Grease - OAD 3/25/07 - Finale

[jlb]

I am so glad Max and Laura won. America got the finale vote right. Austin would have just been wrong as Danny.

My 9 yo daughter got hooked on the show with us. Given that our favorites won, we are planning on getting tickets for the summer and using some airline miles and hotel points to have a family adventure together. Can't wait.

[Cearbhaill]

I thought I was the only one following this- I adored Max right from the start. He looks so natural when he moves around the stage.
And Bell's Palsy trumps a doting grandmother any day :D

I was a bit disappointed with the ages of the rest of the cast- they all looked way too old- Kenicke looked to be in his 30's.

[TriBruin]

I am so glad Max and Laura won. America got the finale vote right. Austin would have just been wrong as Danny.

My 9 yo daughter got hooked on the show with us. Given that our favorites won, we are planning on getting tickets for the summer and using some airline miles and hotel points to have a family adventure together. Can't wait.

No need to Spoiler. This is the offical thread for the episode and the results are part of the episode.

That being said, I am certainly glad that Laura won, but Max was not my first choice (Derrick was), but I did like him over Austin.

Although, I did not watch all episodes (how dare they go against AR!), I did somewhat enjoy the show, and I would probably go see the theater production if it tours in Chicago.

[cmgal]

I'm also glad that Max won. He was my choice from the start. I liked both Sandys...they each had something special. I liked the vulnerability in Ashley's singing but Laura's voice and stage presence was better.

[cmgal]

Also glad I have to TiVos so I don't miss AR :)

[mwhip]

I caught a couple of these as I remembered they were on. I am glad Max won he really did what he needed to win the part. Ashley definitely was the more sexy of the 2 and since Sandy is demur most of the show until the end Laura will perfect.

[jlb]

I could be wrong, but I thought the woman playing Rizzo looked like Christina Applegate with dyed hair.......

[jlb]

Speaking of the Broadway Show, has anyone been to the Brooks Atkinson Theater lately?

On the dates we are looking, I can get Orchestra seats not too far back, but they tend ot be pretty far to one side or the other.

I could get Front Mezz (it's four rows) in a more central location.

I could get Rear Mezz in a central location.

Front Mezz and Orchestra are the same price ($111) while Rear Mezz are $81.

If you are going to spend $111 per ticket, should you go for the Orchestra seats at the same price, or are you better with the Front Mezz? Also, if you are going to be in the Mezz, should you step down in price and just take the rear Mezz?

Any thoughts should be couched in the fact that we are bringing our 9 yo daughter and I want to get the best for her.....I am flexible on location. I just think she would have more fun if we can get as close as possible......

[zalusky]

I full expected them to announce that the runner ups would be the stand players when the primaries were not available to perform.

[jlb]

I thought that too at first, but they need to have the stand-ins fully readied at this point (IMHO). Then they just have to concentrate on getting Max and Laura ready for the big stage.....

[zalusky]

Makes Sense!

I was also expecting them to offer some of the guys roles as secondary characters. For example Austin looks more like the guy from Taxi who was in the original grease movie.

I also they need to protect themselves in case this method of casting doesn't work out.
As we all know from AI and DWTS, America doesn't pick the best talent they just pick some their team AKA home town, Race, pretty factor, ...

Thats a large risk to put on a multi million dollar broadway show without some sort of backup strategy. For example how long is the Danny/Sandy contracts? Are Max and Laura only doing the weekday/matinee shows and somebody else doing the friday/saturday night shows?

[jlb]

Good questions. I would hate to buy tickets and then find out that, oh guess what, we're only having Max and Laura do Wed 2pm shows. But I guess you sort of have a risk of non-performance anyways from any role.

[Hot4Bo]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I'm a HUGE Grease fan and I don't think Max will be a good Danny Zuko at all. He doesn't have the look or the attitude at all.

I was rooting for Chad and I was sorry to see him go. He's the only one, in my opinion, who had the look and the voice and the attitude to pull it off. I was also hoping for Ashley.

Having said all that, I don't think I'll see this show even if it comes down here. I'm very disappointed. I also think the other cast members look way too old.

[jlb]

I understand what you are saying. I look at it this way.....While I agree with you in general, I am using my daughter as the driving force here. She watched the show, liked Max and Laura, and wants to see them live.

Same type of thing as when I took her to see the American Idol tour.

[kdelande]

We stuck with this the whole run, glad to see it pay off last night. My wife and I both wanted Max to win, we couldn't STAND Austin. I was for Laura, my wife was for Ashley so we split there -- wife couldn't get over Laura's non-blonde hair!

Doubt we'll make it out to Broadway to catch in person but that would be a neat final payoff.

KD

[DevdogAZ]

Thats a large risk to put on a multi million dollar broadway show without some sort of backup strategy. For example how long is the Danny/Sandy contracts? Are Max and Laura only doing the weekday/matinee shows and somebody else doing the friday/saturday night shows?
I can't imagine them doing that. They've basically just run a 2 month commercial for their Broadway show, promoting the fact that you (the American public) picked the stars. They've got to realize that a good portion of people who go to the play will be going because of this TV show, and not simply because they love Grease on stage.

Clearly Max and Laura will have to take some shows off, just like any performer, but I think if they are consistently absent for the premier shows, people will cry foul.

[zalusky]

They lucked out because America picked good talent.

What if America did the Idol thing and or the "So you you think you can dance", "Dance with the Stars" thing and picked somebody that was a hometown favorite and not the best talent.

Do you honestly think that Jerry Rice should have been in the finale, or Emmet should have beaten Mario from a talent point of view. What if there was a Sanjaya on this show and Howard Stern got him to win by getting out the vote.

How do you think the producers would have handled it. Do you think all those people that voted would be trucking off to Broadway to see him.

They producers are spending big bucks and would have made sure somebody was ready to take over if a clinker won.

[alpacaboy]

I thought the idea was that the judges decided anyone who made it through "Grease Academy" was acceptable. That is, American Public didn't have any say in the first couple rounds.

[TriBruin]

I thought the idea was that the judges decided anyone who made it through "Grease Academy" was acceptable. That is, American Public didn't have any say in the first couple rounds.

Remember, the producers also hedged their bets up to the last round. By being allowed to choose between the bottom two, they were able to keep the talented around, even if they were going to be voted out.

[That Don Guy]

I couldn't find any "official rules" anywhere, but from what they've been saying on TV from the start, the only thing they seem to be guaranteeing is that Max and Laura will be Danny and Sandy on opening night. Of course, they'll be on longer than one night, but presumably they can be replaced at pretty much any time. (At least they get to perform - anybody else remember the 20th Anniversary revival of Annie, where they made a big deal about who the new Annie would be, only for her to be replaced before opening night - and the show closed after six months anyway?)

Which brings up the question: what if one of them has laryngitis and can't sing on opening night? (The last I looked, the only opening night seats available were at the $200+ level.) Presumably, their names aren't above the show title - assuming their names are used at all - in which case the usual rule is "no refunds if they're not performing; you're here to see Grease, not Max and Laura on Broadway."

And speaking of performers, did anybody recognize any of the "other cast members" (introduced only by character name)? Internet Broadway Database says Jenny Powers from the Little Women musical is Rizzo, and Matthew Saldivar from the Broadway version of The Wedding Singer is Kenickie, but that's it.

-- Don

[PJO1966]

I think they should try something new. Max will make a great Danny. Austin should be Sandy.

[jlb]

Picked up tickets for a Tuesday night performance in August. Only orchestra seats available were all the way off to the sides. Ended up getting front row of the front mezzanine. These are off to the side also, but being elevated and being inline with Row J of the Orchestra, they should provide for good sightlines for my daughter.

Can't wait.

[omnibus]

Speaking of the Broadway Show, has anyone been to the Brooks Atkinson Theater lately?

On the dates we are looking, I can get Orchestra seats not too far back, but they tend ot be pretty far to one side or the other.

I could get Front Mezz (it's four rows) in a more central location.

I could get Rear Mezz in a central location.

Front Mezz and Orchestra are the same price ($111) while Rear Mezz are $81.

If you are going to spend $111 per ticket, should you go for the Orchestra seats at the same price, or are you better with the Front Mezz? Also, if you are going to be in the Mezz, should you step down in price and just take the rear Mezz?

Any thoughts should be couched in the fact that we are bringing our 9 yo daughter and I want to get the best for her.....I am flexible on location. I just think she would have more fun if we can get as close as possible......
Seating chart is here http://www.playbill.com/reference/theatre_info/seating/2169.html

[Robin]

That being said, I am certainly glad that Laura won, but Max was not my first choice (Derrick was), but I did like him over Austin.

I was astonished to see Derek go.

Laura seemed like a no-brainer, even to Ashley. I'm surprised she made it as far as she did, she always seemed entirely forgettable to me. I'm sure she'd make a perfectly serviceable Sandy, but Laura was just perfect.

[jlb]

As closure to this particular thought/thread of mine, we were 1 week too late to be able to get good orchestra seats for the night(s) we wanted. However, we got front row of the Front Mezzanine for a Tuesday in August. Off to the side, but since it is up, and since it overhangs Row J of the orchestra, these should be very good seats and offer great sight lines for my daughter.

[zalusky]

We saw the odd couple from exactly the front row mezzanine a year and a half ago. My wife is short and we had a great view with no real obstructions.

[Lee L]

I saw Mamma Mia at the Chicago theater during its warmup run before going to Broadway and we sat at the front of the Mezz and it was great. In some ways better than front row because you could see more of the set at once.

[vman]

And speaking of performers, did anybody recognize any of the "other cast members" (introduced only by character name)? Internet Broadway Database says Jenny Powers from the Little Women musical is Rizzo, and Matthew Saldivar from the Broadway version of The Wedding Singer is Kenickie, but that's it.

-- Don

NO FREAKING WAY! I went to college with Matt Saldivar! He was one of my best friends! I see him occasionally in NY, and he's had a number of guest spots on Law & Order and other shows, but I had no idea he was now doing Broadway (says Wedding Singer was his debut). We liked the Grease TV show and were happy with Max and Laura - now we have to see this!