Grease : New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

After seeing the Live version on TV I see now that JT really committed fully to the part. This new Danny is very half-hearted and not committed to it 100%.

Olivia Newton John had such an innocence to her, that this new actress doesn't have.

The film will never ever be replaced because it just has a magic about it that can never be recreated.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

You can praise JT and ONJ's performances without degrading the Live cast.
JT and ONJ had multiple takes and lighting to make the "magic", so give credit to the live cast. They did great for one take, who knows what could have been done if it took multiple takes like a movie.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

I think you're being overly protective of the TV cast. I didn't say anything hateful or even mean about the actors. After watching the TV version it made me appreciate qualities that JT and ONJ brought to the table that I used to feel were wrong or annoying and now I see the value they brought to their rolls. I have every right to say what brought me to that turn.

My comment about the film never being replaced wasn't even about the Live TV version (Because that wasn't a filmed remake but actually a very ingenious way of doing a version without trying to replace the film. The production and execution was well done and invented a new artform of it's own. So in no way is the Live TV version stepping on the toes of the film.) The comment was towards people so defensive about "if they make a remake.. x,y, and z!" I feel like there's a quality in the air of the film that can never be outshined, so all those who worry and protest shouldn't but rather own a sense of security that if anyone remakes it that no one, not even the original film's crew and cast could recreate the magic in the air of the film if they tried. I walked into watching the Live TV version treating it as a completely different entity. Apples & oranges, no fair comparison to hold them as a whole against each other. I treated it as if I was going to see a high school rendition of it that had been day-dreamed up as big as possible for today. I completely understand the differences between a film and a live performance having worked in and around live performance for most of my life. Each one is a different form of accomplished skill. But all the takes in the world aren't going to make Aaron Tveit put all his heart and soul into it or make Julianne Hough innocent enough for what is needed for the roll. Her Sandy reminds me of Superman disguising himself as Clark Kent. Julianne Hough wakes up everyday closer to the bombshell Sandy that closes the show than the wholesome Sandy but much like Superman puts on the disguise of Clark Kent she puts on the disguise of wholesome Sandy, which is backwards for what the roll needs. I see that now. I use too think ONJ was so wholesome and innocent that it was annoying and misplaced and a world apart from the rest of her cast. Now I see that it was the perfect actress for the roll. She really was innocent and inexperienced compared to the rest of her cast and her disguise was bombshell Sandy. I was always slightly annoyed that JT was too goofy and something was off about him but I see now that he was 100% committed to the role no matter how goofy it made him look. Aaron Tveit came off half-hearted in light of it. The Live TV cast had 4 months to prepare and hone their performance and a lot of people defending them are talking about how great they were in other live shows, so they really should be able to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park. Just my opinions, you don't need to agree with me, and you shouldn't feel the need to control my thoughts or words. This is a free country and the beautiful thing about that is we are both allowed to voice what we believe.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

Bennyfordclinic, I agree with what you have to say. The 'Live' cast did alright for its live production, ut its just really hard to duplicate the magic that ONJ & John had in Grease(1978). I prefer Olivia's Sandy over Julianne just because she has a more natural charm and has more warmth and sweetness to the role of Sandy! Julianne just tried too hard and came off as boring. and the new Danny was good, but just lacked Travolta's natural charm!

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

"I didn't say anything hateful or even mean about the actors"

even though you wrote

"this new Danny is very half-hearted and not committed to it 100%"

I guess in your world, telling an actor that he's half-hearted and not committed isn't mean or hateful.

For all we know, he did give it his all, but you didn't give him a fair shot because you were watching through "John Travolta":-horned rimmed glasses

OK. We can agree to disagree.


Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

Sorry, but "half-hearted" and "not committed…" are hardly hateful and mean-spirited remarks. They are legitimate, reasoned observations about the way a role is being played, and they are perfectly fair. ("Hateful" and "mean-spirited remarks usually apply to physical characteristics like the actor's looks.) You need to read some serious theater or film criticism to understand that this poster has a strong grasp of what's fit material for criticism and what isn't. BTW, I don't know this poster, but I edited theater criticism for over 15 years, so this is subject matter about which I am quite comfortable. I also consider "agree to disagree" to be weasel words -- because you do not really respect this poster's observations.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

Sorry, but "half-hearted" and "not committed…" are hardly hateful and mean-spirited remarks. They are legitimate, reasoned observations about the way a role is being played, and they are perfectly fair. ("Hateful" and "mean-spirited remarks usually apply to physical characteristics like the actor's looks.) You need to read some serious theater or film criticism to understand that this poster has a strong grasp of what's fit material for criticism and what isn't. BTW, I don't know this poster, but I edited theater criticism for over 15 years, so this is subject matter with which I am quite comfortable. I also consider "agree to disagree" to be weasel words -- because you do not really respect this poster's observations.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

They sucked though, that's why they get flack. John Travolta was in the stage version as well so he has proved that he can do what they all did, so it had nothing to do with 'muliple takes' as you put it. And the actor who played Danny in the live version was 15 years too OLD to play him. They should have got a young man to play him. Even Travolta was only 24 at the time. The live version was so crap it almost made me embarrassed to be a Grease fan. I had to watch the film again immediately after to cure to sour taste this PC *beep* had left.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

I agree that John & Olivia were perfectly cast in the roles of Danny & Sandy. They had a certain chemistry between them that is difficult to duplicate, by ANYONE and will always be my favorites.

Going into GREASE LIVE, I also didn't expect it to outshine the film, but treated it more like a tribute to the film and stage production.

I personally thought Julianne Hough was AMAZING as Sandy, she actually did better than I expected her to. In my opinion, no one can outshine Olivia in that role, but I thought Julianne gave Sandy that innocent charm that everyone fell in love with.

Going in, I had some reservations about Aaron Tveit as Danny. I STILL wonder how different it might have been if they cast Carlos PenaVega as Danny and let Aaron Tviet play Kenickie instead. I felt BOTH actors did a great job, but I can't help but wonder what MIGHT have been by the switching of those two actors around. Their personalities just seemed to be slightly off in the roles they were cast in. I STILL enjoyed them in the production, but this question will always be in my mind.


Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

It's a LOT harder to pull off a LIVE television performance, than it is to shoot a movie. Film actors get as many takes as needed to get their performance just right. A live show, like a stage play, gets ONE shot and that's all.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

Haven't seen the live version - will look for it.

It's hard recreating the magic of a smash. Sometimes remakes work - Muppet Wizard of Oz did ok, didn't it? But otherwise the actors are often trying to imitate the actors more than the iconic characters such as in the Australian version of Are You Being Served?

John Travolta, I saw when I watched for the first time in years two weeks ago, had not just looks and charisma but electricity. He's incredible! Those eyes! That magnetism. No wonder those boys followed him around. They could always take Danny's castoffs.
(I always thought Barry Pearl could have become more; he is very handsome and talented and rather funny).

Olivia Newton John is softer and lighter and she and John T just work.

Travolta outshone both a very handsome and young "Bobby Wheeler" Jeff Conaway and Lorenzo Lamas - who was gorgeous then - without really trying. He was perfect.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

Agree. I watched a few minutes of the live version and it was cute and stylish but I could not watch more than this as it seemed far too watered down and bubblegum. When you watch the movie; Rizzo, Kaniki, Danny, Sandy...you see the most dramatic difference.

Re: New found respect for John Travolta's & ONJ's performances.

Innocence is the perfect word to describe Grease and the performances. It's why the movie has such a good natured feel to it.
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