What’s a guy to do on a summer Saturday Night in Las Vegas? Drag his middle-aged parents and younger siblings to see the Grease Sing-A-Long, of course. It didn’t take much convincing because Mom and Dad were way too eager to point out that Glee and High School Musical are mere Grease spawn. As for me, I sacrificed my Saturday night for the sake of The Boiling Point.
The Grease Sing-Along was not disappointing, although it wasn’t electrifying either. I was in a perpetual state of joy, but with a heightened sense, that even Hollywood is feeling the recession pinch. It’s merely a repackaged version of the original film, the only differences being the addition of graphics and lyrics, and the fact that the soundtrack was laced with background singers. Granted, this version left out the obligatory bouncing ball that hops atop the word to be sung. But does the fact that Paramount executives hired some graphics designer to add words on a screen, in a font that can be downloaded for free, really warrant praise?
Also, I resented the Sing-Along almost immediately simply because it was in such limited release. Meant as a cultural event for teens, it was played in selected movie theaters across the United States, as well as in Canada. It was originally slated for a single weekend release in Los Angeles between July 9th and 12th, though it was replayed in venues where demand was high.
So here’s the low-down on Grease. To me, Grease has always been a movie about romance. Not a cross-clique romance between a bad boy and a sweet girl, but an infatuation with a Great American era. Americans are “hopelessly devoted” to the mystique of the ‘50s. Postwar America was powerful, buoyant, and on the verge of the cultural revolution of the ‘60s. American culture was created and exported by Hollywood during the ‘50s. It’s no wonder that Grease is such a hit, even generations later.
Surprisingly, the crowd was not decked out in poodle skirts and no one had greased-back hair. Yet everyone was really pumped to see the show. Even my Dad, who cannot be bothered to enjoy anything enjoyable to common folk like me, tapped along to “You’re the One That I Want”. He also offered his professional opinion that a teenage boy could not possible impregnate anyone Rizzo’s age. (Stockard Channing was 34 when Grease was filmed. Luckily the entire audience, including the tone deaf, sang along with Danny and Sandy, and barely heard my mother’s response.
The seriously inconsequential differences, between Grease and its re-release as the Great Grease Sing-Along, brings me back to my original point. Grease was great but the Sing-A-Long wasn’t better. The Grease Sing-Along is a brilliant idea because it’s a win/win for the audience and the studio. Moviegoers know they are paying to re-experience a movie they’ve already seen and loved while the Hollywood suits have maximized profits by minimizing costs in this Karaoke version of an original moneymaker.
But being artistically and creatively irrelevant doesn’t mean that this kind of event isn’t fun. I may not give The Grease Sing-Along the highbrow nod, but there’s no denying that it’s made the Grease soundtrack a part of this generation’s iTunes library. Middle-aged Grease fans can prompt their cranial musical libraries and sing along to the soundtrack with us — a whole new generation of fans!
Film history will always have a place for Grease. With its unabashed celebration of California culture, young love, and of course the ‘50s, it’s no wonder that Grease in any form continues to guarantee box office success even during a recession. The Sing-Along was a mere “summer fling that don’t mean a thing” — unless you tap into that special energy of a communal experience that is nothing short of “Greased Lightning!”
