Disney hit the jackpot when its made-for-TV movie High School Musical was first broadcast in 2007. It is not really aimed at high school kids, it is not really a musical (the songs are merely decorative), but kids around America and around the world went crazy about it. Eventually, two sequels were made (one for the cinemas), as well as a huge number of products, turning High School Musical into a franchise. The hype that was built around this movie is reminiscent of another (real!) movie musical, released around 30 years ago. Grease is the word, of course.
Grease on Broadway
Grease opened on Broadway in 1972. Although the critics were not too impressed, the witty story of working-class high school kids in the '50s struck a chord with the audience, making Grease a big hit. The story is very typical – boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy regains girl. The boy is Danny Zuko, a member of “the Greasers”, a popular group of boys who are interested in girls and cars. The girl is the moral Sandy Dumbrowski, with whom Danny had a brief relationship the previous summer.
Of course, now that he is back in high school, Danny is way too cool for the likes of Sandy, and he quickly dismisses her, later regretting it. After many twists, including a major makeover, Sandy and Danny reconcile.
Grease the Movie
Of course, it was the movie version that made Grease the smash hit it still is today. The cult film helped shape the careers of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, who played Danny and Sandy respectively. New songs were added for the film, including Grease, You’re the One That I Want and Hopelessly Devoted to You. Ironically, these songs are now better-known than some other ones from the original musical, although the original version featured some other hits, including Greased Lightning, We Go Together, and especially Summer Nights.
Why Grease Is Still the Word
With the second revival of Grease already touring America, it is obvious that this musical is still relevant and popular today. There are many reasons for this. First of all, the main reason why Grease was always loved by teenagers was its frank take on teen life. Rizzo, for example, thinks she is pregnant because she had unprotected sex. She is not described as negative, though – instead, she is given a power ballad There Are Worst Things I Could Do, which instead turns her into a sort of an antihero.
Danny and Sandy have a bumpy relationship, and are willing to sacrifice their identities in order to get the other one to like them. Danny joins the athletic team, while Sandy gets an extreme makeover of sorts, shedding her nun-like persona. Stuff like this happens in real life (you hear that, High School Musical?). Finally, Grease impeccably captures the teenagers’ joie-de-vivre, which is only appropriate, since the whole point of the musical is rebellion against the imposed, laughable values of the parents.
Grown-ups today remember Grease fondly, and teenagers are discovering it for the first time. Obviously, Grease is still the word.
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