Grease is still the word! : Inside Sing-a-long-a Grease
This Saturday, November 1, the Schimmel staff will be putting on our leather jackets, rocking out the poodle skirts and applying copious amounts of grease into our hair. We are hoping that you will be joining us, because this time, it is all our turn to become a part of the 1978 movie musical phenomenon, Grease. The folks at Sing-a-long-a, producers of the famous Sound of Music Sing-a-long, have created a special, one of a kind event for fans of the classic film. Fans are encouraged to dress up, dance the hand jive and even sing along to the movies’ rock and roll score. There is even a special, “magic moments fun pack,” free of charge, chock full of interactive props to engage one through the entire film. Word has it, there will be a special guest at the screening to judge the costume contest! In honor of this weekend’s exciting event, I have compiled a list of 10 exciting trivia facts that even hard core Grease fans may not know. Here they are ( in no particular order.)
Olivia Newton John and John Travolta in “Grease” (1978)
1) “May the Grease be with you!”
Word has it that Star Wars’ very own Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher was in original consideration to play the part of Betty Rizzo. There are few worse things you could have done than pass up that role, Ms. Fisher. At least, you will always have Luke and Hans by your side.
2) “Sit on it, Zuko!”
Everyone associates Henry Winkler as the Fonze from Happy Days and for good reason. The decade’s most popular greaser almost took the role of Danny Zuko but changed his mind, deciding he didn’t want to be type cast.
3) “Look at Me, I’m Nostradomus!”
In the original stage play, Rizzo’s song, “Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee,” featured a lyric about 50’s star Sal Mineo. Because of his gruesome, Hollywood murder a year before, the studio asked that the lyric be changed to reflect another star of the period, Elvis Presley. It turns out that they filmed the scene in which the song was sung on August 16, 1977, the very day that the king of Rock and Roll passed away.
4) “Sandra Dee goes down under.”
In the original stage musical, the character of Sandy was an all American girl next door named “Sandy Dumbrowski.” In order to keep with Olivia Newton John’s background, and explain that accent, Sandy became “Sandy Olsen,” an exchange student from Australia.
5) “Not everyone loves Lucy”
Apparently, Lucille Ball’s daughter Lucy Arnez was in final consideration for the role of Betty Rizzo. She was dropped in favor of Stockard Channing after her famous red headed mother made a call to the producers, allegedly saying, “I used to own that studio; my daughter’s not doing a screen test!” (Ball actually owned the studio Desilu which was bought by Paramount).
6) “Rockin’ High”
The name “Rydell High School,” is a reference to 1950’s/60’s teen idol, Bobby Rydell, who famously sung the hit song, “Swingin’ School.”
7) “Cola Classic”
Lead producer, Allan Carr had made a product-placement deal with Coca-Cola© competitor Pepsi©, before filming began. After Carr saw the footage of the “Frosty Palace,” scene prominently featuring Coca-Cola© products and trademarks, he ordered director Randal Kleiser to either reshoot the scene with Pepsi products or remove the Coca-Cola© logos from the scene. Because reshoots were deemed too expensive and time-consuming, optical mattes were used to cover up or blur out the Coca-Cola©, references in post-production. The ‘blurring’ covered up trademarked menu signage and a large wall poster, but a red cooler with the logo could not be sufficiently altered so was left unchanged.
8) “Zip It!”
Due to a zipper breaking, Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into the trousers she wears in the last sequence (the carnival at Rydell).
9) “Toxic Avenger”
In the scene where the cast are near the bridge after the car race, the water on the ground was stagnant and dangerous. Some cast members became ill from filming as the setting was a derelict place full of dirt and rubbish.
10) “Stoop a little lower!”
Jeff Conaway, as Kenicke, (6′ 1½” (1.87 m)) had to walk slightly stooped so that John Travolta, as Danny, (6′ 2″ (1.88 m)) would appear taller.
See You at the Schimmel!
Michael Scott-Torbet
Schimmel Center Blogger
Sin-a-long-a Grease; Saturday, November 1st at 7:30pm;$20; call our box office at (212) 346-1715 or visit https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/938663
