Grease Casting Still Going On- Page 2

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:01pm

Allison Fischer as Patty....too bad she's not Sandy. She was the highlight of that dismal property called Lestat.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:22pm

Allison Fischer is about 4 feet tall and 17 years old. I think quirky Patty would be a better fit at the moment...


Regarding the casting: what I heard at the taping last night was that *most* of the principle roles have been cast but that contacts won't be signed until the completion of the reality show (i.e. Danny and Sandy are cast). Apparently, some of the offers have been made with the understanding that they are *tentative* pending upon who ends up in the two leads.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:24pm

Wow.

So they're going the "if America picks the wrong people, we need you to compensate, but if they pick the right people, you're too good" route?

[Josephine2]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:28pm

Yankeefan007, interesting articulation...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:30pm

What MB said was more interesting. I just based it on his statement that casting is "tentative pending who end up as the leads."

In complete, 100% honesty, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it were true.

[galindagirl2]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:34pm

Yankeefan, I'm fairly certain they're rehearsing in New York...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:34pm

No, it didn't sound like that to me. I think they just want to make sure that the secondary leads are apppropriate to the Danny and Sandy selected. Reality show aside, it's not at all uncommon in the casting of Broadway productions to receive tentative offers pending star (or lead) casting.

There is actually a twelve year age difference between the youngest and oldest actor in the competition. So it does make some sense that characters like Kenichie and even Rizzo need to be appropriate to whoever is picked to play the lead...


Updated On: 3/5/07 at 04:34 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:50pm

Ah, very true, very true.

galindagirl2 - I have no idea regarding that. I was just basing it upon the fact that they're currently in LA.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 4:55pm

No, they are definiely rehearsing it in NYC. They are just filming the reality show in Los Angeles.

It won't happen, but frankly they probably *should* put some of the eliminated actors in other roles. If they are really banking on people going to see the show because they have developed an affiity for the actors vying to win: then why not have Kathleen Montelone play Marty? By nature of her affiliation with the show, she's at least a "name" for their target audience: more so than an unknown NY actor playing the role.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:04pm

MB - has anyone actually begun to really care about these people? They're going for the same thing as American Idol - to have people so in love with these contestants that they become rabid. That hasn't happened, I think, with Grease, as of yet.

I watch the show every week but still can't for the life of me match the names and faces of the potential Sandys.

Sadly, none of them, Dannys and Sandys alike, have any iota of outstanding charisma. None of them would be cast under normal circumstances and they'd never be given a reason as to why. Here, they're giving them reasons and a day or two tops to fix it.

I do agree that they should place some of the cast-offs in the show though, it would go great with their marketing push.

...I also think that the 2 runners-up should be given coverage gigs....
Updated On: 3/5/07 at 05:04 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:12pm

Well, regarding the rabid supporters, Yankee - I can tell you I saw some *very* vocal fans yesterday at the taping!!

And I disagree about the "iota" of charisma. A couple of the contestants have it in spades live: which has always been one of the issue of casting stage actors through a televsion program. Frankly, I think there are alot of Broadway names who would (and do) come across incredibly flat on television...

Coverage or matinees would be good. I mean if they are using the reality show as the reason for the revival they should, I agree, totally play it up as a marketing tool.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:27pm

Re: rabid supporters - I believe you! We heard that girl screaming like she was getting murdered in the background of Austin's not-so-fun rendition of Fun, Fun, Fun.

Some of them do have a lot of charisma, but I've noticed through the weeks that the ones who have it are the ones who either can't act (well, are very unconvincing actors) or don't have the physicality for the part (respectively read: Chad and Max).

When all comes down to the final two, I'm rooting for them - Austin is too girly and Derek isn't a good singer.

As I said about the girls, it's anyone's game. I'm rooting for the blonde.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:30pm

I still hope Derek and Laura win...they would look fantastic together.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:35pm

I really am intrigued by the talk that Max isn't physically right for the role of Danny. His frame is no different than John Travlotas (not very muscular) build in the movie and his look not that different than Barry Bostwick and some of the other goofy guys who played the role on Broadway in the 70s.

But I understand that GREASE is now a very different entity than it was the first time around. People somehow think that Danny and Sandy are Barbie and Ken, when the show was really written to be a parody of some not very bright slacker high school misfits during the 1950s.

Of the girls, Laura is absolutely stunning in person and radiates star quality. I don't dislike Ashley Spencer but she and Austin look like stars on a Princess cruise. There just isn't a lot going on there beyond technique.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:40pm

Shoot, if they want to cast Ken then it's Austin all the way.

I think Max could be perfect for the role.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:40pm

That's exactly the thing - Sandy and Danny are Barbie and Ken. Danny is envisioned as the tall muscular jock, Sandy the short, vulnerable blonde. The parody aspect has been lost through the years.

I hate to ask this, but which one is Laura?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:42pm

Well, I don't think the creative team see the characters that way, but that does seem to be a sort of generalized American idea of the characters.

I think Kathleen Marshall's criticism of Ashley Spencer last week of being too much like a "Barbie doll" was actually a pretty serious dig.

Laura is the brunette.

And I'd say odds are 2;1 that Max wins, so perhaps this revival will get something of the parody tone back and actually be "good."
Updated On: 3/5/07 at 05:42 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:44pm

That's what I meant - America, not the creatives (though since the final 3 are all blonde, that's what they're going for).

I looked up Laura, everyone's favorite, just now on NBC.com....her press shots maker her out to be....not blonde! I wish she were that way on the show.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:47pm

Huh? She doesn't look blonde at all on the show.

Have we been watching the same show?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:50pm

As I said, they all look the same to me.

Mea Culpa if she's not a blonde.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:51pm

Yankee she is not blond *at all.* Though she is probably as naturally blonde as Ashley Spencer.

Frankly, for the final three they should put all the girls in wigs since regardless of natural hair color, everyone in the show will probably be wigged.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 5:53pm

Definitely not blond:

[i*heart*fame]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 7:57pm

In regard to the original question, I believe that Jennifer Naimo, currently in Jersey Boys, is in it. On 3rdbroadwaypurimspiel.com she is listed as being in Grease.

[i*heart*fame]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 8:04pm

I also think that they should have the runners up do the matinees because while the contestants may be able to rock the house every SUnday night, we still have no clue as to if anyone can do it 8 times a week.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/5/07 at 9:52pm

Jennifer Naimo was a Frenchy replacement in the 1996 revival of GREASE: I kind of doubt she is in the new production of GREASE unless she is playing Miss Lynch...