TV: Onstage and Off with Grease Star Derek Keeling

Rydell High got a new class couple, Tuesday, July 22, 2008 when Derek Keeling and Ashley Spencer joined the cast in the lead roles of Danny and Sandy. BroadwayWorld TV spent some time with Derek as he got ready for his big Broadway debut!

Keeling is best known for his run on NBC's Grease: You're the One That I Want, in which he placed third in Broadway's largest national casting call. But his experience covers a wide range of dramas and musicals, touching every genre and audience. A student of the spontaneous and engaging Meisner acting technique, Keeling has been a part of many new and upcoming projects, such as the reading of the new musical Dreamweavers, in which he starred as Jack Jerome; a reading of Happy Days in Los Angeles, in which he played the iconic Arthur "Fonz" Fonzarelli; and a prestigious, pre-Broadway run of A Tale of Two Cities, starring as Charles Darnay.

Most recently, Keeling was seen playing Chad in the regional premiere of All Shook Up at Musical Theatre West. The performance was hailed by critics at top publications such as the Los Angeles Times, which calls Keeling "that rarity seldom seen since the days of Cary Grant -- namely, a hunky guy who can play comedy."

A born performer who has studied dance since the age of three, Keeling is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut this summer as Danny Zuko in Grease. He and the musical have an illustrious, 6-year history; excluding his NBC Grease experience, Keeling estimates he has brought his own James Dean-style swagger to the classic musical 624 times -- across nearly every state in the nation, and always in a professional-level production.He has even taken the All-American story across the border to Canadian audiences. After two high-energy years on the musical's national tour -- performing along with pop icons Frankie Avalon and Chubby Checker -- Keeling now brings his performance of the role to the Broadway stage.

Tickets for GREASE are $121.50 - $71.50 and are available through TicketMaster at (212) 307-4100 or www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Brooks Atkinson box office. Group Sales are available by calling Nederlander Group Sales at 212-840-3890.

Performances are Tuesdays at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. For more information on the show and ticket availability, please visit, www.greaseonbroadway.com.

Video shot and edited by E. Matthew Cady