You're the One that I Want: Grease Sing-a-Long

My roommate and I planned to go to the Grease sing-a-long on Saturday night. Well- Friday early afternoon, we discovered the sing-a-long was actually Friday night! After a bit of rearranging plans, we were both able to meet up with her friends of the family at the Hollywood Bowl. I had never been to the Hollywood Bowl and was excited to check it out. It is an iconic venue for concerts and other productions. Set off Highland Avenue north of Hollywood Boulevard in the hills. The outside amphitheater is carved into the side a canyon, making for a stunning venue. 

We arrived early to watch the pre-show entertainment. A surprise to us, Frenchie from the original film was hosting. While she might have aged, her voice is absolutely identical. Upon enterting we were given a bag full of props to help us participate during the film. Frenchie instructed us when and how to use all the props, and then it was time for the “costume parade.” In reality, people got to show off their costumes on stage with Frenchie. Sandies, Dannys, Pink Ladies, T Birds flocked to the stage to show off their outfits. Some of the funniest/cutest were groups of kids. Two groups combined individual costumes to create a phrase associated with the movie. For example, “Rock n’ Roll” paired a rock, and symbol and roll of toilet paper. Another a tube of grease and a lightening bolt formed “Grease Lightening.” Ok, you get the idea, and yes I did dress up too. This went on for at least an hour before the sun started to set, and the screen lit up. From the events title, I knew there would be singing involved, but I figured the words would only scroll along the bottom of the screen. Instead the words provided an extra amount of entertainment with hilarious graphics and cartoons. Not far into the film, it was time to use our first prop during the bonfire rally. During the Rydell High fight song, everyone pulled out their red and white pom pom and chanted along. The best prop was definitely the bubbles for the beauty school dropout dream sequence. Seeing millions of bubbles float into the sky and across the screen was absolutely amazing. I was most excited about the tiny comb prop because mine actually had an unfortunate encounter with my flatiron and lost.

 

The night turned out to be a successful experience. We sang. We laughed. We enjoyed a classic in a breathtaking setting. I can’t wait to go to other productions at the Hollywood Bowl, but next time I am definitely bring my own wine!