Okay, I'll admit it. I've been watching the reality show "Grease -- You're the One That I Want" every week, and even voting online (for Derek of course!). And it was fun watching Andrew Lloyd Webber's reactions when he heard his songs belted by the aspiring Sandys. But really, it's my kids who are hooked on the show. And after all, Desperate Housewives is on right after...

But I also have to admit that what I enjoy even more is reading Seth Rudetsky's recap every week on Playbill! It is laugh-out-loud funny!

Here are some excerpts from his Feb 21 article "Is GREASE the word?" on Playbill:

"The show opened with a group version of "Born to Hand Jive." Each Danny and Sandy got his or her own chance to shine, and it was fascinating watching them not only try to oversell their individual solos but also show their acting chops with phrases like "I could barely walk when I milked a cow" and "the be-bop stork was about to arrive, Mama gave birth to the Hand Jive." I haven't seen such subtextual work since the Tony Awards had actors read signature lines from 50 years of Best Plays, and Bea Arthur turned to camera one and said, with no lead in whatsoever, "Attention . . . attention must be paid!" I've heard of doing 16 bars, but never from a play."

"Even though this is a Broadway reality show, all the duets were pop songs. Bring on the show tunes! Where was "If Mama was Married?" "All For the Best?" "Loathing"?

"The contestants also turned standard solo songs into duets, aka Kevin and Kathleen singing Melissa Etheridge's "Something to Talk About." Afterwards Kathleen Marshall told Kathleen the contestant that she wanted to see "more of the girl, less of the woman," a note that was once, unfortunately, given to me."

Too funny. But I do have to point out a mistake in this article -- Canuck Shirley Eikhard wrote "Something to Talk About", and Bonnie Raitt sang the most well-known version of that song, I believe. I'm not sure what connection Melissa Etheridge has to do with that song.

I still can't wait to read next week's recap!

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