Word on the street is FOX, that purveyor of quality programming will be jumping on the live tv bandwagon that NBC mined so successfully with that train wreck known as "The Sound of Music", that they've decided to get in on the act with their own live musical broadcast with "Grease" Live. And I say is this really necessary? Of course the obvious answer to that is no it most definitely is not, but where FOX and live television are concerned it could be a ratings winner whether is good, bad or crappily camptastic. Beyond the fact that the NBC "Sound" version was both painful to watch, bad and boring, I think the show took a lot more heat than "Grease" will because it is not as sacrosanct as "Sound." From it's original Broadway production to the unforgettable film (which is 50 years old next year) it has become a loved and cherished memory for a generation of folks both young and old. While "Grease", which was also a Broadway play and then a very successful movie, I don't think holds as much fervor, except maybe to folks who saw the original theater release in 1978. I count myself as one of those people who lined up when it first came out and was enthralled by both the music and Olivia Newton-John, something most of us 13 year old future gay boys at that time shared I'm sure.
I would say I'd wait till FOX plans this out and see who they cast in the lead roles, but where would the fun in that be. Now something both shows have in common is that the broadcast versions will be based on the original Broadway musicals--not the movies. For "Sound" that was mostly fine as it was all original scores by Rodgers and Hammerstein. For "Grease" it's a different story and will be interesting to see if they somehow license the music the Bee Gees and John Farrar wrote specifically for the film for both Frankie Valli and Olivia Newton-John.
I actually had a chance to see the Broadway version of the show back in like '93/'94 when it was revived with Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo (and then later with Brooke Shields). Before they hit the Great White Way they previewed it in Washington, DC and most of the music were songs that were big hits in the '50s and just a handful of new ones like "Greased Lightning". A song by the way, where it will be interesting to see if they keep one of it's original lyrics--"you are supreme, the chicks'll cream for greased lightning." Think that will make it past broadcast and standards? It remains to be seen. Of course, it is on FOX and considering what "The Family Guy" gets away with, this is pretty lightweight. Though at least we'll get to hear "Summer Nights", one of the most unlikely top five hits of the year, plus I think the lyric "she got friendly down in the sand" will pass inspection.
While the show was a big hit on Broadway in it's time, it was the movie version that really took it to a whole new level. Even if you suspend disbelief that all the actors were playing teenagers when ONJ was 30, Travolta was 24, Jeff Conway was 28, Didi Conn was 27 and Stockard Channing was 34!! I guess at the time the movie was so infectious, we all just went along with it, even though Travolta and Channing are not the best singers ever. But at least they were still better than Russell Crowe in Les Mis! He may have been an okay singer when he was younger in '80's bands but cigarettes and alcohol seem to have hinder his adult voice--but I digress.
Casting will be essential for this and here I will make a plea directly to FOX--DON'T FUCK IT UP! Get people who can sing and act. Carrie Underwood, I love her voice, but ugh, stiff as a board, which was a complaint she got a lot when she won "American Idol" way back when. And Stephen Moyer? Just such an odd choice and they had no chemistry with each other. It's the one time everyone was pulling for the Baroness. I can only hope FOX goes with young folks at least close to teen age range who have skills and chops to make this work and that they learned from NBC's missteps. I mean if you are going to knock-off one of their ideas--you better make a better effort than them, right? Otherwise, they could completely kill off the idea of ever doing this again, though NBC's follow-up with a live version of the stage version of "Peter Pan" could do that too. At this point it's too early to tell.
Till then, I'll bide my time and hope they can make something out of this, as it is much like the Golden Age of Television where live was the name of the game instead of just a gimmick like today. But if they are going to butcher things we love and cherish, I'd much rather they try to come up with something new, which seems to be a stretch when you look at all the remarkably similar stuff gracing our airwaves. If nothing else at least "Grease" is only about two hours long and not the 4 hour catatonic state inducing drowse feast of "Sound". And maybe some of the original movie cast can play the adult roles, I mean whatever happened to Didi Conn? I'm sure Travolta could take a break from all those "massages" to be "Coach" and ONJ could be school principal since both Sid Ceasar and Eve Arden are, you know, dead. Though beware, I'm sure Allan Carr is rolling over in his grave somewhere wondering how his ghost can ruin this production so folks will only fondly remember the "Grease" movie and totally forget he ever did "Can't Stop The Music", one of the worst, crappy, campy movies ever starring The Village People and Rhoda's mother. God, sometimes I miss the '70/'80's---sometimes.
I would say I'd wait till FOX plans this out and see who they cast in the lead roles, but where would the fun in that be. Now something both shows have in common is that the broadcast versions will be based on the original Broadway musicals--not the movies. For "Sound" that was mostly fine as it was all original scores by Rodgers and Hammerstein. For "Grease" it's a different story and will be interesting to see if they somehow license the music the Bee Gees and John Farrar wrote specifically for the film for both Frankie Valli and Olivia Newton-John.
I actually had a chance to see the Broadway version of the show back in like '93/'94 when it was revived with Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo (and then later with Brooke Shields). Before they hit the Great White Way they previewed it in Washington, DC and most of the music were songs that were big hits in the '50s and just a handful of new ones like "Greased Lightning". A song by the way, where it will be interesting to see if they keep one of it's original lyrics--"you are supreme, the chicks'll cream for greased lightning." Think that will make it past broadcast and standards? It remains to be seen. Of course, it is on FOX and considering what "The Family Guy" gets away with, this is pretty lightweight. Though at least we'll get to hear "Summer Nights", one of the most unlikely top five hits of the year, plus I think the lyric "she got friendly down in the sand" will pass inspection.
While the show was a big hit on Broadway in it's time, it was the movie version that really took it to a whole new level. Even if you suspend disbelief that all the actors were playing teenagers when ONJ was 30, Travolta was 24, Jeff Conway was 28, Didi Conn was 27 and Stockard Channing was 34!! I guess at the time the movie was so infectious, we all just went along with it, even though Travolta and Channing are not the best singers ever. But at least they were still better than Russell Crowe in Les Mis! He may have been an okay singer when he was younger in '80's bands but cigarettes and alcohol seem to have hinder his adult voice--but I digress.
Casting will be essential for this and here I will make a plea directly to FOX--DON'T FUCK IT UP! Get people who can sing and act. Carrie Underwood, I love her voice, but ugh, stiff as a board, which was a complaint she got a lot when she won "American Idol" way back when. And Stephen Moyer? Just such an odd choice and they had no chemistry with each other. It's the one time everyone was pulling for the Baroness. I can only hope FOX goes with young folks at least close to teen age range who have skills and chops to make this work and that they learned from NBC's missteps. I mean if you are going to knock-off one of their ideas--you better make a better effort than them, right? Otherwise, they could completely kill off the idea of ever doing this again, though NBC's follow-up with a live version of the stage version of "Peter Pan" could do that too. At this point it's too early to tell.
Till then, I'll bide my time and hope they can make something out of this, as it is much like the Golden Age of Television where live was the name of the game instead of just a gimmick like today. But if they are going to butcher things we love and cherish, I'd much rather they try to come up with something new, which seems to be a stretch when you look at all the remarkably similar stuff gracing our airwaves. If nothing else at least "Grease" is only about two hours long and not the 4 hour catatonic state inducing drowse feast of "Sound". And maybe some of the original movie cast can play the adult roles, I mean whatever happened to Didi Conn? I'm sure Travolta could take a break from all those "massages" to be "Coach" and ONJ could be school principal since both Sid Ceasar and Eve Arden are, you know, dead. Though beware, I'm sure Allan Carr is rolling over in his grave somewhere wondering how his ghost can ruin this production so folks will only fondly remember the "Grease" movie and totally forget he ever did "Can't Stop The Music", one of the worst, crappy, campy movies ever starring The Village People and Rhoda's mother. God, sometimes I miss the '70/'80's---sometimes.
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