I don’t know about anyone else, but I haven’t been sitting around thinking, "I really need to see Grease on Broadway again!" I saw the 1994 production — emphatically titled Grease! — more than I’m willing to admit. I saw a pre–Will & Grace Megan Mullally as Marty; Rizzos Rosie O’Donnell, Lucy Lawless, and Maureen McCormick; even Ralph Malph himself, Don Most, as DJ Vince Fontaine on the national tour.
So I approached NBC’s new reality series Grease: You’re the One That I Want with as much trepidation as Sandy Dumbrowski at a liquor-laced, ear-piercing slumber party. And now I can’t help but think of a lyric from the show’s sad "Sandra Dee" reprise: "Look at me/ there has to be/ something more than what they see."
You’re the One actually came to us from the U.K. See, producer Andrew Lloyd Webber decided it would be the perfect way to cast his London revival of the Rodgers & Hammerstein chestnut The Sound of Music, and the BBC series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was born. Viewers cast appealing ingénue Connie Fisher, she and SoM got rave reviews, and it’s a massive hit on the West End. Yet You’re the One makes no mention of Maria. Strange, since one of ALW’s co-producers — and fellow on-air arbiters — was David Ian, a.k.a. You’re the One’s John Hurley–meets–Simon Cowell spotlight-hogging judge. (Incidentally, Ian is the one who put up the $10 million to mount the 2007 Grease that America is currently casting. Guess that explains why he’s deemed a "Broadway heavyweight," despite that he’s never produced anything on the Great White Way.)
In addition to Ian, the judges include Grease composer-lyricist-librettist Jim Jacobs (a good-natured guy prone to laughing fits during dance auditions) and the production’s fantastically talented Tony-winning director-choreographer, Kathleen Marshall (of last year’s sleeper hit The Pajama Game). There are already some potentially good Sandys and Dannys. My personal faves? Cara the California cocktail waitress — the perky brunette with the side pony — and soccer coach/"Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love" Chad. But the American Idol-like audition sequences ranged from simply awkward to extremely painful, particularly when anyone sang a Grease song. (Look how well singing "You Can’t Hurry Love" worked out for 19-year-old Chicagoan Jacqueline. Jacobs is already calling her "Sandra Dee"!)
Meanwhile, they’ve shoved sidekick/sexy British TV presenter/stage actressDenise Van Outen outside, leaving her to vamp in the Windy City coldand flirt with 42-year-old Danny Zuko hopefuls while host Billy Bush pranced around the auditions like a prize peacock. He also referred to himself as a "handsome devil" during a voiceover and went out on a limb to get a tone-deaf pretty girl a second audition. Um, Billy, you’re not the one that we want.
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It was not as bad as I thought that it would be. Plus, they are sticking with the original premise that the actors are not in their mid to late thirties. I think that people forgot the original cast which included Barry Bostiwck(Danny Zucko)were in their twenties.
If there wasn’t so much Billy Bush, it would be slightly more digestible. I’d had enough at 30 minutes in and switched over to the Annie Leibovitz special on PBS already in progress.
I’m sorry, but Broadway needs a revival of “Grease” about as much as they need to revisit a re-staging of Carrie-The Musical. In other words… Who cares?
I wish this show were giving us more insight into the real process of Legit theatre auditions instead of just trying in vain to copy an American-Idol style format. I’ll be interested to see where the show takes us once the obligitory good/bad cattle call auditions are over and we get down to the actual process of choosing a Danny and Sandy. As for Billy Bush – gag! Where did this guy come from and why won’t he just go back there? Ditch Billy and give us more Denise.
Um, it was pretty bad. The worst thing…their catch phrase when they pick someone is, ‘You’re not the one that we want.” Also, Billy Bush is just plain annoying and who is the British chick? Was she on some other reality show? Perhaps the Swan? I need to look that one up.
I didn’t watch because: a) I’m not into reality television, although I am finding it hard to look away from the Surreal Life Fame Game on VH1; b) because I am not sure this is such a great idea for a show, although frankly the Sound of Music one might have gotten me; and c) because I don’t even think “You’re the One that I Want” was in the stage version. Was that not written for the movie? I saw a touring revival with Joely Fisher as Rizzo and Micky Dolenz as Vince Fontaine (his performance was OK but he was rude before the show, which crushed me) and I don’t remember the final scene even being at the fair.
I thought it was fun to watch the whole show but I have to say I was wondering if any of the people who auditioned where able to be Equity? I have someone who would have been perfect for the part. And he actually does theater.
I enjoyed the show. I cannot wait until they break it down and really get into the whole who can do it — who can’t parts.
My grandma wanted me to go audition for this show. I thought “They’d never cast a curvy redhead as Sandy” but after seeing the so-called “talent” last night, I missed me chance to star on broadway!
Evie,
Actually there were three changes made. In the play when Sandy throws the steady ring at Danny, he sings the 50’s standard “Since I don’t Have You”. In the movie the song was substituted with “Sandy” written by Louis, St. Louis and the skinny bald guy from Sha-Na-Na. “Hopelessly Devoted” was also not in the play, it was added in by Newton-John’s songwriter and friend John Faris (he might be related to the Faris brothers from INXS, no one is certain). Also Sandy’s last name was Dumbrowski, she was Polish American. However, since Newton-John could not pull off an American accent the last name was change to Olsen, and she was from Australia.
Loved the show but I truly HATE BILLY BUSH. I can’t believe that he is somehow still on TV. Not sure if I’ll be able to watch him for an entire season.
Hi Stephanie – I remember “Since I Don’t Have You,” but I thought Sandy was the one that sang that in lieu of “Hopelessy Devoted.” I don’t remember what song Danny sang. Was “You’re the One That I Want” in the version you saw? I don’t remember it, and I don’t remember it on the soundtrack (yes I bought the soundtrack because Sam Harris blew me away on “Those Magic Changes,” which is definitely the best song in the play, LOL, but hardly in the movie other than John Travolta singing along with Sha Na Na.
I never saw the play, I read about it in an article about the movies 25th aniversary. No, “Sandy” was written partly by a member of Sha-Na-Na. Perhaps “YTOTIW” was just put into the movie. I know that “We’re in together” was originally in the play as well as the movie.
Yes, please… replace Billy Bush. He’s definitely more Dunkelman than Seacrest.
yes, “you’re the one that I want” and “Grease is the word” are only in the movie – not in the play.
i’m on the fence with this one ( i use that ‘idol’ized statement soooo much, anyway), we are gonna be SO SICK of grease songs by the end of this. i don’t want that to happen. so, we’ll see how the rest goes. and i can’t be the only one who KNEW the bigger girls and the black girl were out before they were in. are they gonna put other races or ages on the show? i say maybe one of each so they don’t seem prejudice, but of course i was gonna turn this into that, sorry i’ll keep it light. not sure about this one