Grease Live! (2016 TV Movie) User Reviews

A Great Show with a Few Flaws

[MorganneLuse · 7/10 · 1 February 2016]

Overall, Grease: Live! was a success in my eyes. I thought Aaron Tveit, Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens were outstanding in their respective roles as Danny, Sandy and Rizzo. They acted well and sang even better, which is all I can ask for in a musical like this.

The staging was well done and, all in all, I really enjoyed the show. My gripes are few and far between, but there were a few blips on the radar. The sound went out shortly and the sound issues carried over into another song number, but that didn't bother me terribly.

I really only had an issue with one section of the show. The section with Frenchy in the Frosty Palace. Frenchy, played by Carly Rae Jepsen, was alright. I wasn't blown away by her performance, but I hadn't really noticed it either by this point. Then she sang a song I read was written for her just for this production... and it showed. The song, "All I Need is an Angel" completely conflicted with the period of the other songs and of the show. It sounded like a teenager wrote it that morning and they threw it in. A 2016 pop song thrown into a musical set in 1959 and every bit as unfitting as it sounds. The song was so repetitive and dull that Idon't think there was much to it apart from the chorus.

Then the show is brought to an even more agonizing halt when Boys II Men shows up to sing "Beauty School Dropout". Their rendition, again, didn't fit the period the show was written for. You're telling me you couldn't get Johnny Mathis or someone else still living from the era? You couldn't even get someone who could at least sound like it? Boys II Men could have done a better job trying a Platters style rendition at the very least! I suppose you could tell me Boys II Men is a bigger draw than some nostalgic singer from the era, or close to it, but to that I'd ask you, how many viewers tuned in for Boys II Men? Really. How many? I'd like to know. Because I'm guessing nobody. I didn't know who they were. I had no idea. I'm 23. Who was the intended audience? I don't understand it.

Then we come to my real sore point of the evening, the hypocrisy of the censoring. I couldn't help but notice that, every time they returned from commercial break, the little rating box would appear in the corner of my screen. It claimed the show was "TV 14", which, in of itself, is a bit of a surprise, but it begs the question, what does "TV 14" really mean? What's appropriate for 14 year olds to watch? Apparently, the show couldn't quite make up its mind...

The words of "Greased Lightnin'" were too vulgar for the show, so they were changed. On the surface of it, I don't mind. I've heard these lyrics changed before. I do take issue with the fact that THEY changed while the rest of the show stayed the same (and in some cases got WORSE)! Several wholesome lines remained like, "Where ya going'? To flog your log?", "Bite the weenie, Rizz." and a reference about how cheerleaders hate to be "late". There were a slough of others, I just can't think of them at the moment.

Don't get me wrong. Innuendo is fine. It's funny, particularly in Grease, as it is so well done.

My problem is the absurd notion that cleaning up "Greased Lightin'" suddenly makes the show "family friendly". I fail to see the difference between the lines above and "Chick'll cream" and "She's a real pussy wagon" differ in their vulgarity. If somebody understands it better than I, please let me know. I'd like to understand.

I suppose you could argue that, when the soundtrack is released, kids will sing a clean version of this song and that's all well and good, but a number of them will have seen the rest of the show... the "damage" will have been done. Won't it? Just what do we really want 14 year olds to watch? The show took out all cigarettes, which is wholly unrealistic, but not show destroying. They made the lyrics of "Greased Lightin'" PG, but kept in and added sexual references and innuendo. What do people want their 14 year olds watching? What's wrong? What crosses the line and what's acceptable? I honestly have no idea after watching this production. It had no idea what it wanted to be.

You either PG the whole show or you let the thing play out in its unbridled, innuendo laden glory. Anything in between does the audience a disservice.

Either parents make a conscious decision to let their kids watch this and prepare to answer questions about what some of the dialog means or they keep their kids away from it because it isn't the kind of thing they want them to watch. As the show is in this form it doesn't properly service either side. This show left me feeling that 14 year olds were mature enough to handle, or stupid enough not to notice, the blatant sexual innuendo but were entirely too naive to understand that, even though people are doing it on screen, smoking is bad for you.

Go, have and talk about sex wildly, but for the love of God don't smoke! (Oh, and don't sing about sex! That's just vulgar and wrong.)

Grease Live was as awesome a show on TV as one could get!

[tavm · 8/10 · 1 February 2016]

As someone who watched the 1978 movie version several times in his lifetime, here's what I thought of the recent live version on Fox-The Good: Expanding roles for Eugene and Patty (though I'm miffed at why Patty-the cheerleader-is wearing glasses. Popular girls didn't wear them, at least not that frequently!). And also making them a couple at the end. Eugene helping the T-Birds in the Thunder Road sequence. The cheerleading tryouts between Patty and Sandy. Julianne Hough playing the latter. Seeing Barry Pearl-movie Doody-playing the producer of "National Bandstand". Seeing Didi Conn-movie Frenchy-playing Vi the waitress especially when she councils current Frenchy-Carly Rae Jepsen-on her career choices. Also liked Carly's song added for the show. Also loved when Didi said, "I miss high school!" during the dance sequence. And, lastly, Rizzo's bonding with Sandy after Thunder Road. Most of the show overall. The Bad: What's with the audio going off during some of the "Born to Hand Jive" number? And didn't believe Sandy's reason for not continuing with the dance-being camera shy-until she mentioned later of not wanting known of her parents' being lied to. The not-so-bad: Mario Lopez accidentally ID'ing his show as "American Bandstand" instead of "National Bandstand" in one scene! This was a mostly awesome show and I wouldn't mind getting the DVD when it comes out. So on that note, Grease is still the word!

Fast as lightning

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 4 February 2016]

Obviously it is a big undertaking to mount a live television production of Grease. The stage musical is a mainstay of various theatre productions with regular revivals and the film version is a classic despite some of its cheesiness. Even John Travolta recently admitted the film has become timeless, popular with kids even with the suggestiveness of some of the dialogue and lyrics.

Jessie J kicks of the rainy opening by singing Grease and we get to the setting very quickly and the opening number of Summer Nights. Julianne Hough is good as Sandy really evoking the memory of Olivia Newton John although her character hails from another part of the USA and not Australia. Aaron Tveit does well as Danny but never matches the cockiness of Travolta, which might had been easy to do if you are a young actor who just scored an Oscar nomination and a worldwide smash hit a year earlier with Saturday Night Fever. Vanessa Hudgens was less acerbic as Rizzo than Stockard Channing.

The production has songs that are featured in the stage production which might not be familiar with those who have only seen the film version. The production knows it has go for those big tent-pole numbers like Greased Lightning, Hopelessly devoted, Sandy and the finale You're the one that I want.

As it is a live television number there are stage set changes built in to the production as the cast have to get from one stage to another. There are lots of ad breaks. I cheekily recorded this to my TIVO and watched it 60 minutes after it started and then fast forwarded the ad breaks. The running time for me was about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

I guess some people may not be happy with the diverse casting but Grease was always about people being true to their feelings rather than fitting in with stereotypes. The creators of the stage musical would only be too happy that the show has progressed.

Some of the production limits it to its stage show origins. The car race was rather pedestrian masked by use of lighting and smoke.

Despite the pruning of the lyrics in Greased Lightning, some of the dialogue might be deemed to to be rude to younger viewers but I think some of it flew over my son's head.

A Solid Version of "Grease" With Some Technical Issues (Updated)

[atlasmb · 9/10 · 31 January 2016]

Having watched all of the live musical performances on TV since NBC's production of "Sound of Music Live!" in 2013, I was anxious to see what Fox could do with "Grease: Live". The movie "Grease" is a favorite of mine. Like many others, I have watched the film many times.

All in all, I was pleased with the show. Most of the issues were technical, and there was only one actor (who I will not name) whose performance disappointed me.

It was the sound that tempers my enthusiasm for this production. In some cases, leading vocals were not quite loud enough. There was a total loss of sound during a portion of the "Hand Jive" number. And the big disappointment was the poor sound quality during Julianne Hough's (Sandy) performance of "Hopelessly Devoted To You"--what would have been the highlight of the show due to Julianne's soaring vocals. It sounded like a microphone problem, but wouldn't they have two mikes in case one failed?

The logistics of staging "Grease: Live" are mind boggling. I appreciate the way they took the viewer backstage and otherwise revealed the layout and the mechanics of moving cast and crew.

The cast is extremely talented. There were too many great performances to list them all, but I want to single out Elle McLemore whose Patty Simcox was inspired.

The storyline mostly followed the movie, but there were numerous deviations. The choices made resulted in a very enjoyable hybrid.

A DVD would be a nice addition to one's personal collection of musicals, but they will first have to clean up or remake Julianne's solo.

7/14/16: Received 10 Emmy nominations.

Updated 10/4/2019: I watched this performance again on pay-per-view. I am pleased to say that Julianne Hough's performance of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" has been fixed. I don't know what other edits might have been made. Since there are no commercials (or transitions to commercials), some of the backstage glimpses are lost. But I really enjoyed my second viewing. I noticed some things I had missed the first time through. And Vanessa Hudgens' talent really stands out. Her performance of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" is a highlight.

Watch it for yourself

[bint-14364 · 29 November 2020]

For anyone looking for a remake of the 1978 film, this is probably not for you. This is a filmed version of the ORIGINAL 1971 stage show. It's not spectacular, but it's a pretty good job - as long as you don't compare it to the movie

Grease is the word

[safenoe · 7/10 · 11 March 2016]

Kudos to Fox for commissioning Grease Live. Wow, this is the pinnacle of live TV musicals, and congratulations to everyone involved. The production was amazing and I saw a clip of one of the assistant directors co-ordinating a scene. Amazing.

I loved seeing the fourth wall being broke, from the start and the rousing finale.

Grease Live rouses much passion because it's supposedly not "ethically pure" if you know what I mean. Really, let's get over it to paraphrase The Eagles. I see no problem with African-American, Hispanic and Asian actors cast - what's the problem? If we can accept Emma Stone in an Asian role or any white guy as Dr Fu Man Choo or Charlie Chan, then why can't accept the diverse casting of Grease Live?

Truly wonderful! Grease is still the word!

[redsoxjv13 · 10/10 · 31 January 2016]

I had just graduated from high school when the movie Grease was released in 1978. I have watched the movie at least 20 times and have seen a Broadway production. This has been my favorite for so long and I am absolutely blown away by what I just watched over the last 3 hours. The talent was amazing. I feel that they paid tribute to the original, but actually made it better with a few minor changes. Vanessa Hudgens was perfect as Rizzo and Julianne Hough was a close second as Sandy. It was great to see Didi Cohn, the original Frenchy. I am giving 10 stars because I was completely amazed by the show, but I do have to mention one negative. It is my opinion that Aaron Tveit, who played Danny Zuko was miscast. His singing voice and his acting were significantly less appealing than the rest of the cast. His dancing was great, though. I also think he looked too old for the part. The sets were amazing. The choreography was sensational. I want to see it again!

Haunted by the Movie's Success and Sound Gremlins

[mike48128 · 7/10 · 1 February 2016]

Rated down for two major audio glitches ("Hopelessly Devoted" and "Hand Job") It fell flat in a few places. Diversity is a good thing, but The Pink Ladies should have all been pink. My 1970's high school was "mixed". Everybody got along fine, but did not mix socially at all. Just a fact. Taped on several of Warner's massive sound stages. Julianna Hough was great as Sandy but Arron Tveit lacked the charisma of Travolta's Danny Zuko. The production never pretended to be "real" and used the change-of-location as a clever "running gag" that worked well. Most of the sexual references were toned down, but hand job, as always, is just too obvious, isn't it? At it's worst when it tried to "carbon copy" the iconic movie. A breathless finale, although the "Greased Lightning" car is barely seen. High points included: The walk thru over "Grease". Sandy at the cheerleader try outs. Keke Palmer's break out USO number ("Freddie My Love"). "National Bandstand" (sadly, with "dead air" for several seconds). The drag race photography. Eugene became a hero. Vanessa Hudgens as "Rizzo" was the best performance of all. Sandy's catsuit and vocals. The finale. (Wow!) Closing comments: "The Coach" wasn't all that funny. Boyz II Men are not an aging rock star as "Teen Angels", and they should have performed it "50's Style". (I guess Johnny Mathis or Frankie Valli were busy?) The video-photography,using a special "film-look" process and overhead Crane cameras, looked seamlessly great. I would like to see it again, with better sound.

Amazing Live version of Grease

[duraflex · 9/10 · 1 February 2016]

For the most part, Fox really got it right. The two lead actors were up to the roles. Both could really sing, dance and act. What a far cry from the lame leads on NBC's versions of The Wiz, Peter Pan and Sound of Music. The staging and sets were outstanding. The camera-work was first rate and the audio mix was very good.

Julianne Hough was absolutely outstanding. A very young 27, beautiful and talented performer, she was a perfect choice to play Sandy. I cannot think of anyone who could have done it better.

The guy playing Danny - Aaron Tveit - had the right looks and build for the role and is an excellent singer-dancer-actor.

The supporting cast was enthusiastic and well-rehearsed.

Except for a 20 second audio loss during Hand Jive, there was no major technical glitch. Unlike NBC, the cameramen did not wind up in each other's shots. The movie was virtually all white as fit the setting of 1959. This Grease version tried a little too hard to integrate the cast and with the exception of the Coach, that really didn't work. It was the equivalent of sticking a bunch of Whites or Asians in The Wiz or Purlie. However, the forced diversity wasn't too glaring and didn't hurt the show overall.

Fox's Grease Live sets a new standard for live TV musicals. Congrats to all - cast, crew, producers.

Overall kind of disappointing

[judonoh_us · 6/10 · 2 February 2016]

I have probably seen Grease the movie at least 50 times so I know every song and line in the movie. I was disappointed that Grease Live was not very historically accurate. Grease was set in the 50s when segregation was still very much a part of the school system so schools were either black or white and did not contain both ethnicities. Also, the girl that played Marty was not a very good actress. She overacted in some places and was not very convincing in others. Overall the live version did not have as much energy to it as the movie did. Some examples are the pep rally when the coach is giving his speech, the dance-off when Vince Fontaine is speaking and the song "Beauty School Drop-out." Also, Mario Lopez is too young looking, in my opinion to play Vince Fontaine. It seemed like they tried to make the live version into a comedy when the original was not supposed to be a comedy. For example, the cheerleading scene reminded me of a bad skit from Saturday Night Live because Patty Simcox was basically getting upset because Sandy was able to do the routines perfectly. Um, it's cheerleading tryouts, isn't the point that she is able to do the routines? It's not cheerleading competition. The song "Freddy My Love" in the middle of the sleepover scene seemed a little out of place and like it was a last minute add-in. I thought some of the acting was not quite up to par but the singing and choreography was actually done well. Overall I was not very impressed with this version of it.

A mixed bag of a live production

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 3 August 2016]

Briefly comparing to the 1978 film, which is still hugely enjoyable now, 'Grease Live' is vastly inferior in many ways but is still very much watchable on its own merits.

As far as live TV productions of musicals go, 'Grease Live' is superior to the live TV productions of 'The Sound of Music' and particularly 'Peter Pan' while fell flat, but 'The Wiz' while uneven fares the best.

There are many good things here. Many of the songs are great, some like "Summer Nights", "We Go Together", "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Greased Lightning" are classics. The choreography is spirited and energetic, especially at the end and in "Greased Lightning". The 1950s production values are very attractive, the dialogue is mostly witty though with the odd clunker and pacing though with the odd part where it grinds to a halt (especially "Beauty School Dropout") is sprightly.

'Grease Live' also boasts some good performances. Best of the lot is surprisingly Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo, she brings sass and vulnerability to the character and successfully sheds her "Disney star" image, proving that she is much better than that. She sounds great, with her voice having come on hugely since the 'High School Musical' films with a powerhouse rendition of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do", one of the production's highlights.

Julianne Hough is far superior here than she was in the awful remake of 'Footloose', she is a very charming Sandy and has a lovely tone to her voice, with a sweet "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and doesn't hold back at the end. Jordan Fisher and Carlos PenaVega (apart from getting lost a little in "Greased Lightning" steal scenes, while Ana Gasteyer is good too. Kether Donohue and Elle McLemore prove that you can be funny and camp but also be subtle, and it was great to see Didi Conn and Barry Pearl.

On the other hand, this reviewer had mixed views on Aaron Tveit. He has a great voice, better than John Travolta's perhaps, as could be heard in 2012's 'Les Miserables' where his voice was one of the standout voices, and he is an energetic dancer, but he lacks the cockiness and charisma as Danny instead coming over as wooden and bland. Keke Palmer plays Marty far too broadly and is far too theatrical that it was painful to watch her, while Mario Lopez and particularly Haneefah Wood are supremely irritating. Carly Rae Jepsen's Frenchy sounds under-powered and strained, and she flounders with comic timing and never looks comfortable.

Not all the songs work either. "All I Need is an Angel" and particularly "Beauty School Dropout" are incredibly out of place and completely take one out of the period with too much of a present day vibe. It was nice to hear "Freddy My Love" and "Those Magic Changes" but the former also seems oddly placed, while the title song "Grease is the Word" is so dreary and the lyrics and vocals too often inaudible in a production plagued with problems with sound and balance with a lot of dipping in and out.

All in all, an uneven production and very much a mixed bag. A number of merits but some glaring flaws as well. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Pretty Amazing, All Things Considered

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 6 February 2016]

I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a really nicely done musical. The performances are solid and the logistics must have been beyond the pale. The scene changes are outstanding. Compared to others of these live TV productions, this is far superior. The singing is really strong with an occasional dropout, but that's to be expected. One thing that I kept thinking is that Aaron Tveit looked kind of old to be Danny. I checked and apparently he's thirty-three. Of course, that is a challenge they had to face. As demanding as this musical is and the fact that so much professionalism is required, there aren't many true teenagers who could hold up under the pressure. If John Travolta goofed up, he could do it over again sixteen times. Grease has grown on me over the years and it was really fun to hear the songs again.

Enjoyable

[ThomasColquith · 7/10 · 31 December 2021]

I liked "Grease Live!" even more than the original film. I thought they did an excellent job producing it and putting it on live. It was full of fun positive energy and didn't have that dour vibe I thought the movie had at times. The leads were good; of course they aren't Travolta and Newton-John but no one could be. Where "Grease Live!" really excelled I thought was in the supporting cast which was terrific. Vanessa Hudgens especially was great as Rizzo. And all of the singing and dancing was great as well. So I would recommend this show; my rating is 7/10.

A really BAD idea

[simdigger · 1/10 · 31 January 2016]

This whole remake/live thing was a bad idea. It was like an awful car crash. Some songs that were not part of the original score were added, and other songs were placed in the wrong order.

Some things that are historically important were glossed over. I do understand that in today's politics, some things are done, BUT this story is supposed to have taken place before the integration of the school system. I had to spend about ten minutes explaining to my child why there was African-American actors in the school in this version but not in the original. I feel that doing this in this TV show actually makes a mistake doing this, in that it feels to me an insult to the struggle required historically to gain integration as example re- writing history.

Here is the spoiler: I was very angered to see that in this version they decided to have Danny win the car race at the end by cheating!

Overall: Too many changes made to the original story and score. The dancing and singing was overall not as good as original. I do not blame the actors in this show (except maybe they would have been smart saying no) I blame the writers, director and producer team.

Leave the classics alone guys! You can never be as good as the original.

Love love love!!!

[ahkritz · 10/10 · 2 February 2016]

Let me start off by saying....Aaron Tveit, who plays Danny Zuko, is so undeniably the star of the show. If you don't yet know who he is, you soon will, and, along with the rest of the world, won't be able to forget him ever after! He has the most unbelievable vocals but he's also very good-looking (to be frank, the man is smokin hot) and has so much charisma. He is, like no joke, basically the definition of perfection! I've been in such awe of Aaron Tveit enough as it is prior to watching him as Danny Zuko. He is just epically flawless in all aspects of his performances; he honestly is that rare form of a human that truly excels at everything he does! I loooved him in the show Graceland and was so bummed when they didn't renew it for a fourth season! (He was the majority reason for why I got hooked on watching it right from the start of Season 1 Episode 1). If you watch him in anything he's a part of, you will without a doubt see what I'm talking about. He has some sort of addictive and magical appeal to him that just draws you in and you can't manage take your eyes off him whenever watching him on-screen. He quickly will become your main reason for watching anything else he's credited in. The whole cast of "Grease: Live" is right up there though as far as star quality goes. Julianne Hough (Sandy), Vanessa Hudgens (Rizzo), and Carlos PenaVega (Kenickie) are really great! Jordan Fisher (who played Doody) was a HUGE surprise for me since I hadn't known of him prior to seeing it. Fisher's performance is impeccable and his voice is so beautiful and sultry. (Really though.) Mark my words: You will wind up playing "Those Magic Changes" on repeat excessively after hearing it the first time around. In its entirety, and despite the technical difficulties they encountered (it's a LIVE production, so it was super ballsy and already prone to experiencing some technical issues, but that's regardless), "Grease: Live" is no doubt a game-changer; it's an irreplaceable experience for all the senses. It's not a remake of Grease, it's a whole new doubled-down version...and they sort of have, in many ways, made/rewrote history. Trust me when I say, it deserves to be #1 on your list of shows to watch (or soundtracks to buy) as soon as you have the time, and it's definitely beyond worth that time!

Not *Too* Bad

[baileycrawly · 7/10 · 5 July 2022]

It's tempting to compare this to the iconic 1978 film, and there are some areas where comparison isn't just inevitable, but unavoidable. However, holding this to the same level of expectation as the film isn't entirely fair.

Firstly, it's a TV movie, not a theatrical release. And it couldn't be more obvious. This is a stripped-down Grease, a little more complicated technically than a Broadway stage performance, but not to the scope of anything that came before it. It has a "budget" feel to it from start to finish, which doesn't make it inherently bad. What could've been a production that thrived on the spontaneity of a live performance ultimately suffers greatly as a result of its reductions. The acting is on par with television acting - good enough to do the job, but with a great deal of room for improvements and enhancements. Try though they may, this fails to live up to the energy level that one likely has come to expect from a production of Grease as well. The dance moves are all there, but they just don't feel the same.

The biggest reduction of the film was the inclusion of modern music, noticeably DNCE's Cake By the Ocean which, although performed in a style more reminiscent of the time, is quite jarring. A modern-day pop song just doesn't sit well in a period piece from multiple decades ago, no matter how you slice it.

The old favorites are done rather well. There was no skimping out on the production value of the music itself. There are modifications for TV, but some of the lyrics ignore the modifications made for the film in favor of the Broadway show which, despite being a fan of the movie, was a nice change.

It was really interestingly staged to give the mirage of a Broadway show as well, which added to the charm of the project as a whole.

Overall, it wasn't too bad. No something I would be particularly eager to go back and revisit anytime soon, but good enough to be a satisfying experience. Grease is STILL the word!

Never liked Grease, but...

[rdoubleoc · 9/10 · 29 August 2019]

I never liked Grease (the movies), so it was a surprise when my girlfriend at the time wanted to watch this and I found myself actually liking it. Maybe I was just in a good mood at the time, but this still stood out as being good.

Decent, but superfluous

[gjw · 6/10 · 7 February 2016]

It wasn't bad, but it simply had no real reason to exist.

They stuck so close to the original movie that it was a virtual frame-by-frame clone, yet the performers suffered by comparison to the original cast.

(Let's face it, the leads were no John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John,)

So what's the point of remaking it, if you can't do it better, or at least do something original with the concept?

I appreciate the talent and enthusiasm of the dancers, and the fact that they (supposedly) pulled this off live in front of the cameras. But in the end, it was simply unnecessary.

Enjoyed it

[mandypoohh19 · 8/10 · 31 January 2016]

If I see one more review whining about them messing with the movie I'll probably scream. The movie came a full year AFTER Grease hit the stage in Chicago in the 70's. Yes, that's right. The original didn't have John Travolta or Olivia. They were the adaptation. Get over it and stop judging the live version against the movie it inspired. This was a good showing of Grease. I've seen worse off Broadway with people who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Considering Vanessa's father passed a couple hours prior to her performance, she was amazing! She showed she can carry a character no matter what. And her voice was great as always. I agree "Danny" was to old looking. If you've never seen the live performance before, please don't make any comparisons to the movie. They even have different songs and scenes. There isn't any comparing the two.

Nice to see a feeble attempt.

[rick_dustin · 6/10 · 31 January 2016]

I enjoyed it but the hype pretty much killed it for me. There are no replacements equal to anyone in a musical classic as Grease. The standard was set very high. Many songs were decent but the big hits such as Beauty School Dropout and the songs Travolta sang originally were so great,the songs in Grease live were poor and struck a nerve. Riz was great and sang super. Sandy was decent but no one ever could equal Olivia.The acting was entertaining and Mario Lopez tribute to Dick Clarks American Bandstand instead of "National Bandstand" took me by surprise.Overall it was fun to watch for awhile but I found myself tired of the music. I guess I am too picky! I won't watch it 100 plus times like I most likely have the original or even watch it again but it was better than the Pro Bowl.

Terrible

[allenrizzi · 1/10 · 31 January 2016]

Some remakes are gold. This one was not even tin. I really anticipated something very good and I was 100 percent disappointed.

The production values, singing, choreography and 1950's feel were all terrible.

Production values are zero compared with the original. It reminds the viewer of a junior high school production. The forced political correct casting misses the mark completely. Like the remakes of The Wizard of Oz, this production goes too far off script in an attempt to include minority cast members. Remember, the story is about Italian- Americans in an Italian-American neighborhood. It is not a story about the United Nations.

The singing with the notable exception of Keke Palmer is simply atrocious. Come on folks, in the end this is a musical. That implies some musical ability on the part of the cast.

The choreography in the original 1978 version was superb. In this version, the choreography is completely non existent. The 1978 version employed people who could dance. The new version leaves one asking, "Do these folks have feet?"

There is a complete lack of 1950's feel. The accents are forced and phony and the viewers feel they are in Hollywood not in Rydell High. The producers obviously don't know what an actual "Greaser" was; perhaps they should have checked the history books.

Lastly, if a production does not have the temerity to stick to the script and include "pussy wagon" in the song Greased Lightning, it may as well not bother to do the whole project. Authenticity, especially the 1950's brand, was completely lacking.

I have never seen a worse adaptation in my life and hope to never see one as badly done.

NBC take notes

[seagou · 9/10 · 31 January 2016]

As a viewer of the previously aired TV musicals such as The Sound of Music, and Peter Pan, i can definitely say that this is by far the best. The set was very unique and beautifully executed. While some of the performers may have seemed at times like they were copying the original cast, they each put a unique touch on their characters, and thats what a good actor should be able to do. In all honesty the biggest flaw i had with this was boyz II men trying to make a failed attempt at a comeback. Sorry Nathan, Shawn, and Wanya, but maybe we should leave Frankie Avalon to directing the rest of the Beauty School Dropouts. Overall the show was unique and entertaining to watch. I would definitely give it a watch at least once or twice.

So is it worth watching?

[LittleLotti · 6/10 · 2 February 2016]

I want to start off by saying I'm a huge fan of the movie, Grease, as I've been watching it since I was about 5. I've also been to a professional stage production but I'm going to base my review more off of the movie.

I don't think it's fair to constantly compare Grease: Live to the movie because it's not supposed to be the movie. It's going to be different. But it was still hard sometimes to shake off that "I can't believe they changed that" attitude.

The bad: The first half of the show I was really not feeling it. The casting decisions were not the greatest. They did a great job at adding diversity (as far as ethnicity goes). But it seemed like they were going more off of fame rather than talent. Julianne Hough makes a fantastic Sandy visually, and while she has a strong singing voice, she overdid it too much. She was so whiny in some places and then sometimes it sounded like a country singer was trying to escape her voice. It was so distracting and really turned me off. Even her talking voice was so childish and squeaky. I'm assuming to she got cast because of her dancing skills and her fame. I really wish these producers would realize that people care more about the quality of something than the names attached to it.

I thought Aaron Tveit did a pretty good job as Danny. He's no John Travolta but he held his own.

One of my biggest issues was Vanessa Hudgens. She may be able to hit high notes well but her voice is so unpleasant. She really ruined Rizzo for me. I'd never really listened to her sing before (but I knew she was in High School Musical) and when I heard her voice I was shocked at how bad it was. I really hate saying that but I am still dumbfounded over this.

Another mistake in my eyes was Keke Palmer. I was really excited to see her in this role until I did. She was so over the top and just odd. Marty is an arrogant character but this was just way too much. I think she blew it.

Carly Rae Jepson did okay at acting but her musical numbers fell flat. I ended up fast forwarding through her performance about halfway through.

The rest of the characters were decent, but I still feel like some of them could have been played by others better.

The dialogue was so rushed that if it hadn't been for my knowledge of the story I might not have known what was happening. A lot of the lines were spoken unnaturally. Much of it felt over rehearsed which sometimes happens in a live show, understandably. But I could never get into the show. You're constantly reminded that these are actors saying lines. Say this here, make this face, respond with this, etc. it never seemed to flow naturally and maybe that is just because it's live and there's no editing being done, but still, it took away from the magic of the show. You could never just get lost in it.

The good: I think the turn around moment for me was when Jordan Fisher performed "Those Magic Changes". Up until this point I was pretty underwhelmed with the songs, but as soon as this kid started singing I was pulled in. I'd never heard of him before and I was truly blown away by his voice. It's so smooth and rich and he could not have sung it better. It's a shame it kept getting interrupted with scenes of Danny in the gym because it was just so good. I haven't been able to stop listening to the full version on Spotify for two days now. I hope he has a long and steady career because his performance was the one that stood out from the rest.

The sets were done so well I couldn't believe it. I really have no complaints about it. They even had the carnival rides and everything. It made the show realistic and exciting. Serious props to the set designers!

The second half of the show was when the good stuff started happening. Other than a few ridiculous casting choices (Mario Lopez as Vince, Boys II Men singing "Beauty School Dropout" and Joe Jonas playing at the dance) the music was good, dancing was great, and it just made you feel good. The car race scene was done very well, as well as Hough singing "Goodbye to Sandra Dee". "You're the One That I Want" was a really fun and great performance. Hough looked just like Olivia Newton John. I ended the show with a big smile on my face because you could really see how happy everyone was. I felt so jealous (but still happy) because these people were having the time of their lives. It's been a few years since I've seen the movie, but Grease: Live made me realize just how much I love the movie and music. It made me feel really nostalgic.

Bottom line: If you have an open mind and are a Grease fan, give it a shot. But if you are too hung up on the movie you're going to ruin the show. My mom just kept comparing everyone to the original actors and skipped the middle part of the show. I'm 24 and felt like this was directed towards my age group. No remake will ever be as good as the original but Grease: Live did a very nice tribute to the movie and kept it fresh while still respecting the original. You could tell they really worked hard on this. I was glad they didn't try to change the story or setting. If they had chosen better actors and singers this would have been unbeatable.

Horrible

[acerocks34-946-532701 · 1/10 · 13 April 2016]

Literally ruined the original Grease for me. I completely despised this and wish it never came out. I had to watch the REAL Grease almost 20 times to get this crap out of my head. The songs were not as good and all of the acting was horrible. I admit Keke Palmer has an amazing voice but she can not act to save her life. All of the actors seemed "To pure to be pink" and just could not pull off this show. They should have cast actors who had a persona that did not come from Nickelodeon or Disney Channel. Clearly nobody better auditioned for this so they had to scrape the bottom on the can to get someone who could. I barely made it through "Summer Nights" without wanting to puke up on myself. Next time don't remake a musical that set way to high of standard, on second thought just do remake it at all.

Really Good

[ddevlin-49166 · 8/10 · 6 February 2016]

Grease: Live is very good. The soundtrack was pretty good and of course, it wasn't as good as the original but still great. They added a new song though, which Frenchy (Carly Rae Jepson) sang well but was just so out of context, it made no sense. It was like it went into the wrong movie. Also, for us while watching live on television, it glitched out a ton during "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and kept going back and forth from a commercial, "Greased Lightening," and the dance scene. Overall pretty good though. If you enjoyed the original Grease, you should definitely try this version. I also love how Pink sang "Grease is the Word" in this one! The beginning was my favorite part of it.