In the musical, "Grease," conventional understanding points to Danny and Sandy as the major leads -- the main power couple driving the show. After all, much of the plot focuses on their ability to create a happy ending to their abruptly interrupted summer romance. Well, I believe conventional wisdom to be wrong: Sandy is certainly one of the leads, but Danny holds no such right to said category. Instead, I posit that Rizzo takes his place, making the true power couple of the show Sandy and Rizzo. I will also note that I am referring to the Original Broadway Cast version, not the movie version, although I will make comparisons between the two in order to help understand why the characters are viewed as such.
Firstly, it is important to look at Danny's character and personality. While he may be a protagonist in the show, he is neither honorable nor likable, using his charm and reputation to get by most of the time. In the movie version, after successfully trying out, Danny remains on the track team, adjusting his image as such to fit what Sandy wants in a man. In the original version, Danny is much less noble, after joining the track team to impress Sandy, he eventually quits after being asked to get a haircut, and leaves in quite the raucous manner -- giving the coach a shamefully crass gesture and pranking the team captain. In short, he fails to see his commitment through.
Furthermore, he is not the best to his friends. Now, his teasing and joking around every so often certainly is acceptable, that is just how his greaser social group functions. However, he lies to his friends about the true nature of his relationship with Sandy, never fully explaining the whole story, onstage at least. And while he may have had track practice to go to, he dodges having to miss the rumble with the Flaming Dukes instead of being up front with his friends. Moreover, after letting his friends down at the rumble, he asks Kenickie if he can use his car (aka, “Greased Lightning”) to go on a date with Sandy at the drive-in. The date, as it was, did not turn out so well, as Danny got too aggressive with Sandy.
Clearly, Danny does not belong in the conversation of lead couple with Sandy. Instead, Rizzo should fill that role. It is important to ask a few important questions when making this assertion. Firstly, who teaches the lessons in this story, and to who are they taught?
Danny does not learn all that much, and he certainly does not teach Sandy anything. If anything, Danny’s character stays the same for much of the show. Meanwhile, Sandy learns a lot within the duration of the show, growing from an ingénue new student at a school, and making a huge transformation for the end scene. Sandy’s character changes throughout the show, enabling us to see her narrative. Rizzo starts the show off as the mean girl of the Pink Ladies; however, as the show progresses, we learn much more about her character and understand her actions more. While Sandy and Rizzo do not get along at the beginning of the show, their characters grow on each other in bit of mutual understanding. At the very end, it is her song, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” that enables Sandy to see what action she must take at the end of the show.
Speaking of that song, there are three major songs to end the show. “All Choked Up” is the song before the finale. The two songs that precede it, however, are two of the most emotional pieces in the entire show: “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” and “Sandra Dee (Reprise).” No dialogue exists in between the two numbers; they flow seamlessly from one to the other. They are incredible insights into both Rizzo and Sandy, and if the final scene is any indication -- in which Sandy changes her image dramatically and Rizzo offers her encouragement -- it is the scene that finally allows two polar opposite characters to understand each other and their respective struggles.
Danny never understood Sandy until she changed her image into a “greaser.” In fact, Danny’s main solo number, “Alone At the Drive-In Movie,” essentially consists of him complaining about how he has screwed up after intimidating Sandy too much, as opposed to realizing that he may need to either change himself, or realize he is not entirely what the lead Burger Palace Boy image is. Kenickie, in some regards, is more noble than Danny. He and Rizzo understand each other, and he is there when she fears that she is pregnant. He is there for her when she needs it most, while when Sandy needs Danny most, he gets confused and resists.
On a final note, I think it is important to compare who says the final line in the Broadway version, versus who says it in the movie version. In the movie version, John Travolta utters the, “A wop bop a lu bop,” to segue into “We Go Together.” In the original, it is Sandy who utters these words. Now, part of my supposition as to why Danny’s image is so different from the film to the musical is because of Travolta himself. I think his star power forced the screenwriters to write Danny’s character a little differently. However, I can only speculate on this matter.
In any case, it is my belief that the true power couple in "Grease" is Sandy and Rizzo. They are the two most important characters in the show.
