'Grease is the Word' Begins on British TV April 7

As previously announced, London will join Broadway in welcoming a revival of Grease.  Grease will begin previews at the West End's Piccadilly Theatre on July 25th and open on August 8th.

Grease will follow Guys and Dolls - which closes on April 14th - into the theatre.

The roles of teen lovebirds Sandy and Danny will be cast through ITV's reality show "Grease is the Word," which will feature '80s pop singer Sinitta, record producer and concert promoter David Gest (also known as the ex-husband of Liza Minnelli), choreographer Brian Friedman and producer David Ian on the judges' panel. 

Ian, who will produce both the Broadway and London Grease revivals, similarly joins Kathleen Marshall and Jim Jacobs on the panel of NBC's "Grease: You're the One That I Want," the show that allows viewers to vote for who will play Sandy and Danny on Broadway.  Presented by Zoe Ball, "Grease is the Word" will premiere in April.  The show will begin on April 7th, running 10 weeks prior to the London Grease revival.

Ian, along with Andrew Lloyd Webber, can be credited with having started the trend of casting through reality show searches.  "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," which they co-produced for the BBC, resulted in the casting of Connie Fisher as the star of Webber's hit London revival of The Sound of Music.  The BBC's "Any Dream Will Do" will similarly find an actor to play Joseph in the West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that Webber will produce.

Grease originated in Chicago and made its premiere at The Kingston Mines Theater in 1971 before making its New York premiere off-Broadway at the Eden Theatre on February 14, 1972.  After 128 performances and much popularity,  the show made the transition to Broadway taking up residence at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 7, 1972.  Grease was nominated for seven Tony Awards in its initial run. 

On November 21, 1972, the show moved to the Royale Theatre.  It closed on Broadway after playing 3,388 performances, closing as the longest running show in Broadway history.  In 1978, Grease became a hugely popular feature film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles.   A Broadway revival opened on May 11, 1994 at the Eugene O'Neil Theatre where it played 1,503 performances and won three Tony Award nominations.  A London revival opened on July 15, 1993 at  the Dominion Theatre and ran for 6 years on London's West End and is still touring today.

Call 0844 412 6666 for more on the London production of Grease.