January 08, 2007

'You're the One' launching 'Grease' on Broadway

Billed as a “one of a kind TV event” and "the biggest open casting call in history," NBC's painful "You're the One That I Want" premiered last night with the goal of casting Sandy and Danny for this summer's Broadway revival of "Grease."

At the end of the season, America will get to vote during the live finale and choose the lead roles for "Grease" on Broadway.

Like Broadway itself (at least as of late,) the TV show borrows from the Brits and their success last year with "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?," a BBC series used to cast Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian's "The Sound of Music" now playing in London.

But could "Maria" have started this badly?

Episode 1 showcased talents raw, rare and rancid but failed most miserably by choosing the winning catch phrase as "“You're the one that we want .. to go to Grease Academy.”

The idea is that three judges sit through casting calls in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York to pick a pack of 50 who will then ride a yellow school bus to the Grease Academy bootcamp to polish their acting, singing and dancing skills. And according to the trailer, break up one romance and start at least one more. Ooh. Aah.

Of course tears were shed, dreams shattered, trash talked, and profanities bleeped.

Among the L.A. stand-outs were 21-year-old cocktail waitress Ashley Spencer, who looks something like a cross between Alicia Silverstone and Meg Ryan and "spent her week's wages" getting to LA; 21-year-old fitness club receptionist Max Crumm who could sing but really impressed the judges when he came back with hair gel in his do; and 21-year-old cocktail waitress Kara Hilly, who was perky and cute, maybe Lohanesque, but overly fond of her eyebrow tweezers.

Chicago, where the show was created, fared poorly.

“Is this the best Chicago has to offer?” was heard.

Among the picks there was 42-year-old Dominc Fortuna who can sing and does indeed look like John Travolta. But John Travolta now, not John Travolta when he was 21.

There were a couple obvious fakes in the show, including "substitute teacher Phil Lander" who eventually cracked up during a song -- he started with Green Day's "Paranoid," -- and admitted he was just trying out as a joke for his students.

The judges are Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, the show's director and choreographor; Jim Jacobs, the musical's original co-creator; and producer David Ian, who has invested $10 million of his own money in the revival.

It's hosted by "Access Hollywood" co-anchor Billy Bush and less so by Denise Van Outen, a former presenter on the UK's "Big Breakfast."

It's still unclear which Broadway theater "Grease" will play, but Ticketmaster has already started selling seats for July 24 through December 16 from $71.50 to $111.50, and $201.50 for premium seats.

Correction: This item has been updated to correct Crumm first name to Max, not Matt.

January 8, 2007 12:31 AM in Broadway

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