The Nielsen company said Fox’s audience was more than three times what the network typically gets for a Sunday night.
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
‘Grease’ Fights Through Rain, Tragedy To Reach 12.2 Million
The Nielsen company said Fox’s audience was more than three times what the network typically gets for a Sunday night.
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I do not really like Grease as a show but I did enjoy the whole production of Grease Live. I think it was really cool how they used so many different sets even though that is not really how theatre works. The whole production was huge, but it looked very smooth and you did not notice as an audience member how difficult it must have been to put on. The camera work was incredible for a normal show and the fact that it was all done live is insane. I saw the video of the associate director calling the shots and it was crazy. I can’t believe how accurate she was with everything and it must have taken a lot of practice. I think it is also very strong of Vanessa Hudgens to go on with the show and put on an incredible performance. She was dealing with a huge tragedy and still pushed through to give the audience a great performance and show everyone all the hard work they all have been putting in for the past few months.
What an accomplishment, really. I think one of the best things about Grease Live! didn’t have much to do with what. What was really important about the production was that it built upon the progress that the previous live musicals have made in the last couple of years. Each show gets better and better because they learn from the past mistakes. And it seems like based on this article that this was the most viewed live musical on television. What is so critical about this is that “theatre” more or less is being brought to wider and wider audiences each time and younger people are learning about the field. For example, after the show aired, there was a video on Facebook of one of the directors calling out the cues for the cameras. Although not aired on television, it appeared because of the show and made me aware of a task that I didn’t know existed or could be tied to stage management.
Grease Live! is another bandwagon member on the live TV musical train. There is always something exhilarating about watching something live, which is the entire point of theatre, so by finding a way to televise that, the big networks have found something that should be a hearty revenue stream for years to come, as the ratings show. The fact that the set almost couldn't be used due to the rain is cool, as we get to see the aftereffects on screen, as if it's a real space we're watching and not a soundstage. That organic feel might be something that Fox has a chance to get the leg up on NBC with, as NBC productions up to this point have felt particularly stage-y. The fact that Vanessa Hudgens also performed her role mere hours after her father passing away is something to behold, as she had to show herself acting to millions of people across the nation, with millions more watching it taped or on demand later on. The fact that her performance was not only hearty, but a true portrayal of that character, is a tribute to her ability as an actress and the power of theatre.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Grease live, but I have gotten the chance to see some of the other live musicals that have happened recently. I found that I really like the format and want to see more of it. There’s a different feeling to it than watching a normal movie, it feels much closer to actually watching a show in person. But beyond that its just nice to watch some thing that hasn’t been through endless takes until it looks perfect. Yes, there are rehearsals, but that’s the same as a show we would put on or any other theater. The lack of constant perfection and the need to adapt to anything going wrong instead of just starting over from the beginning makes it that much more exciting to watch. That same similarity to live theater is also what makes it one of the few kinds of tv that I would be interested in working on.
Grease Live! Before seeing the show, I was a little hesitant. I had high hopes for the show and I really didn't want it to end up badly, but in the end, I was not disappointed. I think NBC did a great job of adapting this classical musical into a TV Musical hit. Different from the other televised musicals I had seem previously, the grease production team created the classic musical that everyone loves and added great subtle touches that really made it an event to watch. Among some of my favorite parts of the show was the use of a live audience and the use of audience members as extras. I think that this was a really fun idea because it gave the actors people to preform for and I'm sure it was also fun for the audience members. My favorite part however, was at the end of the show when the entire cast jumped into one of the buses behind the scenes and drove through the set. I think that this was a great way to showcase all of the work that had been put into the show and was sort of a thank you to everyone working behind the scenes. They didn't try to hide the fact that they were doing a musical on TV, they embarrassed it! Overall, I would love to watch it again! it was beautifully done.
I loved what Fox did with this! I hated the Sound of Music, but then the wiz was a huge step in the right direction, and Grease even more so. It was just such a spectacle from start to finish, and the entire time I was wondering how they would pull off the next scene. The level of organization needed to pull this off is so insane. A Technical Miracle. I saw the video of the Director calling the show and was unlike anything I had ever seen. And then you see all the camera men too, with some of them being flown! So on top of all of those cues you have to wonder about the camera angles. And you watch all of this and you remember, just like Theatre, it all comes down the next day.
Their choice to have a live, costumed audience was also very cool and paid a nice homage to traditional theatre.
Honestly.. This was great. I thought despite it being televised, it brought all of the magic of live theater to people who just can't always see it. It had so many Broadway "How did you do that?" moments, and I was blown away. I think this is a great example for an avenue theater can go into. Over the last few years, NBC has attempted to pull this off, but I just don't think they were taking enough risks. The SOund of Music and Peter Pan were incredibly droll, pandering with shows that audiences already know that are extremely safe. The Wiz was better, but I think the Wiz is just a poorly written show. But this, was great. I hope Fox continues to do live musicals because I was blown away by so many things, technically. The race scene with the moving lights was executed well, Greased lightning was phenomenal and the scene in Frenchie's bedroom was a wow moment.
But, I think, that this a way for current Broadway msuicals, maybe when they close that are huge hits, to be shown to the public. Not everyone can go to New York!
I am so happy to be apart of the generation in theatre that is making efforts to bring live theatrical productions to millions of people. Grease Live! was such a success on many levels. Ratings obviously show that viewers loved it, and for good reason. Unlike NBC's recent televised live musical productions Fox did a fantastic job of incorporating the televised aspect to the productions advantage. The almost rained out set also worked in their favor. The water looked cool, and made everything seem a bit more realistic. The casting was great, except for Carly, but no hurt feelings.
I loved that the producers incorporated many different ethnicities in their casting. It was nice to see television moving in a more liberal direction.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the costumes and scenery. It was amazing to think that all of what happened was on a sound stage and that we were watching the scene changes live. For such a quick turn around time the changes really flowed seamlessly.
I am excited for Rocky Horror to be produced by FOX and am even excited about Hairspray to be produced by NBC. I'm sure they were taking notes...
I have to say, I usually am very torn by the thought of these televised musicals. Part of me is so glad that musical theatre is reaching a larger audience, but another part of me is just totally embarrassed by the performances of Sound of Music and Peter Pan.
This time, however, I thought was a huge success on a number of levels. Grease Live was able to push through obstacles in a way that I expect true theatre folks to, which impressed me and made me proud to be watching. My friends and I at first thought the rain was completely hilarious and laughed about who was running around trying to re-block scenes in the interior settings, but then we realized how true to life that element made it all. A terrible reminder of "the show must go on," Vanessa Hudgens shined through her family tragedy, a feat that nearly brought me to tears watching "There Are Worse Things I Could Do." Besides being a great performer (my personal favorite of the night), she proved herself to be a very brave woman. I have huge respect for what she went through to be a part of the performance.
While the message of Grease totally disgusts me, there's no ignoring that this is a classic, as a musical and a movie, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. My friends and I were singing along and laughing and enjoying all of the fun transitions (especially the golf carts over to the carnival). Those are the things I find important in a show like this, and Grease Live definitely nailed it.
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