Proof that they've missed the point of GREASE- Page 2

[DannyZuko]

Posted: 8/6/07 at 11:52pm

Like it or not, this is one of the most staged musicals in our country. It is the most sucessful musical in cinematic history.

Bravo to NBC, David Ian, Jim Jacobs, and Kathleen Marshall for reviving an American Classic that has stood the test of time.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/6/07 at 11:57pm

Thanks DannyZuko
that was lame shilling...
Any talk of taking this show seriously shows a lack of intelligence on the director and Star.
Max should be ashamed for letting the press people let those words be attributed to him.
Do the show and let the fans enjoy it while they can.

Updated On: 8/7/07 at 11:57 PM

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 12:21am

You mean the main story in Grease isn't teaching me that for the boy to give up his "Bad" image is wrong, and that I should get out my black leather and hooker heels to become a "bad" girl myself, because "Good" doesn't work anymore?

[ICEcreamAssassin]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 4:02am

...i've got shills...they multiplyin'...

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 4:36am

Every show has its flaws, the problem with grease is that with every production preceding the movie version, those flaws show up even more.

*You can't do Grease as a serious piece and then cast it with really old people. It seems to me that the characers in this show who have "arcs" (like Danny, Sandy, Rizzo) were cast almost realistically to what high school kids look like, while the funnier members of the gang got stuck in satire-land and look really old and out of place.

*How a show is written affects the direction. Grease is a parody, stuff is meant to be funny. What they did to the new revival, by making it more like how the show looked in a different medium, is not allowing the audience connect with whatever lesson they did learn from the parody. It looks aqnd feels bad because even in Kathleens choreography, you feel that if it were all taped and edited, it might actually look exciting.

[chinto1984]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 6:36am

Satire doesn't mean camp. There is heart in Grease but not in the Les Miz dying for a cause way. Grease is not meant to be done byt twentysomethings that still look like teenagers. As a satire the show is supposed to be played by adults preferably in their thirties looking back on themselves in high school. Danny and the Burger Palace Boys are losers. They are written as losers in a satyrical way to show off the era. The girls are sluts. The adult audience, because Grease was written for adults not twelve year olds. The show is supposed to look back and see almost how silly they were and learn knew things from their past. Hints the nostalgia. Grease makes fun of the decade and teen values of the era, therefore a satire.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 7:35am

"Bravo to NBC, David Ian, Jim Jacobs, and Kathleen Marshall for reviving an American Classic that has stood the test of time."

I could comment...but I won't.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 7:48am

Oh, go ahead, comment on that.....

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 7:56am

But I'm in a nice mood today.

[Midnight Radio]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 8:29am

" The original (off) broadway production had some pretty deep subtext-Doody's brother was killed in a Drunk Driving accident in which Sonny was the driver. That is the reason why there is the line "Your old lady dragged her carcass outta bed for ya?" . She is depressed because of the death of her son. That is also why everyone in the gang hangs out with him, even though he is much younger and arguably as much of a dork as Eugene is. "

Does this strike anyone else as a bold-faced lie? I would like to see some proof of that...

[Neverandy]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 12:33pm

Absolute truth. This is the subtext that the original cast created with Tom Moore and Pat Birch. The production I was in was directed by Tim Fauvell who preformed as Roger in the original National tour as well as the Original Broadway production.
http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/4402.html

[bwayboi4life42]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:12pm

Grease is so funny and a big joke, if you will, to us as audience members because it's for-real and serious stuff to the characters. I find that when actors play the archetypes (which I've seen in many productions of Grease) as opposed to working objectives and being the characters and finding truth, much of the humor is lost, and that's not what acting is.

This show is much like a clown, in a sense. A clown is not a funny person. A clown has an objective but there are obstacles after obstacles that keep him from achieving his objective. That is why we laugh- he seriously wants something so bad but he keeps failing at getting it. Relationships, Rizzo getting knocked up, rumbles with the Flaming Dukes- these are all really serious things to the Greasers, and we laugh because we know now that everything's not a big deal, the Greasers aren't as cool as they think they are, etc., but it's funny because they think they are hot stuff and everything is so dramatic (which is just like real-life high school today), and that's why it's funny and satirical- it shows how the drama that's incorporated with hormones and high-schoolers hasn't changed in fifty years and those that went to high school in the 50's can laugh at themselves for how ridiculous they were, just like in fifty years, I'm sure we'll be laughing at how ridiculous we all were in 2007.

So... Max should be taking this show seriously as an actor, however, I have not seen the revival, so I can't comment on his performance or that particular production as a whole.

And no, it does not strike me as a bold-faced lie, Midnight Radio. And even if it is, so what? It's still an interesting story and it'd be interesting to see what comes out of that in terms of relationship development when worked into the show. So thank you Neverandy, your input has been appreciated.

[bwayboi4life42]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:13pm

And I love your signature, Neverandy!

[Timmer]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:25pm

"Better known as SH!T on a Shingle"

Ah, the memories! That's what we used to call creamed chipped beef when I was in the service. SOS for short. I still refer to it as SOS.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:56pm

bwayboi - The problem is that they actors are indeed taking the piece seriously, but Marshall has done NOTHING to make it seem even the slightest bit serious. In fact, the most disappointing thing about the production is her no-frills (and no-concept) direction.

In fact, it's the actors who come off poorly...they're acting "seriously" in a piece that isn't directed the same way.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:01pm

I would equate Grease's original approach to that of The Music Man (although Music Man is a much better musical).

Both are valentines to bygone eras. Both make fun of, as well as honor, the people, the music, the lingo, and the sensibilities of their times.

I also believe that 20-30 years from now, Grease will suffer the same fate as The Music Man. When there are no longer any people around that can relate to that era in any way, or at least place some living relative of theirs in that era... it will be one of those "I don't get it" shows.

Sounds like this production already "doesn't get it."

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 2:20am

The direction is pretty warped, what i talked about before with casting is that Marshall has no really clear point of view with this production. She cast some characters with older people as the show would usually work, then she cast younger actors to play other roles. Allison Fischer in great in her small part in Grease, but if you put her in a line with her fellow classmates, some look 20 yrs. older than she does.

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 2:20am

The direction is pretty warped, what i talked about before with casting is that Marshall has no really clear point of view with this production. She cast some characters with older people as the show would usually work, then she cast younger actors to play other roles. Allison Fischer in great in her small part in Grease, but if you put her in a line with her fellow classmates, some look 20 yrs. older than she does.