NESP Forum

I was checking out this website, Internet Broadway DataBase and was looking at the page for "Grease"...

I am impressed to see how many now-famous people who had roles in the show from its beginning on Broadway, which originally played from 2/14/72 through 4/13/80, and was performed at 4 different theaters...

The following people were in the ORIGINAL show:
Alan Paul (Johnny Casino/Teen Angel): original member of the "Manhattan Transfer";

Adrienne Barbeau (Rizzo): "Creepshow";

Barry Bostwick (Danny Zuko): "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as Brad Majors;
"Spin City" as "Mayor Randall M. Winston Jr.";

Jeff Conaway (Understudy for all male roles): "Grease" [the Movie] as Kenickie; "Taxi" [the TV Series] as "Bobby Wheeler";

The following people were REPLACEMENTS throughout the show's 8 year run:

Peter Gallagher (Danny Zuko): "While You Were Sleeping;" "American Beauty;" "Center Stage;" "The O.C."

Richard Gere (Danny Zuko); Original London Cast;
"Pretty Woman;" "An Officer and a Gentleman;" "Runaway Bride;" "American Gigolo;" "Chicago"

Marilu Henner (Marty); "Taxi" as Elaine O'Connor-Nardo; "Johnny Dangerously";

Patrick Swayze (Danny Zuko); "Dirty Dancing"; "Ghost";

John Travolta (Doody); "Grease;" "Saturday Night Fever;" "Staying Alive;" "Pulp Fiction;" "Michael;" "Hairspray";

Treat Williams (Danny Zuko); "Hair" "1941" "Everwood";

Adrien Zmed (Danny Zuko); "T.J. Hooker"...

These are people who were in the REVIVAL during its run in the 1990s, from 4/23/94 through 1/25/98:

Ricky Paull Goldin (Danny Zuko); "Guiding Light;" "All My Children"

Rosie O'Donnell (Rizzo); "A League of Their Own;" "Sleepless in Seattle;" "The Flinstones;" "The Rosie O'Donnell Show;" "The View"

Try to do something when you are in a rush, it all goes down the tubes, and because of that, I forgot a few people...

Such as:
Linda Blair (Rizzo) - "The Exorcist;"
Debbie Boone (Rizzo) - Singer of "You Light Up My Life;"
Chubby Checker (Teen Angel) - Singer of "The Twist;"
Mary Bond Davis (Teen Angel) - "Coming To America;" "The Preacher's Wife"
Dominique Dawes (Patty Simcox) - US Olympic Gymnast;
Mickey Dolenz (Vince Fontaine) - one of "The Monkees;"
Joely Fisher (Rizzo) - Connie Stevens/Eddie Fisher's daughter & Carrie Fisher's half-sister;
Deborah Gibson (Rizzo) - '80s Pop Singer;
Dody Goodman (Miss Lynch) {RIP!} "Grease;" "Grease 2;" "Splash;" "Max Dugan Returns;"
Jasmine Guy (Rizzo) - "A Different World;"
Al Jarreau (Teen Angel) - Jazz Singer;
Lucy Lawless (Rizzo) - "Xena Warrior Princess;" "Battlestar Galactica;"
Maureen McCormick (Rizzo) - "Brady Bunch (Marcia);
Megan Mullally (Marty) - "Will & Grace" "Young Frankenstein on Broadway;"
Mackenzie Phillips (Rizzo) - "One Day at a Time;"
Joe Piscopo (Vince Fontaine) - Comedian; Actor; "Johnny Dangerously;"
Billy Porter (Teen Angel); http://newenglandsoulpatrol.org/mybb/sho...329&page=7 http://www.box.net/encoded/15286187/1591...5bd57e41f8
Jon Secada (Danny Zuko) - Latin Singer;
Brooke Shields (Rizzo) - "The Blue Lagoon;" "Suddenly Susan;" "Pretty Baby;"
Sally Struthers (Miss Lynch) - "All in the Family;" and last but not least,
Jody Watley (Rizzo) - R&B/Soul Singer...

Cool stuff Gretchen! It's pretty funny looking at the sheer variety of
actresses that have played Rizzo. Some of them are hard to imagine
in that role (Debbie Gibson?! Linda Blair?). It would be cool to see
if their performances are somewhere on YouTube

Once again, Taylor is in very good company!!

Lucy Lawless as Rizzo surprises me a little. I know the girl can sing, but still...the image is a little funny.

Debbie/Deborah Gibson is someone I can totally see on Broadway...
"Belle" in "Beauty and the Beast" http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eNt6idXFUJE

"Louise/Gypsy Rose Lee" in "Gypsy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCtX6nnbdAA

"Sally Bowles" in "Cabaret" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIR18eKr1qc
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Lucy Lawless, I think I can see her...
I am sure that I saw the ads in the New York Times featuring her...
Here is her singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - interesting outfit! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyERUO9dyxs

Lucy singing Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMKINNmGzcE

Lucy singing "Greased Lightning" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDzYfQOg_ww
**********************

Megan Mullally: "Take a Little Piece of My Heart" from the TV show "China Beach" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vjeImFefJ4

Megan with MEAT LOAF singing "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" on her Talk Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfYNkK4TXjw

Megan singing Reba McEntire's "Fancy" on 'Ellen' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROmXZxkxcJY

Megan on the 2008 Tony Awards for "Young Frankenstein" as 'Elizabeth' (RIP Madeline Kahn) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zRSu9Jzr4
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But I would have to say that it is LINDA BLAIR that majorly makes me pause, in regards to her singing...
Fortunately, due to the many wonders that YouTube is, here is a video of her singing "It's Too Late" (originally by Carole King) in the TV movie, "Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975) (TV)" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073659/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b36iarxgv9o

Joely Fischer and I were members of the 1989 graduating class of Emerson College. She was a musical theater major.

Honestly, she wasnt that talented and she couldnt sing (that well).

She was able to make it in Hollywood because of who her parents are--Connie Stevens and Eddie Fischer.

Her sister, Tricia, was and IS waayyy more talented and prettier than Joely, but she took a backseat to Joely. I think Connie saw herself in Joely (ya know, the blond hair, etc). I always felt bad for Tricia. She had the goods.

Interesting, and yes it matters who your parents are, and who you know.
And their half-sister is Carrie Fisher, daughter of Eddie and Debbie Reynolds. These days Carrie looks like Princess Leia's grandmother

Just say this together - (I'm such a dork)

Tricia Fisher.

I do happen to be a fan of Joely's though. I think she's quite funny.

I did it, Amy! At first I read what was written and I was like, "So?" and then I said it out loud and started laughing. David thought I was nuts!

I think Joely learned to capitalize on her humorous side. When she was at Emerson she so wanted to be a serious actress and she had her sights set on BWay for a long time. Perhaps she decided to take a look at her life and became funny because she has proved to be a great success on sitcoms.

I know she wanted more, not just TV or the BWay stage, but to be a big name star like Julia Roberts.

I think she's married now with at least one child, a little girl.

During Parent's Wknd in my sophomore year, Connie was a fall down drunk. She was so sloshed that she bumped into my sister and spilled her drink all over herself. Instead of apologizing, she asked the waiter for another one. She was such an embarrassment and I felt bad for Tricia and Joely.