I enjoy watching free movies, or T.V shows on YouTube, though the main reason is to watch videos on topics of all kinds from gaming to whatever funny challenge Eddy Burback comes up with. Sometimes a movie I have always wanted to see comes on there, or how I see episodes of shows I love like "The Goes Wrong Show". When I need a break from videos, the rotation of film may shuffle fast and often but sometimes I can catch something like "La La Land" or "Mean Girls", films that I really like, or see something I have been meaning to without tracking down a DVD or changing to a streaming service. The movies may change and come and go fast, but there is some merit to the free movies on YouTube, and this platform has been no stranger to airing musical movies.
I never watched "Grease Live" when FOX first aired it, but saw it for free and thought to myself "Why not?". I have seen plenty of musical movie adaptations come to YouTube movies from "Hairspray" to "Dreamgirls" just to name a few, and since I have never seen this taping of a live stage version of "Grease" I thought I should finally sit down and give it a viewing. I have never seen the stage version of this musical, only the classic movie starring John Travolta and the late great Oliva Newton John. The story of young love, being popular, and just enjoying high school life in 50's. NBC and FOX have aired quite a few musicals filmed live on stage from "Annie" to "The Wiz" and even "RENT" and "A Christmas Story", I have never sat through one of these broadcast cable proshots. I just never had the drive to, the curiosity, or I often forgot they were airing and happening until they were on TV or were done airing. I have seen clips here and there, the only one I tried to sit down and watch from start to finish "RENT" but I gave up, I should really try that again and see why I did. The most television based theater based content I watch is the Tony Awards, so let's change that. Time for cars, dances, upbeat songs, and romance all in the end of the 50's and in the turn of a new decade, this is the stage version of "Grease" filmed live before an audience on stage, in a studio, aired on FOX.
The way this was filmed is very interesting, there are scenes where the audience is on stage and cheering in the crowd of some scenes. It is shot dynamically from many different angles, goes behind the scenes and changes to multiple sets. You even seen them ride carts and go behind the sets at points, seeing how they From what I have seen the budget of this and it is impressive, such as having a ton of cinematic flair, great costumes, and even a full on carnival at the end. This is shot well, and looks good musically and just in general. Seeing the original actress who played Frenchie cameo in a couple scenes is awesome, and then there was the moment my jaw dropped. Beauty School Drop Out is performed by Boys II Men. I REPEAT, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROP OUT IS PERFORMED BY BOYS II MEN. And... it's AMAZING. I love it, it such a good rendition. One of my top three songs from this show, alongside "There Are Worse Things I Can Do" and "Hopelessly Devoted To You". The comedy and the song still work all these years later showing the bands talent, the genius choice to pick them, and how the song is still one of the best. There are plenty of surprise cameos such as Mario Lopez, Joe Jonas, and others, and they are enjoyable treats.
This was filmed live in front of an audience, and performed live, being filmed as it was performed, so this is not a movie, this is a proshot. And there are some key differences from this and the movie. All of the songs you would usually hear in the background on the radio to help set the scene or the setting are now sung such as "Freddy My Love", or "Those Magic Changes". Which I think is super cool, the reason they are put into the stage show is paper thin but I would rather have these songs then have them all cut, because many people, myself included recognize the background songs as much as the songs that are sung by the characters and have nostalgia for them. They were always included on the soundtrack and there are plenty of those songs that I enjoy and remember listening to. Though sometimes it does lead to multiple songs being thrown at the viewer in quick succession and can be a tad messy at points, trying to have a reason for a character to just up and sing this song that was not originally plot relevant. The songs sometimes feel forced and forced in, trying to make them plot relevant and having them used in ways that they weren't before, unless they are always like this in the stage version which I have never seen before now. The original song written for this, similar to the one they made for "A Christmas Story Live" which I have heard is nothing to write home about, and just takes up more time. And after doing some doing some minor research, the stage version was originally very different in terms of where songs are and plot lines compared to the film, and this seems to follow the films order of events and songs more.
The show keeps the classic moments from the film such as romance, teen drama, changing for love, changing your self, and a bunch of stuff that seems like huge problems to the characters because they are young and in love. Friendship, love, love triangles, flirting, bullying, chasing your dreams, all of that stuff means more because the plot and characters are still in high school, the problems they face can come off as comedic to older viewers, or relatable to younger viewers. Their idea of a gang is a far cry from the knife fights in "West Side Story" and is more about looking cool and car races. Danny is a flirt who needs to learn to treat people better, Sandy learns to cut loose a little bit, and they all end saying that no matter what they will all be friends. Rizzo learns to be less of a bully, from dropping out to go to beauty school, to sleepovers, and school dances, "Grease" shows the day to day moments and the conflicts that follow. As mentioned the show ends on this happy note of friendship forever which in the case of most high school friendships can sometimes ring true, and other times fizzle out as we grow older and grow apart. But in those moments it seems that everything is going to work out, that in the moment love is in the air, people are happy, and they get to enjoy their youth, and the memories will always last.
There are some dialogue changes in the stage version, aside from adding the songs in through one way or another that would usually be playing on the radio, which means lines that are a tad more adult, as well as some lyric and line changes to songs the viewer may recognize from the film or album of the film. There are scenes of events that used to be mentioned and happened off screen, and as I mentioned more adult jokes, some were in the original but this version adds more. I would say the scene of Rizzo and her boyfriend hooking up really didn't add much, or some of the scenes at school, but some work, and some don't. Some of the extended time with these characters in school and doing activities with friends or school based ones does add to the day to day aspects of the show, as the characters deal with their lives. There are also a couple moments that are just plain awkward, sometimes trying to be funny, or different and they just do not work, this is longer then then movie and this version has scenes that definitely overstay their welcome. Leaving this a version with good and bad, overall leaving it fun but also flawed. That being said the car race is so bad it's funny and the way it is shot shows how the cars are not moving and I should not have laughed as hard as I did but it was hilarious.
The singing is well done and is performed live, the choreography is well done and the set design is good. This does run a bit long in the tooth and has a few too many songs, but I have seen worse pro shots and of the live shows done for Broadcast television, this might be one of the better ones. Some of the ways the songs are changed to add harmonies and duets, or different instrumentation worked well in some cases. I still like the Newsies, Hamilton, PBS Sondheim, and even SpongeBob SquarePants proshots more, and probably some others, but this wasn't terrible. The singing is very well done, I prefer the originals more but these in many cases stand alongside the movie and work in their own ways. Aaron Trivet, Julianne Hough, and the other cast members act well, and play the characters well, bringing their own spin to these well characters, and some of the way the songs break up add parts of a scene or dialogue work so well and makes it feel like a stage adaptation This works as a way to watch the stage version that feels like a mix of the stage show and film and is fun to see the similarities and differences between it and the film. Julianne blew the roof off with "Hopelessly Devoted To You", also Vanessa Hudgens with "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" and as I mentioned a lot of the singing and dancing is great. ( I MEAN BOYS II MEN BEAUTY SCHOOL DROP OUT). I enjoyed it, sometimes laughed at it, sometimes laughed with it, sometimes was super surprised with but it doesn't try to erase the movie, so I can enjoy them both. The original song made for the show is not the best, and just adds more which I would say is the biggest problem I have with this, it feels bloated at points and the pacing is off. Those are a only a couple qualms, aside from using the background songs and trying to make them plot relevant, but some gripes none the less.
'Grease" was never my favorite movie musical, maybe like top 20, but it's fun. I love the music more then the movie itself, and it is just a fun silly movie, where the conflicts are ones that are about growing up and problems we view as problems when we are in high school. All while calling back to a decade that I have no ties or nostalgia for. That has some dated aspects to it that do not hold up. Some parts of this have ages beyond well and show that some of the things we go through in high school are in fact timeless, but some parts of this reflect the where it takes place. It encapsulates the time in a good way through music and such, and in other ways that we have all since grown and moved on from in society and in social norms, while showing that there are more things we have in common with those who came before us in ways that we think. I enjoy this musical and it's a fun watch every now and then, and now I have a different way to watch it aside from the movie.
This could be a fun watch with friends, I would probably play the movie first because the movie is still great, but I would watch this again. The performances are good, the production values are great, and .. Boys II Men, just Boys To Men, do I have to say anything else. This as a pro shot is an enjoyable watch and can be a fun watch with friends, I will probably watch this again at some point, and it could be a fun watch, just has some pacing issues and some odd changes, but is still a fun pro shot. This was an enjoyable time, and I had fun with it, not as fun as the movie, as I mentioned earlier, fun but flawed. A different way to watch "Grease" that had me laughing at some of the moments such as the car chase or how they tried to fit the entire soundtrack of what was background songs into the stage
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