After going dark for a week, NBC's "Grease: You're the One that I Want" made its triumphant return Sunday evening, although a slightly overshadowed one as it battled against the Grammy Awards. Surprisingly the time off allowed this freshman series to freshen up a bit, jumping out of the gate with a high-energy opening number, "Summer Nights," keeping it up throughout most of the two-hour episode.
Perhaps it was the Lord looking down on them, guest judge Lord
Andrew Lloyd Webber that is, but the top 14 contestants have shaken off any opening night jitters and realized this is the greatest opportunity they might ever have. Some perked up more than others, but overall there seemed to be an impressive step in the right direction when it comes to finding the leads of the Broadway revival, set to bow this summer.
The writers take the cake this week, as their horribly tacky scripting led to a few rather curious references to Webber as the night went along. I am sure "Lord of legit" and "Worldwide Webber" are currently running through Webber's head as perfect titles for his next batch of business cards. Aside from his comical nicks, Webber shot a jolt of life into "
Grease," delivering both legitimacy and sheer enthusiasm for all things musical theatre to the show.
And musical theatre it was indeed, as the overall theme for the night was popular Broadway numbers, many of which were plucked from Webber's catalog. Which begs the question, why in the world aren't all the episodes similarly themed? This is a Broadway casting special after all. If I have to sit through one more week of karaoke staples, I might just start losing my mind.
A group rendition of "Phantom of the Opera" showcased the cast's ability to handle what is now a classic showtune with marked improvement. Webber seemed overly polite as he delved out mostly praise for each of the kids, a drastic change from his turn on last season's "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria." He really was not that off the mark though, as nearly all of the performances were worthy of a return ticket for next week.
Director-Choreographer
Kathleen Marshall took center stage tonight, as her choreography played a major role in sprucing up the show, incorporating a handful of sharp sequences into the auditions. And when the numbers were nailed, as was the case more often than not, the bar was raised for future episodes.
This week also marked the first official farewell for two of the Danny and Sandy hopefuls, with the second chance singers, Matt Nolan and Ashley Anderson, getting the boot after failing to impress both the judges and America two weeks ago. Nolan again brought nothing to the table as he faced off against
Jason Celaya singing "Tears on My Pillow" alongside Anderson and Allie Schulz. My vote still goes to "Beauty School Dropout" making the list for farewell tunes. Maybe throw a dunce cap on the weekly losers as they pout off into the distance.
Having rehearsed the
Guys and Dolls classic, "Luck Be A Lady," Nolan must not have treated her kindly enough, as lady luck gave him quite the cold shoulder. No wait… that was his total lack of experience and high school musical singing ability that sent him packing. Anderson however, came from behind giving it her all in the horribly short time she had to impress the panel. It was simply too little too late for "Emotional Sandy," who certainly lived up to her moniker, putting on the waterworks as she bid her Broadway dreams goodbye. Wouldn't it be fun to see the old fashioned hook come from offstage and yank the rejects into oblivion rather than be tortured with sappy tears?
Selecting the top two performers of the night proved a more difficult task than during the last episode, with a few deserving top honors. Juliana Hansen, or as I like to call her, "Sultry Sandy," gave a beautiful rendition of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," but came up a little short as she held back during the final note. Another Webber tune, "Memory," helped propel Kathleen Monteleone into the top performer category.
But the big winner of the night was Laura Osnes, singing "Jesus Christ Superstar," which Webber noted as being one of the only times a girl has most likely ever sung his song. From her perfectly selected dress to her barefoot bravado, "Small-town Sandy" proved she could handle the Big Apple. And the judges finally seemed to agree, at least David Ian, Jim Jacobs and Webber did, on selecting Osnes as the one that they want. Marshall decided to praise the peachy Monteleone.
Male stripper
Austin Miller finally realized he should tone down the glamour queen looks and suited up in a James Dean like red jacket, and luckily he didn't crash and burn like his rebel without a cause counterpart. He knows how to dance, and tonight showed off his previous musical theatre experience with a number from
The Wiz, "Ease On Down the Road." It is too bad Kevin Greene did not throw his two dance partners down and give them a real hunk of burning love, opting instead to throw out the worst performance of the night, next to the ousted Nolan, of course.
Derek Keeling popped however as the Danny standout with "Footloose." Producers might as well change his nickname from "Wholesome Danny" to "Picture-perfect Danny," as Keeling is the leader of this male pack, with Marshall and Webber agreeing. His footwork and machismo are all set for a turn as Danny Zuko, lookout Broadway.
Check back next week for another candid look at this reality-casting extravaganza. Next week will also have exclusive comments from the judges, as I got a chance to sit down and talk with David Ian,
Kathleen Marshall, Jim Jacobs and
Andrew Lloyd Webber about all things
Grease.
Photos courtesy of NBC
[Note: Additional choreography in "Grease: You're the One that I Want" is provided by Vince Pesce, with assistant choreography by Lorin Latarro.]
