It seemed as if the whole world was shivering in anticipation as we waited for the premiere of "Grease Live!" With a cast of heartthrobs, newcomers and Broadway/Hollywood veterans, this show had an appeal to almost everyone who enjoys fun music and pelvic thrusts — lots and lots of pelvic thrusts.
We were interested to see Jessie J open. We were excited to see what Aaron Tveit would bring to the screen, having to live up to one of John Travolta's most iconic roles. We were anxious to see Keke Palmer and Carly Rae Jepsen in a generation so different from our current one. We became giddy as we realized Carlos PenaVega ("Big Time Rush") would be gracing us with his beautiful face and beautiful voice. We were ready to see Julianne Hough shine like the beautiful star she is. But most of all, we were excited to see Vanessa Hudgens singing on screen again. The nostalgia that came from the "High School Musical" 10 Year reunion brought back a longing to see the Boho Queen strut her stuff once again on screen with her gentle, yet powerful pipes.
January 31 came around, the day of the premiere. The night that would make history, but not for the reasons that we thought. This Sunday morning came around, and millions of hearts broke. The country was crying for the loss of Vanessa Hudgen's father, Greg Hudgens, who had been battling cancer. The star tweeted that morning:
Followed by a heart wrenching:
As a performer, it is sometimes difficult to turn off the things that are going on in your personal life. We have all heard that the "show must go on!" But have we really stopped to think about what this means? As a society, we often ask a lot of actors and performers because we demand that they entertain us. And performers do not complain. Why? Because this isn't just their career; it's their passion. This is what they will choose to do, day after day. And this day, that is what Vanessa chose. She wanted to make her dad proud, and from watching her genuinely living in her moments on screen as Rizzo, she would have made any parent proud. The moment that she chose to continue on with performing was the moment that she made pop culture history. She was, and is, courageous and beautiful.
Vanessa, stunning in every aspect, performed the whole show without ever giving off a hint of sadness. She was glowing every moment that she was on screen. What shocked people most, was her performance of the ever-so-emotional song, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do." There wasn't a single moment in this song that she broke. Her voice was strong; she was in-character and only teared up for the circumstances of Rizzo, not for the circumstances of Vanessa. This is what it means to have the show go on. This is what it means to leave your personal life at the door. This is what it means to be a professional.
She was highly praised by the Broadway community, by the acting community, by the country. There is nothing that Vanessa can't conquer.
The man behind "Hamilton" tweeted:
"Grease Live!" was a successful representation of the movie that stole our hearts decades ago. The vocals, visuals, choreography, costumes, and special appearances by DNCE and Boyz II Men were engaging and entertaining. But I think that we can all unanimously agree with Lin-Manuel Miranda and say that Vanessa left us in "total awe." It is undeniable that she is one of the strongest performers out there. Brava, Vanessa, we know that your dad is smiling from heaven and is so very proud of the woman that you are. Thank you for inspiring all of us.
