Grease Live!

History

Fox announced on April 28, 2014, that it had partnered with Paramount Television to produce a live, three-hour televised adaptation of the 1978 musical Grease in 2015. The move came after similar live musical adaptations produced by NBC, such as The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live!. On January 17, 2015, Fox officially announced Julianne Hough as Sandy and Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo, and that the special would air on January 31, 2016. Entertainment Weekly reported the special had been delayed from its original target of Summer 2015 due to difficulties in the casting process.

On May 28, 2015, Keke Palmer joined as Marty Maraschino. On July 9, Aaron Tveit was announced as Danny Zuko and Carlos PenaVega as Kenickie. On September 30, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kether Donohue, and David Del Rio were cast as Frenchy, Jan, and Putzie, respectively. On November 6, Jordan Fisher, Andrew Call, and Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer joined as Doody, Sonny, and Cha-Cha.

Production

Director Thomas Kail envisioned Grease Live as a "combination" of elements from the original musical and the 1978 film. The production incorporated songs from the film, like its theme song "Grease (Is The Word)" performed by Jessie J, "You're the One That I Want", and "Hopelessly Devoted to You", as well as stage-exclusive songs like "Freddy, My Love" and "Those Magic Changes". Kail explained they were focused on capturing the spirit of both the original stage companies and the film, to "honor that and pay homage" while making their own version. The production also contained new songs, including the original "All I Need Is an Angel" written for Frenchy by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey.

Joe Jonas's band DNCE made a cameo as Johnny Casino and The Gamblers, performing "Maybe Baby", a 1950s-inspired remix of "Cake by the Ocean", "Born to Hand Jive", and "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay". Grease Live was broadcast from Warner Bros. in Burbank, California, using two soundstages, half of its backlot, and 44 cameras. Set designer David Korins constructed a self-contained "cafegymatorium" set designed for an "immersive", 360-degree experience. The special was presented to live studio audiences who were integrated as extras on-stage.

Kail wanted to capture the "feeling" of audiences at live stage productions, citing "an energy and an undeniable vitality that real humans give back to real humans that are performing." The price of a 30-second commercial was set between $300,000 and $320,000. Coca-Cola was a major sponsor, including product placement of classic signage and beverages. Several songs were edited for content to be "family-friendly" while maintaining "the appropriate edge"; for example, "Greased Lightnin'" had lyrics changed to remove profane and sexual words, and "fongool" was replaced with "be cool" in "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee". The use of outdoor sets led to concerns about weather, with forecasts calling for a 100% chance of precipitation.

At around 3:00 p.m. PT, an hour before the telecast, Platt was informed a structure on the outdoor set could not be used for safety reasons. By 3:40 p.m. PT, the rain and wind passed and engineers cleared the structure, allowing a return to the original staging. The broadcast featured references to the conditions: emcee Mario Lopez jokingly introduced "El Niño" as a "special guest", the opening number was performed with the cast holding umbrellas, and Principal McGee (Ana Gasteyer) quipped, "Let's just hope it doesn't rain." On the day of the broadcast, Vanessa Hudgens announced on Twitter that her father, Greg, had died of cancer the night before, and she would dedicate her performance to his memory. Platt told Entertainment Weekly he was "fiercely proud" of Hudgens, describing her as a "very determined young woman" who knows "the show has to go on." Fox and Paramount allowed the production to be dedicated in memory of Greg.

Soundtrack

Paramount Pictures put out the soundtrack for Grease Live! on January 31, with a Target version adding four extra tracks arriving February 27. The live show featured 23 songs, but only 19 made it onto the album; neither “Alma Mater” nor “Mooning” appeared on any release. The soundtrack hit number 37 on the Billboard 200 and claimed the top spot on the Top Album Sales chart that same week.

Reception

Critical reception was positive, with particular praise for the overall atmosphere and production style, as well as the performances of the cast, especially Hudgens as Betty Rizzo. The special was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards and won a total of five, including Outstanding Special Class Program.

International broadcasts

In Canada, Grease Live aired on CTV in simulcast with Fox. It aired on February 2 in Australia on the Nine Network, February 3 in the United Kingdom on ITV2, February 5 in New Zealand on TV3, February 7 in Norway on FEM, February 20 in Denmark on TV2 Fri, and August 21 in Italy on Rai 4 (dubbed). In Latin America, it was broadcast on FOX Family on April 24, 2016 (dubbed). It aired in Sweden on SVT1 on June 12, 2016, in the Netherlands on RTL 8 on July 22, 2016, in Singapore on Mediacorp Channel 5 on December 25, 2016, and in France on 6ter on December 26, 2016.

Cast and characters

The main cast included Aaron Tveit as Danny Zuko, Sandy's boyfriend and leader of the T-Birds; Julianne Hough as Sandy Young, Danny's girlfriend relocated from Utah; Vanessa Hudgens as Betty Rizzo; and Carlos PenaVega as Kenickie. The special was dedicated in the memory of Hudgens' father Greg, who had died from cancer one day before the broadcast.