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Grease on Broadway Forum -> Rydell High Forum -> Thank you to Laura and Max
Post Info TOPIC: Thank you to Laura and Max
singingdoc


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Thank you to Laura and Max
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Jane and Rachel,
     Just found this forum (boy, am I slow finding good sites) and wanted to start out by thanking Laura, Max and the other "kids" from "Grease- You're The One That I Want" for reigniting in me a passion for the musical theatre that unfortunately had long been dormant.  Let me explain.  I'm a 55 yo male physician who grew up in Philadelphia.  When I was 5 yo my parents took me to a summer stock production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".  It was love at first sight.  I constantly bugged my folks to take me to as many shows as possible.  At that time Philadelphia was a favorite site for out-of-town runs of shows headed for Broadway, so I got to see some really good productions (and some not so good ones too).  My parents weren't wealthy by any means but between them scrimping and my working odd jobs around the neighborhood I was able to get a pretty rich theatre experience.  Additionally, I took music (keyboard) and singing lessons with the idea of someday maybe being able to make it on Broadway.  As I grew older, however, athletics became a more dominant part of my life (it was much easier to explain my love of sports to my classmates than it was to explain my love of theatre).  In high school, I still took the occasional trip to New York to see a show but there were other things that seemed, at the time, more important.  College was consumed by athletics (I played intercollegiate soccer), studying and partying).  After college I got married and went on to become a physcian and started to raise a small family.
     I can really appreciate how much time and effort went into raising 2 apparently wonderful, ambitious yet grounded kids like Laura and Max.  My wife and I have a son 2 years older than your 2 children who was a national caliber soccer player throughout high school and college and like you we devoted much of our non-working lives to helping him live his dream (yes it was a lot of work but we wouldn't have had it any other way).  I mention all of this only to explain how my early passion for the theatre somehow got put on the backshelf. 
     Fast forward then to March 2007.  Like a lot of men, I am addicted to the remote control when watching TV.  I love to flip channels (much to my wife's chagrin).  One Sunday I was flipping when, all of a sudden, I saw this cute young lady dressed in yellow shorts singing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love".  She had a great voice and when she stretched out her arms to the audience (several times during the song) my heart melted.  That single move was so endearing.  It seemed so honest and showed a vulnerability and a willingness to embrace the audience.  I was hooked.  When David Ian made that comment about the casted members of Grease eating her breakfast, I wanted to punch him.  Did he not understand that the innocent qualities that Laura was displaying in that song were exactly the qualities needed to play Sandy early in the play?  I vowed right then and there that I was going to vote repeatedly for Laura and show Mr. Ian that he didn't know what he was talking about.  At this point, I've got to tell you that I NEVER write fan letters or watch reality TV much less vote in a reality series.  This was really out of character for me but nevertheless I did it and continued to watch the series.
     As the series progressed my initial impression of Laura was only reinforced.  Not only could she play the innocent Sandy but there was no question she could be sexy Sandy as well.  In addition, however, I discovered Max.  Now Max is an acquired taste.  His quirky sense of humor, his ease of performance and his obvious craft are things that are not necessarily obvious after one exposure.  There is no question, however, that he does grow on you.  By the finals, I was rooting and voting just as hard for Max as I was Laura.  Needless to say, I was thrilled when both won.
    Something else happened to me while watching the show.  My love for musical theatre returned.  I began subscribing to broadway.com and broadwayworld.com.  I bought a couple of cast albums and over the long weekend of August 23-26, my wife and I are going to New York and have tickets for 4 Broadway shows including Grease.  I'm sure this will not be the last trip to New York we make.
     Parenthetically, I don't understand why some of the Broadway "snobs" pooh-pooh the idea of casting a Broadway show through reality TV.  Even though the ratings for GYTOTIW were relatively low, they sure as he** were a lot better than the ratings for the Tony Awards.  Using me as an example, the Broadway coffers will be significantly enhanced by the people who were exposed for the first time or rexposed to musical theatre because of reality TV.  Broadway should thank people like David Ian and Andrew Lloyd Webber for exposing musical theatre to a whole new audience and for providing new, previously undiscovered talent with a venue to display their skills.
     So in closing, I wish that both of you will convey to your children a big thank you from me.  Just by being themselves, they've made my life a little richer

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Mrs N


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What a treasure singdoc's letter is! All best to him and his most fortunate wife for a great time in NYC, including Grease.

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greatwhiteway


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You write a nice piece doc. I too got interested in Broadway because of the Grease show. Nice to have something new to be interested in. I think Laura is very good.  But I do love Max. He took  a little time to grow on me also. He  has about 2 hours to grow on people who don't know him when he is on that Broadway stage but my bet is that he can do it. He seemed to be able to emote so well, make you feel what the character was feeling. I just wonder how the role will be different with him. Will it be a little more serious....I now he is a comedian but JT played it so comedic and camp what else can be done....and I think a Danny with a little more emptional depth might be interesting. But I know nothing about acting and Grease is just so out there  I think I will just go and enjoy.

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Thatll_Show_Em


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RE: Thank you to Laura and Max... and ALW
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singingdoc, your story sounds very familiar to me, though less time has past since I was last involved with musical theatre.  I was very much into technical theatre all throughout high school, as I've never really had the nerve/guts to get up in front of people, but I loved the music and stories all the same. Through college, I found myself busy with other interests, and yet was also frustrated with the theatre courses my university offered to non-majors.  The theatre suddenly felt like a hostile environment, and so I focused my efforts on my main studies and let my dreams of combining my engineering major with the arts slip away.

I think you meant to say you stumbled across the show in February, since the show started airing then... I myself saw previews for the show, and caught the very first audition episode (in LA), but lost interest in the show during the second set of auditions.  Other family members continued to watch the show throughout its run, but every time I overheard the closing numbers, I cringed. It captured all too well the reason I don't really care for reality TV - the fact that contestants get "voted out" as the show progresses always seems to sting too much for me to really enjoy them.

Fast forward five years from my high school days to the week of the "Grease" finals, where it was down to the final four.  This time, when I walked through the living room, I found it hard to tear my eyes from the TV set. One Danny and one Sandy stood out to me in particular, and I'll let you guess as to which! biggrin

Needless to say, I've since spent much of my time on the internet watching video clips from "G:YTOTIW", "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?", "Grease is the Word", and "Any Dream Will Do", bought several CDs of cast recordings from other musicals, watched video recordings of several stage productions and/or movie musicals, and have been dreaming away on how I might get back to participating in technical theatre again. (I'm at least starting small, by assisting with church productions!)

So, I too, have Max and Laura to thank for renewing my love for the theatre - knowing that two "nice guys" around my age finished first made all of those dreams from when I was a bit younger suddenly seem within reach.  And even though I'm still working out when will be the best time for me to make a trip out to NYC to see a Broadway production (hopefully "Grease"!) - it might have been a much longer time had I not had the chance to see two very talented individuals win the hearts of many, many viewers!

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showgirl4E


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RE: Thank you to Laura and Max
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     smile  Singingdoc, I enjoyed reading your letter; thankyou for taking the time to write it.  I couldn't agree more with what you said (except for Max growing on you, probably because I'm a young unmarried female). Hopefully with the gift that is planned to given to them before opening night, of everyones well wishes and words of encouragement in a book, coupled with peoples prayers Laura and Max will know how much support they have behind them and admiration for their determination to be them selves no matter what and sharing the deep love they have for what they do. Then in turn inspiring us to be the best we can be and not to give up on your dreams.

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Kait


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Just how much charisma does a performer have to have to captivate and audience via a reality show and hold their attention for months?

Bucketloads. Max and Laura have no problem at all.

Singing Doc, you said it so well. I believe both Max and Laura will win many other hearts as they perform on Broadway. Laura fits my image of Sandy to a tee, and she sings beautifully. Max caught my attention early in the show because he was different; he caught my heart seconds after he began his first performance: Summer of 69. He'll be a dream of a Danny.

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Laura Mom


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Singingdoc, what a great post and thanks for the time it took to write that out! I know there are literally hundreds (likely even thousands) of Minnesotans heading to Broadway who have probably never been there before because of the support they feel for their home state girl, Laura.  And I bet there's a lot of Arizona going to support Max. My gosh, I cannot go anywhere but people are enthusiastically telling me about their plans to go to New York.  Both of Laura's grandmothers live in the same small town in Iowa and that town has organized a trip for seniors to go to New York to see the show!  I can guarantee you that NEVER would have happened were it not for the interest generated by the TV show.  In addition, my husband is part of a national chiropractic network and that whole group always plans a nice fall seminar somewhere where spouses attend too, and this year they completely changed their plans and are going to New York instead to see Laura!  The interest is HUGE! New groups keep coming to my attention constantly who are planning trips to New York.  Of course the show for me and my whole family was magnificently thrilling and wildly fun week after week, but I must confess I am absolutely blown away by the level of enthusiasm it also raised in so many other people's lives.  Your story is right up there with the best of them!

Jane

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Maxismylove


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I too am amazed at the impact the show and the kids have had on so many people.  It is wonderful.  Thank you for the lovely post.  You should send this exact letter to Kari who is putting a book together for the kids as a gift.
I know Max would be touched by it.
Thank you for sharing with all of us.  As a family that has been involved in theatre since before Max was born, we love to hear about people that would never even consider making their vacation to NY to see a Broadway show, now doing exactly that and taking the whole family.
The one thing shared the most in the stories that we hear is how the show brought families together on Sunday nights for dinner and fellowship.  College kids that would come home Sunday night to be with the rest of the family and watch the show.  Dinner around the table each Sunday night and parents re-connecting with kids and siblings re-connecting with each other and now families are taking vacations together again.
It has been great to hear all the stories and I agree that your story was very special.

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kayjay


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  Thank you to Jane and Rachel too!!!!!!!
  You ladies did a great job in raising Laura and Max.  They both had me from week 1- I loved Max's "Summer of 69" and laughed when David Ian said he needed to get a haircut- it was "killing" him.  Though I do love his looks after the cut, great for the role and all.  Laura has an amazing voice and sweet quality to her, but sexy as well. 
  I wanted to say that I'm 50 and had my grandsons as hooked as I was on this show.  We taped every episode and they know every song.  Grease Lightning being their favorite (they are boys and Max was wonderful in it).  They are 4 years old- twins obviously, and one of them has Autism.  He really loved all of the songs and dancing, and they both got in trouble for singing the songs over and over in preschool. They still ask to watch it over and over again, and always recognize the singers. 
  Just wanted to let you know how wonderful it was for my Special needs grandson to get so excited about this show and get so involved with each person.  Thanks so much for raising such thoughtful children, who KNOW how important Family is!!!!!!!!!!!!, and also not afraid to admit it.  The theme and story line of Grease is way above them, but the show was a wonderful family entertainment. 
  My daughter and I hope to plan a trip to NY to see them on Broadway.  Not sure if it'll happen, the boys are too young to go I think, so we'll see.
    I just found this board last night and had to post.  Great job ladies (and families-Max's love for Jack was so wonderful to see).
Thanks, Grandma of twins

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Maxismylove


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What a nice note kayjay, thank you.  Sounds like you have a lovely family yourself.  I sure hope you get to NY to see the show and keep letting your grandsons watch the re-runs so they will recognize Max and Laura when they see them on something else in the future.

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