PenaVega.

[Princess Sparkle 9.6k]

I like Aaron Tveit, but I just don't see him as Danny.  He has a gorgeous singing voice, but nothing about him screams "edgy" to me.  At least John Travolta I could buy as a bad boy, but Aaron Tveit?  Not so much.

 

I also think he's slightly too good for this entire production.

[ElectricBoogaloo 70.8k]

I can understand not buying Aaron Tveit as a bad boy buy objectively, John Travolta was too much of a pretty boy to convince me that he was a bad boy either.

Plus I would buy Aaron Tveit as a bad boy more than I would buy Vanessa Hudgins as a bad girl like Rizzo. She was completely unconvincing as Mimi in Rent (in looks, attitude, singing, body language, pretty much every way imaginable).

At least if they do the movie version, Rizzo only has two solos, neither of which require much vocal range. She had multiple songs (with larger ranges) in Rent and it was painful to hear her shriek so many songs.

I hope they include some of the songs from the musical version. I would love to see Freddy My Love and Mooning. It would also be nice to see some of the songs that were relegated to background music in the movie performed by the original characters (Those Magic Changes, It's Raining on Prom Night, Rock & Roll Party Queen).

Edited July 14, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[JustaPerson 2.2k]

And coincidently Aaron was her Roger! I think people may have said similar things about him as Roger as well. Not quite edgy enough, though he pulled it off fairly decently he was no adam pascal (then again who is?) But edgy in Rent and Grease are two very different things. I think I could buy him on a whole as a cocky idiot (which Danny basically is lol).

 

I think the first thirty seconds of this clip kinda summarized vanessa hudgens as Mimi.

Edited July 16, 2015 by JustaPerson

[ElectricBoogaloo 70.8k]

Hahaha, thanks for reminding me how terrible she was in Rent. Aside from the fact that she goes flat when she has to hold a note, especially a lower one (see: every time she sang the word "today"), her acting is so bad. Her two modes are stand awkwardly and fling arms imploringly. Rizzo has to act in several scenes so I guess I can play a drinking game and have a shot every time Baby V's interpretation is to stand awkwardly and/or fling her arms.

 

ITA that edgy Roger (a former junkie squatting in a crappy building in New York) is a world apart from edgy Danny (a high school guy who knows all the girls like him).

[JustaPerson 2.2k]

I really really hope Aaron Tveit cuts his hair before doing Grease. That longish hair he's got going on right now is not working for me. 

[methodwriter85 15.5k]

I really really hope Aaron Tveit cuts his hair before doing Grease. That longish hair he's got going on right now is not working for me. 

 

I thought he was growing it out so he can do a proper pompadour. That does require some length.

[MMLEsq 1.7k]

Casting news:  Graceland star Aaron Tveit is set to play Danny Zuko in the live production set to air Jan. 31, with Big Time Rush's Carlos PenaVega set as Kenickie, Fox announced Thursday.

I don't believe they've mentioned this on Dancing With the Stars -- where Carlos is currently competing and Julianne is a judge.  It will be interesting to see if they ever do mention it.  There are already some people that think she can't be completely unbiased when judging her brother; I'll have to look to see if there's any hint of bias or favoritism when she's judging Carlos.  After all, it would be great publicity for Carlos's next project if he won DWTS.  //end cynicism  

[MMLEsq 1.7k]

It came up on last night's DWTS.  Olivia Newton-John was the guest judge, so they made a point about how two Sandys were judging.  Julianne then went on to say that she would be Sandy in Grease Live on Fox in January.  Interestingly, unless I missed it, they didn't mention anything at all about Carolos also being in the production.  Odd.

[JustaPerson 2.2k]

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/182979/grease-live-stars-julianne-hough-aaron-tveit-and-vanessa-hudgens-give-us-chills-theyre-multiplyin/

[Rick Kitchen 13.5k]

Teaser:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdS_yNe02vg

[junemeatcleaver 2.7k]

America's hottest stars?  Where?

[methodwriter85 15.5k]

America's hottest stars?  Where?

You clearly don't follow Aaron Tveit's Tumblr fan pages.

 

Nah, I did kind of roll my eyes at that, but nonetheless, I'm excited. Aaron Tveit can do no wrong in my book.

Edited November 26, 2015 by methodwriter85