Not only is it the most popular musical to be tackled for live TV yet, but it premiered just weeks after NBC seemed to finally find its stride with The Wiz: [...] with a star-studded cast and Broadway's most in-demand director Tommy Kail (Hamilton) behind the camera, they seemed more than up for the challenge. Live! did was realize that most people at home would have the classic John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John film in their heads. [...] the three-hour show was more like a live staging of the movie rather than the musical, which greatly upped the stakes. Live! introduced new audiences to the musical with a swift opening by Jessie J (and featuring Boyz II Men as the Teen Angels), which expertly reminded everyone of the scale of this production while showing off all the major players. Here's a cheerleader routine with Sandy to remind you that she's got some serious gymnastic moves... but it doesn't serve any other real purpose (and she showed off her fancy footwork at the school dance later on). Keke Palmer, as Marty, turned "Freddy, My Love" into a glittery showstopper (and we're still trying to figure out the mechanics of the transition from Pink Lady sleepover to USO stage). If you're going to cast a pop star in your musical production, it makes sense you'd give her an original number to sing. Props for giving Carly Rae Jepsen's Frenchy a ballad -- "All I Need Is an Angel" -- that showed off her real vocal prowess, but it felt too modern to fit in with the rest of the Grease landscape. The production mimicked the iconic school dance scene from the movie almost shot for shot, and definitely move for move. Every person involved with that scene was dancing his or her butt off and it was a straight up wonder to watch. Was that the weather or a loose wire? A loud buzzing sound totally sucked the audience -- at least the one at home -- out of the experience and rudely interrupted Hough's big moment and Sand
Reported by SeattlePI.com 18 hours ago.
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