The Trailer:
Director: Thomas Kail & Alex Rudzinski
Cast: Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Hudgens, Kehter Donahue, Keke Palmer, Carly Rae-Jepson, Carlos PenaVega, Jordan Fisher, David Del Rio, Andrew Call, Elle McLemore, & Noah Robbins,
Synopsis: After a summer romance, Sandy (Julianne Hough) and Danny Zuko (Aaron Tveit), are reunited at Rydell High but with some hiccups while Sandy adjusts to life with the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds.
Wow!! Grease is one of my favorite musical movies ever. And because of this hopeless devotion (<--Haha, see what I did there) for the movie, I was a little wary of how FOX was going to pull off a live production without messing it up. Not that I don't have faith in the live musicals that TV networks have recently presented— contrary to popular belief, I don't think NBC's live productions of Sound of Music and Peter Pan are terrible— it's just that having a movie that I grew up with and that I have an immense appreciation for, there's this notion that FOX can't possible get it right. But, man, was I wrong. I mean, Grease: Live is in no way any where near as fabulous and memorable as the movie, but it is great in it's own way.
First let me talk about the casting choices made. All of them are perfect, save for two (I'll talk about them later). All of the actors involved are great and each put on solid, true to form performances. And while everyone is fantastic, Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo and Jordan Fisher as Doody both really stole the show. Let me emphasize once again that everyone put on an amazing performances, but those two had such conviction and likability in the way that they depicted their characters, I was absolutely blown away. Vanessa Hudgens putting on such a great performance after her father died the night before is definitely something to commend, but not the only reason why you should pay attention to her. Her depiction of Rizzo is true to the film: she's feisty, prickly, but ultimately has a heart of gold. But instead of attempting to simply recreate the role, Hudgens takes the time to make her portrayal of Rizzo her own with a little more edge, a bit more sex appeal (necessary for a character like Rizzo) and a lot more emotional impact. Jordan Fisher as Doody, the happy-go-lucky, guitar playing, wannabe rock star is so adorably cute and probably has the best song in the entire thing: "Those Magic Changes". That being a song that we don't hear in the movie, well only in the prom scene but more as background music, so it was nice to hear it as part of the story. Plus the fact that in that single song, he performed in multiple settings, with multiple guitars, and with multiple costume changes is an undeniable feat that demands applause. Plus, he's so dang attractive. *Sigh* can you say dreamy? Now for the two actors who I wasn't impressed with. First, Haneefah Wood who played Blanche. I know Blanche doesn't have a huge role, but every scene with her made me cringe. That may be a bit harsh, but the way she portrayed Blanche came off too silly and without the same lovable traits that film version of Blanche had. I could've done without her. Second, Keke Palmer who plays Marty. Ugh, and this kills me because I know Keke Palmer is a great actor and she has an amazing voice, but her depiction of Marty was too posh for my taste. We just can't have it all, can we? But I suppose the sheer love, respect, and chemistry that is apparent between the characters, and actors. more than makes up for those two missteps in casting.
Now for everything else. What isn't there to like about the production Grease: Live? The costumes are incredible: they're durable enough to not fall apart with any of the dancing but made so that they can easily be changed out of for the quick changes between scenes, or even within one scene. The multiple sound stages are intricately designed: the outside of Rydell High, the hallways, and the auto garage are all so perfect and yet designed so as to seamlessly blend together as one school. The dance sequences are phenomenally choreographed and expertly executed: my particular favorite dance sequence being during "Greased Lightnin'". And most importantly the singing, from all characters, is marvelous: mostly everyone got a chance to shine with their own solo song. Not to mention that Jessie J came in to perform "Grease is The Word" at the beginning of the show, how amazing, right? Everything, every single scene from beginning to end has all the things that continually build upon this great production. Oh and the tv/movie magic that happens throughout is truly magical because I honestly have no idea how they did it. Example: during the "Greased Lightnin'" performance we see the car as a "hunk o' junk" and then the camera pans away for a second, then goes back to reveal the shiny, red beauty that is Greased Lightnin'. Did they switch out the whole car? Did they simply place some kind of cover over the car? I have no idea, and I don't want to know. That would ruin the magic. What's also impressive about Grease: Live is how the writer's and director masterfully blended the film version and the original stage production of Grease to create it. That's awesome and a good use of the multiple source material they have to go on. I especially loved the small nods to the film. Like having the film version's Frenchie (Didi Conn) and Doody (Barry Pearl) play small parts in the show and then during the ending bows, both of them coming out wearing their original Pink Ladies and T-Birds jackets from the film production. That's awesome and I love shit like that! Even better, all of this being done in front of a live audience is courageous and worked in so many ways. I was impressed with all aspects of the production of Grease: Live.
Overall Grease: Live is a wonderful revival of an iconic film and stage production. There were a few missteps, but that is to be expected from a live show. So I can't even complain about it. Also, there are a few moments that seem be awkwardly long, like maybe a few seconds too long, but enough time to allow for an awkward silence or two. Again, though, being a live production there's not much that can be done to remedy that. The biggest disappointment might be the race at thunder road, but then there's the limitation of the sound stage so not much could've been done to make the scene better. Despite those small glitches, though, I would definitely watch Grease: Live again. It's a ball of fun and nostalgia. I most certainly suggest you watch it if you've yet to do so! So go on now and get your hand jive on!
!!!Bonus Video!!! One of my favorite songs from the movie, and now the live tv production, as sung by Julianne Hough
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