The former 'High School Musical' star will tackle the role of Rizzo, and the 'Rock of Ages' actress will play Sandy in the Marc Platt production.
- Jan 18, 2015
AceShowbiz - The first cast members of FOX's "Grease Live" are announced. Former "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens and "Dancing with the Stars" judge Julianne Hough are tapped for the TV live staging of the classic musical of the same name.
Hudgens who will make her Broadway debut with "Gigi" this year is expected to take on the role of Rizzo, played by Stockard Channing in the big-screen adaptation. Meanwhile, "Rock of Ages" actress Hough will portray Sandy made famous by Olivia Newton-John in the film.
"Being Rizzo is something I've never imagined, and I love that because it will be a new challenge. She is such an iconic character that continues to transcend generations. I cannot wait to bring her to life on live television. I'm going to be a Pink Lady!" Hudgens said.
"Grease is one of the movies that made me want to be an entertainer, and I have literally been waiting my whole life to play Sandy," Hough said. "My siblings and I watched it and played it out over and over when we were kids. This is my dream role and performing it live on television will be one of the most thrilling opportunities I've had in my career so far."
"Grease is one of the most treasured and favored pop culture phenomenons of our time," executive producer Marc Platt gushed. "It's fun, it's endearing and we are so excited to reimagine this iconic story with a shared entertainment event suited for today's audience."
No star is cast for Danny Zuko, popularized by John Travolta, but Hudgens' former co-star Zac Efron was open to tackling the iconic role. "That's an honor. Those are big shoes to fill. I think I came as close to it as you could in High School Musical," he previously told E! News. "To actually do that? Yeah, those are big shoes."
The production was originally planned for summer 2015, but now it's scheduled for January 31, 2016. According to Entertainment Weekly, the long search to find the right actor for the male lead reportedly caused the delay.
One day before "Grease" cast were revealed, NBC hinted at their next live musical after the Carrie Underwood-starring "The Sound of Music Live!" in 2013 and the Allison Williams-led "Peter Pan Live!" in 2014. "We are looking very seriously at some casting options," Robert Greenblatt said at the TCA on Friday. "We just optioned the rights for 'The Wiz'. That could be what we do instead. It will either be 'The Music Man' or 'The Wiz'."
