New to board with a question

GreaseFan74 · Member

New to board with a question

karidaberixx · Senior Member

they try to do as many shows as possible. understudies only go on if max and laura are sick or on vacation. if they are well...they are there.

enjoy the show! you will have a blast

it's non stop fun!

MrE1111 · Guru

The only shows currently running on Broadway where there are "matinee" alternates are PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and CHORUS LINE. (Technically, the "matinee" alternate at CHORUS LINE plays Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons.)

GreaseFan74 · Member

Thanks guys. The last thing I saw on Broadway was Movin' Out, and I know we saw the understudies. Even though I live only 75 miles away, this will only be my 4th show. Saw Smokey Joe's Cafe, Movin' Out, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (with Gary Sinise!)

Kristina

MrE1111 · Guru

Movin' Out had an entirely different matinee cast, as the show was so demanding. Pure, unadulterated theatrical brilliance. One of my all-time favorites.

-- Edited by MrE1111 at 01:50, 2008-05-12

Laura Mom · Senior Member

I also think Jersey Boys has a matinee Frankie Valli and a different evening Frankie Valli--just for info.

MrE1111 · Guru

Possibly. I know the original actor playing Frankie Valli was given a "matinee" alternate midway through his run. Don't know whether or not the policy is still implimented. Wouldn't shock me, as it's a very demanding part, as well.

katja · Newbie

I find this board interesting...how long have you guys been here? Are you fans of the musical or the actors in the musical? Do you follow their careers if they move on to some other play? Or are you just plain and simple "Grease fans"? Has the lineup changed many times? How often you have seen Grease?

gem · Member

I think we are mostly fans of the actors in this production of Grease. We followed the reality show and several posters are related in some way to some of the actors. I don't post often but have lurked since the beginning, about a year ago.

The lineup has remained the same since the beginning but in July the contracts expire so some of the cast will be moving on. I, personally follow one of the actor's career but I will follow these guys because, for the most part ,Grease was their broadway debut and I will be curious how they are perceived by TPTB.

I have seen this production 4 times and will see it again in July, and probably again to see how Max and Laura's replacements do.

katja · Newbie

So Max and Laura won some kind of reality show? Wow, that's great! How about the other members of the cast? Were they part of the reality show as well? What was this show called and did they know they were "auditioning" for Grease? This must have been a big break for them!

DogsandBirds · Guru

katja wrote:
I find this board interesting...how long have you guys been here? Are you fans of the musical or the actors in the musical? Do you follow their careers if they move on to some other play? Or are you just plain and simple "Grease fans"? Has the lineup changed many times? How often you have seen Grease?

I can only answer for myself. I have been here since the board opened. I am a fan of both the musical and the actors in the show. How do I know what the future holds? I would like to hear good things about anyone in the cast. The "lineup" by which you mean the cast has not changed since it opened. I have seen the show in this inception four times and many times before.

Most of the people who were here before the Taylor Hicks announcement are fans, period. We don't make swipes at anyone here or in the show.

katja · Newbie

I can only answer for myself. I have been here since the board opened. I am a fan of both the musical and the actors in the show. How do I know what the future holds? I would like to hear good things about anyone in the cast. The "lineup" by which you mean the cast has not changed since it opened. I have seen the show in this inception four times and many times before.

Most of the people who were here before the Taylor Hicks announcement are fans, period. We don't make swipes at anyone here or in the show.

So the die hard fans...do you want to see the show whenever there's a change in the cast so you can compare it to the previous version? I mean is it a must for you to see it again now that Taylor Hicks is cast to the role of the Teenage Angel?
Is there big differences between the shows that you've seen...I mean have you felt more energy on the stage on some nights?

Sorry about my questions

I just want to know this stuff.

grannygreaser · Senior Member

katja wrote:

So Max and Laura won some kind of reality show? Wow, that's great! How about the other members of the cast? Were they part of the reality show as well? What was this show called and did they know they were "auditioning" for Grease? This must have been a big break for them!

The show was called "Grease You're the One That I Want" so absolutely yes, the participants knew they were competing for the leads in the new revivial of "Grease". The leads for the London revival were cast the same way in a show called "Grease Is the Word" in the UK.

The other cast members were cast in the more traditional auditions. Most of the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies did appear on the final episode of the show after Max and Laura won the leads.

Many of the performances from the show are on youtube.

grannygreaser · Senior Member

katja wrote:

I find this board interesting...how long have you guys been here? Are you fans of the musical or the actors in the musical? Do you follow their careers if they move on to some other play? Or are you just plain and simple "Grease fans"? Has the lineup changed many times? How often you have seen Grease?

The board has been running since about May of last year, I think it was. Like Dogs and Birds and many others, I have been a member since it opened. While I am a fan of the musical, and musicals in general, I was drawn to this production by the winners of the competition and Kathleen Marshall directing it. I will definitely be interested to see what things Max and Laura -- and several other actors in the show -- do after "Grease".

katja · Newbie

I have to check out the YouTube performances. I have never heard of that reality show...I guess that format is not yet reached my country... I think we already have most of the reality shows as Finnish versions but not musical theatre one. :)

Lubiana · Member

I actually saw some of the show- but I never watched it all the way to the end. Will they do another one do you think? Maybe for a different Broadway show?

DeepPurple · Member

I had started out watching the reality show but then couldn't seem to find it on a regular basis so missed out. I'd love to see it and them winning their roles.

Brite Eyes · Veteran Member

Well here are all the girls who were on the show.

Brite Eyes · Veteran Member

Here are all the Sandy contestants singing. If anyone is interested you can still see video and pictures at the Grease website on NBC.

grannygreaser · Senior Member

Lubiana wrote:

I actually saw some of the show- but I never watched it all the way to the end. Will they do another one do you think? Maybe for a different Broadway show?

Here's a brief history of the reality casting and what little I know about possible future casting in the format.

The show format started in the UK with "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" to cast the lead for the new production of "Sound of Music". David Ian and Andrew Lloyd Webber were doing the production in London's West End, so teamed with the BBC to find the lead. The format was very successful for them and launced the career for Connie Fisher who played Maria in the production.

They planned to do the same in the US, but Ian went ahead without Webber and did "You're The One That I Want" in the US, which didn't do very well in the Neilson's, but still had over 6 million viewers. This cast the Danny and Sandy for the US.

Then Ian went back to the UK to cast the British Danny and Sandy via reality show there called "Grease Is The Word." It is running in the West End with Danny Bayne and Susan McFadden in the roles.

About the same time, Sir Andrew did "Any Dream Will Do" to cast the new Joseph in his "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" revival and TV series and the new production is doing well. Lee Mead won the role of Joseph.

I believe Webber is planning to cast Joseph for the US that way, although not necessarily for Broadway. And I think I read something about using reality casting for "Sound of Music" for Canada.

"Legally Blonde" is casting or has cast the Elle Woods replacement for Laura Bell Bundy on an MTV reality show, but I don't think viewers will be voting on it.

David Ian felt this format would only work with revivals where you are casting a character that audiences already know so they can judge how an actor might do in the role.

-- Edited by grannygreaser at 22:08, 2008-05-28