I've never seen the original show, but I did know all of the songs. With all of this being said, I did not have high hopes for "Grease: Live," but I decided to give it a chance anyway.
The opening scene sets us up on the beach when Sandy and Danny are saying goodbye after their summer together. The two had the chemistry of a divorced couple. Not a good way to start off. Just to clear the air, I am a major lover of the 1978 movie "Grease." I had a huge "Grease" phase when I was five to eight years old. I know the words to every song and I was so obsessed that I named my cat Sandy (He was Danny, originally but that's a long story).
The opening was decent. Jessie J took us through some of the sets and we see the cast getting ready. My only complaint here is I don't know if Jessie J is the right choice. In the original the opening credits felt more modern than the movie, but maybe she pushed the envelope a little too far.
The sets are phenomenal. Absolutely the selling point for these live musicals is seeing the art direction when it comes to costumes and sets.
Our first musical is up. "Summer Nights" is one of the quintessential songs of the movie. Julianne Hough actually impressed me, but to be honest my only hope for her is that she didn't completely butcher the role. She may not be the greatest singer or actress, but she pulls of an okay Sandy Young. Aaron Tveit is a phenomenal singer and known for his Broadway performances, but his performance was lacking. There seems to be no passion in his eyes and he just doesn't charm me in the way that Travolta does.
Why is Mario Lopez providing narration? I want to be immersed in Rydell not get the stats on the production.
DUN. DUN. DUN. Together again, but I’m not really loving it. Aaron is a disappointment and makes for a completely uncharming Danny Zuko. Julianne is still just EHH, but Vanessa Hudgens is really starting to catch my eye with her performance as Rizzo. The rest of the T-birds also seem to be scene-stealers.
The elephant in the room? A completely overacted performance by Keke Palmer as Marty. In the movie, Marty desperately tries to appear mature, but still seems to possess a vulnerability. This Marty, however, seems to be a completely one dimensional and flat-out desperate. Palmer vocally delivers when it comes to “Freddy My Love,” but the theatrics detract from her performance in my opinion and I found myself loathing every second she was on screen.
Vanessa cemented herself as Rizzo when it comes to “Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee”. Many people have said that she does not live up to Stockard Channing’s performance, but everyone must remember that this is “Grease: LIVE”. Stockard also had a lot more experience under her belt when she belted out the tune and the fortune of recording multiple takes.
It’s good to see a familiar face when Barry Pearl, the original Doody, comes back as the National Bandstand producer. I’m also really looking forward to seeing Didi Conn, the original Frenchy.
“Well, it’s got to be Greased Lightening” It’s a sad thing when a lead actor cannot hold your attention. I found myself pay attention to every T-Bird, but Danny during the catchy dance number. Aaron somehow managed to drain every ounce of sex appeal out of his character. The saving grace for this number is the amazing choreography.
Finally made it to the Frosty Freeze and it is so sweet to see Didi Conn playing our favorite waitress, Vi.
Aaron is still coming across as a super dry Danny and has yet to charm Sandy or the audience. Doody, played by Jordan Fisher, seems to have no problem pulling out the charm, though, during his song “Those Magic Changes”.
The whole gang is together again, and the leads just deliver a so-so performance. For supposedly being young and in love they deliver each line with zero emotion and I am so happy when they decide to take their date off screen.
Frenchy, played by Carly Rae Jepsen, and Vi are all alone in the diner. The scene is beyond heart-warming with the role reversal and Didi delivering Vi’s lines to a naïve, but hopeful Frenchy.
Let’s just one think clear, the only person that can have a song written into “Grease” is Olivia Newton John and that song is “Hopelessly Devoted to You”. The original song that was written for Carly Rae reads like an 00s Vanessa Carlton ballad and not in a good way.
Boys 2 Men singing “Beauty School Dropout” was good, but overall I don’t think it’s going to be a performance that the audience remembers at the end of the broadcast.
The choreography and the set once again blow me away during the big dance and National Bandstand filming. Joe Jonas seems like an odd choice as a performer because his vocals don’t really fit the time, but I didn’t get hung up on it.
I do love seeing all of the supporting cast, except for Marty, during the dance and wish we could get more of them and less of Danny and Sandy. Keke Palmer seems hell bent on playing up Marty’s sexuality during the dance, but it comes off cartoonish and like she did not truly understand the character and her insecurities.
It was a great moment to see Barry Pearl and Didi relive their high school days, especially says she misses high school.
I watched online, so I did not experience the audio issues like those who watched during the telecast. I thought Julianne delivered a good performance for “Hopelessly Devoted.” She has not where never the vocal power of Olivia Newton John, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by her. She delivers a watchable performance both acting and singing wise.
Time for Danny’s solo and I’m still left empty by Aaron’s performance. He may have more technical skill than John Travolta, but he just doesn’t deliver when it comes to the heartache and whiny nature of “Sandy”.
Back on screen with Vanessa for “There are Worse Things I Could do” and she continues to impress me. She has developed Rizzo, so you can see her independent and vulnerable sides all at once. When she delivers the line “But I can feel and I can cry” you can’t help but be there in the hallway with her. Considering that her father had just died the day before you can feel that line pour out of her. She embodied Rizzo to me.
The transformation is here. Danny may have changed his clothes, but his personality is as bland as ever. “ You’re the One that I want” falls a little flat because of the lack of chemistry. They seem to be stuck in a rut of hitting the notes and their marks, but they just never connected.
The spectacle is coming to an end. As far as group numbers go they delivered, I don’t know whether it was because a sense of relief or what but they definitely pulled through at the end. Plus, golf cart number two nearly averted a catastrophe… I guess that’s what happens when you’re live.
Overall, the cast should be proud of themselves because despite its flaws this is still the biggest undertaking for a live TV musical and it performed fairly well.
Bonus points for Didi and Barry appearing in their original Pink Ladies and T-Bird Jackets!
You can watch the whole show on Fox's website.
