Jim Jacobs mentions they're looking for a Sandy and Danny combination with chemistry. Mmm, I love me some onstage chemistry. Last year's Pajama Game, as directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, really benefited from great chemistry between its leads. Despite the fact that Harry Connick, Jr. has the acting talents of a log of wood, seeing him onstage opposite Kelli O'Hara was just so sexy. Plus there was Harry Connick Jr.'s naked, beefy torso. Mmmm, beef and torso.
Aaaanyways… back to Grease… We're now treated to the Sandy's in dance class. Ashley Spencer fills us in on her classical ballet dance training. She's a teacher's pet and demonstrates some steps to 19-year-old untrained "actress" Jacqueline Petzel, who's clearly not moving on to the final 12, since this is the last we see of her this episode.
We switch back to the boys, now in singing rehearsal, and… it is not in tune. The boy who got dumped after the auditions in New York is particularly not on pitch, but he's certainly not the only one. Jim Jacob's says he's worried, no one's jumping out as the next Elvis. Um, he does know he's casting Grease and not Bye, Bye, Birdie, right?
The next day we pick up with David Ian, back from some urgent budget meetings (yeah, that's seriously what they told us), having a private singing session with Ashley Anderson, or as I like to call her, The Choker. Which is exactly what she proceeds to do, cracking on the same note she did in her original auditions. Then she breaks down crying and can't continue. Aaah, there's the crazy aspiring actress I was expecting to see more of: Over-dramatic, screaming for attention, and not quite as talented as she thinks she is.
I'd totally can her ass right now, but David Ian is more forgiving, telling her to go outside and collect herself before coming back inside and singing it right. In an interview where she's STILL crying she says she doesn't want to go back to New York and wait tables, she wants to be an actress – so bad! Ah, The Cliché! How surprised I am that I haven't seen more of you.
Speaking of crushed dreams, here's a group of three potential Danny's, now friends and dubbed "The Trio." They met at the original auditions in LA and are now best buds – just like the T-Birds! They know it's a contest, and all three comment on the fact that every day the competition gets more fierce. Oh no, will their friendship be torn asunder by the RUTHLESSNESS of SHOW BUSINESS?
Kathleen Marshall interviews that taking a completely untrained person and getting them ready to perform on Broadway 8 nights a week and not embarrass both themselves and her is a very tall order. Which is why they're clearly not going to cast someone untrained, just unknown . For example Austin Miller. He must have an Equity (the actors' union) card if he was on tour with Hairspray so it's not that they're necessarily looking with absolutely no experience.
This does not bode well for Matt Nolan, the soccer-playing, 1950's loving jock from Long Island we met in the first round of auditions. He's a 22-year-old sports marketing executive that's exactly like every guy I've ever met any Murray Hill bar. He also cannot sing in tune. They commented on the fact that he had no training in his original audition, but passed him on to see how he'd do with a little training. Can you teach intonation?
David Ian stops him during their one-on-one session and tells him, basically, to stop sucking, and that he's coming across "nervous" and "green" when he should come across as a "rock star" and "sex on legs." Um, gross. What would that even look like? Now I can't stop trying to figure it out. David Ian gives Matt a little lesson on what cool is, and then tells him to go get into his leader-of-the-pack character in the corner, and come back and sing it and let go. Matt comes back with more attitude which genuinely makes his performance 100 times better, but he's still not singing in tune. Matt feels good about it, though, and that counts for, well, nothing really.
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Comments (9)
Too bad the 42-year-old Danny that looked like Joe Namath and the 17-year-old white trash Sandy both got the boot this week. I was hoping there would be some chemistry between them on stage.
1 of 9 | Posted by Foxbase Alpha
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Posted on January 24, 2007 1:18 PM
Foxbase, they might have made a great pair if you were going to stage "Long Island Lolita - The Musical" with them starring as Joey Buttafuoco and Amy Fisher. Hey, wait. That would be a friggin awesome musical! Anyone else that would pay to see that?
2 of 9 | Posted by JasonR
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Posted on January 24, 2007 1:58 PM
I'd pay to see that JasonR before going to see this tourist dreck.
I hope America does vote for the worst talent, and the broadway show tanks, miserably.
Am I the only one that hates Billy Bush?
KH
3 of 9 | Posted by KatiesHole
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Posted on January 24, 2007 3:59 PM
No KatiesHole. You're not.
4 of 9 | Posted by EdHill
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Posted on January 25, 2007 8:53 AM
Casting and rehearsing for a Broadway musical is more suited to cable (Encore, VH1).
Why would anyone care about these wannabe actors and the whole process?
5 of 9 | Posted by soflat
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Posted on January 25, 2007 9:09 AM
As much as I wish I could love this show, as anything having to do with musical theatre on network television should be extremely exciting--this sucks. And the talent pool sucks. They should've stuck with Hillary Duff.
Hey--if they really went to the Idina school of singing, their belting might carry some weight...
6 of 9 | Posted by aclikeslater
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Posted on January 25, 2007 10:00 AM
Guest Columnist, which Spring Awakening song is your ringtone? From one theatre geek to another...:)
As long as they don't go with Austin (too gay and boy-bandy) and Juliana (whom I just loathe), I think that there are good Sandys and Dannys to be found in the bunch. My personal favorites so far: Chad and Ashley (good True Colors Ashley).
7 of 9 | Posted by maybeimamazed02
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Posted on January 26, 2007 9:30 AM
maybeimamazed, I've got "My Junk" as my main ring, and "Mama Who Bore Me" when family calls. Freaking love that show and getting seats onstage for the day after the Tony's...
8 of 9 | Posted by kmills
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Posted on January 26, 2007 12:02 PM
kmills, NICE!
"My Junk," "The Dark I Know Well," and especially "The Bitch of Living" are my favorites.
I too am craving onstage seats...what a great show! Maybe it's just me, but it's refreshing to hear female voices that don't sound like every other poppy belty Idina wannabe out there.
9 of 9 | Posted by maybeimamazed02
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Posted on January 26, 2007 3:26 PM