GREASE is the Word

[+ purplekow]

Most enjoyable live TV rehash of a musical I have seen. imaginative staging. Most of the singing was okay.

[dcguy20]

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kudos to Vanessa Hudgens for having the strength to perform the day after losing her dad.

[MrMiniver]

This is a case where having a LIVE audience really helped. You felt more energy. It's a rather mediocre musical. And I'm wondering -- if they were going to have him wear those little shorts -- no one suggested to Aaron Tviet that he might want to work on those chicken legs of his?

 

It was enjoyable if, ultimately, pretty forgettable.

[bostonman]

It's a rather mediocre musical.

 

MrMiniver, you're letting me down here - you're usually much more the pessimist, lol - and, had your comment been more negative here, I would have, this time, agreed with you. I personally think it's one of the most annoying musicals ever written. (Save for the relative masterstroke that is "There Are Worst Things I Could Do" - the only song that REALLY relates emotionally to a specific key moment in the plot, and the best song in the show hands down.)

 

This is not a comment on the Fox production, which I have DVR'd and will watch, because I do hear it was done fairly well and I do want to support this new trend of TV musicals in hopes that they'll keep doing them better. But I've seen enough productions of the show (and a few very very good ones) to know that I really can't muster any affection for the material.

[thickornotatall]

While in school we saw Grease open on Broadway..the only seats left were front row...directly in front of the speakers...really loud...remember it just like yesterday..

 

The original Broadway cast included Barry Bostwick as Danny and Carole Demas as Sandy, with Adrienne Barbeau as Rizzo, Timothy Meyers as Kenickie, Alan Paul, and Walter Bobbie and Marya Small in supporting roles. Replacements later in the run included Jeff Conaway (who had been the original understudy for Danny), Gail Edwards, Marilu Henner, Peter Gallagher, Ilene Graff, Judy Kaye, Patrick Swayze, John Travolta, Jerry Zaks and Treat Williams. Richard Gere was an understudy for many roles in this production, including Danny Zuko, Teen Angel, and Vince Fontaine.

[MrMiniver]

MrMiniver, you're letting me down here - you're usually much more the pessimist, lol - and, had your comment been more negative here, I would have, this time, agreed with you. I personally think it's one of the most annoying musicals ever written. (Save for the relative masterstroke that is "There Are Worst Things I Could Do" - the only song that REALLY relates emotionally to a specific key moment in the plot, and the best song in the show hands down.)

 

This is not a comment on the Fox production, which I have DVR'd and will watch, because I do hear it was done fairly well and I do want to support this new trend of TV musicals in hopes that they'll keep doing them better. But I've seen enough productions of the show (and a few very very good ones) to know that I really can't muster any affection for the material.

 

To be completely honest, I was trying to be kind. I woke up on the right side of the bed today and was trying to follow that through the whole day

 

I kinda like "Greased Lightning" but that's because it's usually done by a chorus line of really hot gay male dancers

 

I agree. I want to encourage these things although they're mostly choosing poor or obvious material instead of really good musicals. More pap for the general audience.

 

Is that better? LOL.

[bostonman]

I kinda like "Greased Lightning" but that's because it's usually done by a chorus line of really hot gay male dancers

 

Yeah, but when you think that almost 30 years before this show, enterprising writers like Rodgers and Hammerstein were beginning to find ways to write songs that forwarded the plot and explored a deeper, more honest connection to the human condition. Yet in "Greased Lightning," here's a musically generic song (though an energetic one) that stops the show cold while one of the rather interchangeable supporting characters sings about -- his car?? All so that they could throw in another boilerplate 1950's pastiche song?

 

I mean yeah, I'm being slightly ridiculous in my dissection of the song lol - but the show to me is essentially a vapid series of 1950's b-sides sung by characters who really don't have a lot to say. Until, as I said, Rizzo finally grows up during "There Are Worse Things" and sobers things up for a few minutes. Ironically, Sandy misunderstands Rizzo's point and sends the audience out potentially humming the (unintended?) moral that the best girls in high school are the slutty ones. Hmm...

[+ purplekow]

Grease is a Hamburger at the Shake Shop. It is light entertainment with some enjoyable dance numbers and few catchy tunes. I first saw it with Marilu Henner and John Travolta during the first incarnation and then with the near tone deaf Brook Shields as Rizzo later on and yet again with Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo. It is a shame that the only heartfelt song in the play is given to the character who has been a vehicle for star casting of non-singers. The version of the song Worse Things I Could Do presented in this Fox Production was very moving. The rest was the usual light fare which made me want to get some fries with that shake.

No one goes to see Grease for Great Theater they go for a Great Good Time and the rousing numbers usually do just that.

[+ purplekow]

Grease is a Hamburger at the Shake Shop. It is light entertainment with some enjoyable dance numbers and few catchy tunes. I first saw it with Marilu Henner and John Travolta during the first incarnation and then with the near tone deaf Brook Shields as Rizzo later on and yet again with Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo. It is a shame that the only heartfelt song in the play is given to the character who has been a vehicle for star casting of non-singers. The version of the song Worse Things I Could Do presented in this Fox Production was very moving. The rest was the usual light fare which made me want to get some fries with that shake.

No one goes to see Grease for Great Theater they go for a Great Good Time and the rousing numbers usually provide just that.

[dcguy20]

Rosie O'Donnell preceded Brooke Shields. As much as I didn't care for that production, I returned when Jon Secada was Danny Zuki. He was quite good. I believe at that particular performance Ty Taylor played both Doodie (Magic Changes) and Teen Angel (understudy).

[MrMiniver]

Yeah, but when you think that almost 30 years before this show, enterprising writers like Rodgers and Hammerstein were beginning to find ways to write songs that forwarded the plot and explored a deeper, more honest connection to the human condition. Yet in "Greased Lightning," here's a musically generic song (though an energetic one) that stops the show cold while one of the rather interchangeable supporting characters sings about -- his car?? All so that they could throw in another boilerplate 1950's pastiche song?

 

I mean yeah, I'm being slightly ridiculous in my dissection of the song lol - but the show to me is essentially a vapid series of 1950's b-sides sung by characters who really don't have a lot to say. Until, as I said, Rizzo finally grows up during "There Are Worse Things" and sobers things up for a few minutes. Ironically, Sandy misunderstands Rizzo's point and sends the audience out potentially humming the (unintended?) moral that the best girls in high school are the slutty ones. Hmm...

 

I do completely agree with you which is why I said I "kinda" like the song

[bostonman]

Grease is a Hamburger at the Shake Shop. It is light entertainment with some enjoyable dance numbers and few catchy tunes. I first saw it with Marilu Henner and John Travolta during the first incarnation and then with the near tone deaf Brook Shields as Rizzo later on and yet again with Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo. It is a shame that the only heartfelt song in the play is given to the character who has been a vehicle for star casting of non-singers. The version of the song Worse Things I Could Do presented in this Fox Production was very moving. The rest was the usual light fare which made me want to get some fries with that shake.

No one goes to see Grease for Great Theater they go for a Great Good Time and the rousing numbers usually provide just that.

 

Yes - but to me it's a rather overcooked (or undercooked?) burger, soggy fries, and thin shake. A modest little tribute to the 50's, but without much real skill there, IMO. Sometimes I think that Grease might have been more interesting as a true jukebox musical (though that term was not in use at the time), using real 50's classics in the place of the wan pastiche songs. It seems to me very few of the 50's-style songs are truly connected to plot specifics - aside from "There Are Worse Things," there's the expository "Summer Nights" of course - but most to all of the others deal with generic moments in the book, and/or are there just for 50's nostalgia ("Those Magic Changes" for instance).

 

I also think that part of the problem with the show's book as we know it now is that the original script was considerably more adult and edgier than what people are now used to - and I think that in "cleaning it up" over time it has gotten soggy.

 

In terms of Ms. Shields as Rizzo, after hearing her recorded version of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do," I wanted to say, "no, Brooke, there is clearly nothing worse that you could do." :eek::eek: