Posted: 12/17/15 at 9:58pm
I highly suspect ushers/security are going to be a lot more vigilant at this than they would be at any Broadway show.
Posted: 12/17/15 at 10:33pm
Gosh! this is really beginning to sound like playing with an old toy found at the bottom of the drawer.
If The Wiz looked good on a proscenium stage, that does not mean every show, they decide to go with live is going to look good with that type of stage setting. In a way I was looking forward to see what type of design, they are going to use, but this news is a big let down for me.
Having ushers running around the audience telling them to switch off there phones or whatever will simply ruin the broadcast. Its almost laughable.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 9:51am
I have a friend going and he and I are going to text back and forth all through the show.
His ringtone tone goes, "Bap bap dada dada Grease is the word is the word is the word"
Updated On: 12/18/15 at 09:51 AM
Posted: 12/18/15 at 9:59am
I love how people think the audience is just going to be this random collection of people like a regular audience, and that they would be allowed to keep their cell phones with them. Anyone with even the remotest knowledge of tv will know that the audience will have very strict guidelines which WILL be enforced. At least MTV realizes that these types of programs need a live audience.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 5:15pm
Anyway. I wonder if their cast album will be out sooner than "The Wiz" album was.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 5:21pm
If it's a studio recording it may come out before the actual broadcast. If it's going to be a recording taken directly from the actual broadcast then it will definitely come out later.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 5:31pm
I think it would help promotion for it to release it maybe a day or two beforehand. When "Glee" was on, they released the singles/albums five days beforehand, if I remember correctly.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 5:58pm
They'll probably do what they do during screenings and ask people to turn the cell phones off and leave them in a bag with security that they can pick up after the show ends. I would prefer not to see 1950s Danny at the dance, pulling a girl from the audience who whoops out her iPhone to take a selfie with Aaron Tveit. Just no.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 7:14pm
Just an FYI, according to Keke Palmer's Instagram, the cast is in rehearsals now.
Posted: 12/18/15 at 10:40pm
They better be in rehearsal, they go live January 31. Take away weekends and the upcoming holidays by this close to broadcast, "The Wiz" were doing almost all full run throughs. The NBC shows rehearsed for a month in town and then two more on the sound stages on Long Island. I wonder how many complete dress rehearsals they are going to do with bringing in a live audience before showtime?
Posted: 12/19/15 at 12:48am
Has there ever been a live show with a studio audience before?
Posted: 12/19/15 at 1:51am
I doubt there has been, unless I'm blanking on something. It's pretty ballsy of FOX do to, though, I think.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 3:06am
I bet it would work for a late night sketch show. Or a primetime comedy. Or competition-based reality show. Man, I'm coming up with some really good ideas! I'm gonna call up the TV people tomorrow and pitch them!
Posted: 12/19/15 at 9:22am
Whoah. Don't go all crazy now!
Posted: 12/19/15 at 9:27am
Are they filming in NY, like the NBC lives shows do?
Posted: 12/19/15 at 10:48am
No, it's in Los Angeles.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 12:10pm
Burbank, to be exact.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 12:21pm
Having been on the set of The Wiz, there was no room for a studio audience. The show was directed as if in a proscenium theatre. HOWEVER there were twelve cameras over where the orchestra pit and first 5 rows of orchestra seats would be. One of the reason there weren't many long shots was because of the number of cameras on stage! Right behind that a raised platrform where the TV control room was set up. To the side was the quick change and make up section. The only way it would work would be with a "Live Audience" in another room or building watching monitors.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 1:04pm
How did rent and shrek get filmed with a live audience cameras would take that much space?
Posted: 12/19/15 at 1:50pm
Because they weren't broadcast live.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 3:20pm
And there were far less cameras.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 4:07pm
That brings up a good question: what about all those 'live' broadcasts of Broadway musicals on LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER which are all broadcast with a regular live audience?
Plus, as clearly stated, though GREASE Live! will be incorating a live audience, they will be using various soundstage sets and not a regular proscenium theatre format. The gym/dance sequence will be done with the audience sitting around the main floor/stage like the audience seating formation used on DANCING WITH THE STARS. They might use this concept for the entire broadcast but having scenes in different sets with different audiences in each one.
Posted: 12/19/15 at 7:37pm
This live production sounds really complicated what with all the different sound stages and the audience being included...it will be interesting to see how it all turns out!
Posted: 12/20/15 at 1:10am
It's so interesting to learn that the original intent with the musical Grease was to be satirical and a bit campy. But now since the film, Grease is just earnest and campy. I'm pretty sure Sandy's transformation in the original show was supposed to seem odd.
Posted: 12/20/15 at 4:13am
Since this is going on TV, there is probably a chance that cell phones & electronics will be collected beforehand. At least that's what they did when I went to a filming of The Price is Right. That's not even live.
