Blueberry is a season ticket holder for the 5th Avenue theater here in Seattle. Every season she's kind enough to let me pick from her shows the ones I want to attend with her. This year I chose Shrek (which was quite frankly AWESOME - which was weird to see Shrek as a musical, but whatever) and the other was Grease.
I'm a huge Grease fan in general. It's a "classic" in terms of movies that my generation loves. And like most classics, when someone messes with them they are doomed, usually. And so my thoughts loomed as we made our way to dinner and then to the theater. Very odd group of people go to the theater too I might add. If you ever go, just watch the people around you. There are truly all types. From way dressy to shorts and a t-shirt.
Anyhow, Grease is being advertised with Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. Taylor Hicks, you may not know, won American Idol a couple years back. There's no doubt he's a good singer, but Franki Valli he ain't. I'm just sayin'.
TH sang ONE song. One. Beauty School Drop Out. That's it. The cast up to that point had been carrying the show, for obvious reasons, but the moment TH came on stage you would have thought Elvis had entered the building. The place erupted in harrahs. I just didn't get it.
He sings, they had a clever line regarding one of the pink ladies voting for him, and he leaves. Done. Grease goes on as planned.
The show itself was good. But as I said, I don't much like it when people mess with classics and so some of the adjustments they made didn't sit well with me. For example, Grease Lightning. Every woman in the world drools and loves John Travolta playing Danny Zuko singling Grease Lightning. And after you saw the movie originally when you were young, and realized what the lyrics said as you grew older, you really appreciated the song for all the cheese that it was. Yah, so not only did they change up some of the - um - rather risque lyrics, but Kenickie sang it. WTF? And I might add, the guy they had as Kenickie wasn't that great of a singer.
In fact, the first Sandy they had (I say "first" because after the intermission they "replaced" Sandy) was horrible. WAY too goody two shoes and not such a great singer. The replacement Sandy, on the other hand, could sing. Whoa!
The BEST female singer by far was the woman who played Jan. Jan was the rather geeky of the Pink Ladies and was the one who sang the commercial tune while they were having the slumber party - which wasn't in the show. The slumber party was, but Rizzo didn't sing "Look at me I'm Sandra Dee" then. Anyway, the Jan singer blew. me. away. She was fantabulous!
So then after the cast took their bows, out pops Taylor Hicks to sing Grease - that led into a medley with the cast. Then, the worst thing, IMHO, happened. The crowd cheered, the performers exited the stage, and they then announced that TH was going to perform a song for us. Oh goody! Talk about a gratuitous performance. Let's see, and entire cast of very talented singers perform very rigorously and get cheers. But then TH steps on stage to try to "steal the show"? I think not. I like him even less now. I mean really. If the only gig you can get is to do one, well one and a half songs during a Broadway performance, THEN sing a solo song...something is seriously wrong with your career.
I felt bad for the entire cast. I felt like their fantastic performance - and it was fantastic, just different - was over shadowed by Hick boy! Ugh. So to the performers of Grease, I liked you WAY more than Hick boy! Well done!
3 comments:
Well, sweetie, there is no need to feel bad for the cast. You see, the only reason the show was successful enough to go on tour was because of Hicks. Last summer when many, many of the shows on Broadway closed, Mr. Hicks was given the credit for bringing $150,000 extra a week to the Grease show. It is very probably true that the cast owes the fact they have a job to him.
And the show was willing to agree to let him promote his own album in order to keep him. I would have loved to hear him do his new single, and to see him in Grease.
And thank God he is no Franki Valli, he is 100 times better. If you would be interested in finding out just how good he is, get yourself to the Triple Door on May 27. He has a fantastic band. But then I wouldn't want to disturb your preconceived notions.
Absolutely, without I Taylor Hicks "Grease" would have closed and those fine actors would have been looking for work like so many other Broadway performers. Ans yes RUN don't walk to the Triple Door. Taylor Hicks concerts are worth every penny.
And it was Frankie AVALON not Valli that was is Grease.
Who knew I had so many Taylor Hicks fans reading my blog?
Post a Comment