Hello twelve, hello fourteen. NBC kicked off the two-hour live episode of the Broadway casting extravaganza, "Grease: You're the One that I Want," with the top 12 contestants suddenly discovering two fallen stars were thrown back into the race by the good graces of producer David Ian. More on that debacle later, as it simply added to the blasé atmosphere of this freshman series, although for those across the pond, it's rather similar to BBC's "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," of which Ian was also involved.
Comparing the two shows is inevitable, as BBC Worldwide Productions is the driving force behind both "
Grease" and "Maria," the later having cast the lead role in Sir
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ian's jointly produced West End production of
The Sound of Music. Unfortunately for this American counterpart, the pizzazz of the British version did not translate as well NBC might have hoped. Gone is the snarkiness of "Maria's" host
Graham Norton, replaced instead by a somewhat stiff Billy Bush ("Access Hollywood") and lackluster Denise Van Outen (
Chicago).
Similar is the set design on "
Grease," which resembles a jukebox reminiscent of the days when vinyl and leather was all the rage. If only the 14 contestants could keep to that era. Overall the production value is slick and vibrant, which left me wanting more from the hosts and especially judges, Ian,
Grease scribe Jim Jacobs and director-choreographer
Kathleen Marshall, all of whom play out as sugar and everything nice, forgetting the spice. Where is the British judge who cuts contestants down to size on that other talent competition? If these judges were open to criticism of their own, someone should tell them that this is not a high school production where everyone deserves a pat on the back. Get mean already!
Yet, as the throngs of fans descended Sunday afternoon onto the CBS Television City studios in Hollywood, a handful decked out in poodle skirts and bouffant hair, the energy was high and hopes even higher. Fans carrying signage with well wishes to the Danny and Sandy hopefuls filled the stage, many hoping to catch the camera's attention throughout the show.
After a high-energy ensemble number of "You're the One that I Want," the wannabe stars took to the stage one by one in hopes of impressing no longer merely the judges, including special guest judge Olivia Newton John, but now America, who vote for their favorites each week. First up was "Wholesome Danny," Derek Keeling. Claiming to be a drag racer, it's a shame he wasn't a drag queen, as it might have helped in his rendition of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," which lacked a real sense of emotion. Keeling certainly has the moves, as he proved while gyrating around the stage, but there was a slight disconnect when it came to feeling the lyrics, a minor detail in an acting competition.
Austin Miller, who arguably has the most professional theatre experience under his belt, lived up to his moniker, "Hot Danny," perhaps a little too well. "Mony Mony" was the song, but the posing and flexing reminded more of a Chippendales' dancer than Danny Zuko. Did Miller forget that his time on "Days of Our Lives" is over? As long as he shapes up into a more rugged character, Miller has one of the more promising vocals amongst the Dannys.
Jacob's end of the show picks for the top performers of the night went to "Ambitious Danny" Chad Doreck and "Serious Sandy" Kate Rockwell, and his insight could not be more spot on. Out of the 14 auditions, these two showed the most promise, which is a wonder why super producer Ian or Marshall failed to agree with Jacob's opinion, although to Ian's credit, he did claim Doreck could "sell me lots of tickets." Doreck delivered the goods while crooning "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," and proved that he could in fact draw in the crowds for the summer mounting of
Grease. Rockwell, perhaps the most adorable of the bunch, walked down memory lane in her character flashback sequence, reminiscing of an ugly duckling phase. An apropos choice of song, "All By Myself," she certainly did stand alone on the top of the heap, and boy can she hit the notes. Even Bush was blown away by her 11-second note, as was GreaseNBClogo.JPG.jpg" vspace="10" width="350"/> Marshall, claiming Rockwell has one of the best voices in the competition.
Other notable performances in this first round of voting came from beach bum, oh wait, "Slacker Danny" Max Crumm, who could turn into the underdog of the entire show, proving a scrawny Danny could breakthrough. He might just be able to catch a great white wave and ride it all the way to the finals. "Spiritual Sandy," Kathleen Monteleone needn't say a prayer, because she is all but locked into moving on in 2 weeks when the show returns, after a week off for the Superbowl, as her perky singing of "Suddenly I See" won over the judges. And who could resist a girl who gives advice on how to wear Sandy spandex? You go girl. As long as no more previously cut
Grease Academy members make an encore, some of these talented hopefuls have a fighting chance.
Hopefully the next round will prove slightly more on track, as this rocky start can still be brushed up to opening night jitters. After all, the idea that Broadway is the main focus of prime-time television is nothing to be squawked at. Let us just hope that Ian and the rest of the judges panel remember that they are casting a major Broadway production, and as Bush pointed out in the opening, the "Broadway show could go up in flames."
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