Introducing Danny and Sandy...

So if anyone out there still cares Max and Laura won the roles of Danny and Sandy on tonight’s “Grease: You’re the One That I Want.”

All of the contestants (including Derek) returned to perform in the finale and we finally heard everyone sing numbers from “Grease.” Personally, I think it would have been nice to hear them sing those songs during the competition so we could judge their ability to be Danny and Sandy, but what do I know?

In keeping with the show’s uneven and cheesy production, Austin and Ashley (the losing Danny and Sandy) were forced to perform with Max and Laura just 30 seconds after hearing they lost.

We also met the rest of the Broadway production’s cast, and they pretty much blew away the contestants, including Laura and Max.

But I’m glad I tuned in for those last 10 minutes because the look on David Ian’s face when Billy announced Max as the winner was priceless. Billy pointed out that he said, “Wow,” but I don’t think David meant it in a good way. I think he was genuinely horrified that Austin didn’t win.

Personally, I’m quite thankful. And Austin’s over-the-top performance in the last group number only drove that point home even more…

“Grease” is scheduled to open on Broadway this summer…

"Grease: You're The One That I Want": A Reality Check

So now that Derek is out of the competition and I think it’s safe to say none of us really cares what happens next, I thought it was time for a reality check…

Though the show is doing a good job of hyping things up, the truth is that “Grease: You’re the One That I Want” has been a ratings failure for NBC. After premiering with over 12 million viewers, the show has slipped to just above six million viewers.

NBC didn’t do it any favors scheduling it against the Super Bowl and the Grammys and not giving it very much promotion or an additional results show, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the ratings dropped after the performance shows began. Because although they’ve improved considerably since the show went to an hour, let’s face it. It’s been a bit of a cheesefest.

And here’s a few reasons why…

The hosts. For me, Billy Bush is one of the most annoying people on TV. It’s clear he’s trying to be Ryan Seacrest and he’s failing miserably. And if you choose to have two hosts, then you have to give them both something to do and in trying to give Denise a task, she cut into the panel’s time, which let’s face it, is what we really wanted to hear.

Those nicknames. Were the nicknames supposed to help us remember the contestants better? To me they were just silly. “Hot Danny”? “Small-Town Sandy”? Whatever…

Those matching costumes. Why was it necessary to have them wearing those shirts and skirts with the D? and S? See what I mean about cheesy?

Did I mention Billy Bush?

The music. As Chuck has pointed out in his blog, it’s a little difficult for America to pick Danny and Sandy when they’re not singing Danny and Sandy songs—or even Broadway songs at all. I can’t help but wonder if while trying to be another “American Idol” they may have sacrificed getting the best performers for the Broadway show. Not even the duet songs in the finals were from “Grease.” Why wouldn’t we hear them sing “You’re the One That I Want”?

I also think America was put off when they discovered their choices for elimination wouldn’t be honored. Several weeks the panel saved the person with the lowest number of votes (including Austin last week). I think a lot of people (including me) thought that was unfair.

There’s one more thing about the show. Although the Broadway show sold over $1 million in advance tickets in the first week of the show, sales have been sluggish ever since. And the Broadway show has yet to find a theater.

Now I’m not saying that all of this wasn’t great exposure for the contestants, because I believe it was, but I think it could’ve been even better with a little less cheese…

And A LOT less Billy Bush…

Derek Says Goodbye...

Am I the only one who thinks it's unfair that the only time we got to hear Derek sing a "Grease" song was when he said goodbye?

And ironically, it was the same song Austin and Max sang in their sing-off.

And yes, I think he did a better job than Austin...

For more on Derek's departure, be sure to visit Chuck's "Tri-State Theater" blog by clicking on the link at right...

Derek Goes Home...

It’s been a great ride, but tonight, “Grease: You’re The One That I Want” said goodbye to Derek.

After watching Austin in the recap, I got some serious bad jujus for Derek. It seemed like maybe Austin redeemed himself, even though I still don’t think he’s Danny Zuko.

And I was right as Max and Austin are now in the finals. Who would’ve thought that a month ago?

Kathleen reacted with “wow.” I wonder if she’s second-guessing their save of Austin…

Derek said he was a little surprised, but he handled the goodbye video well, even laughing at his voice crack. I think he knew the minute he heard Austin was in the finals...

Kathleen said she was so sad to see him go, and the only thing that made her feel better was knowing that they would work together in “many, many shows.”

I have no doubt we’ll see him somewhere big very soon…

"Grease: You're The One That I Want" Preview

So tonight’s the night we find out if Derek Keeling makes the finals. And then we get the finals just a few minutes later…

At the beginning of tonight’s episode, one Danny and one Sandy will be eliminated based solely on last week’s votes. There are no more sing-offs or judges’ saves.

Then, the final two will compete and America will vote. The Danny and Sandy with the most votes will be named the winners during next week’s finale.

You may have heard Derek in an interview on WSAZ asking for everyone to vote one last time. The only problem is that Derek will have to survive last week’s vote in order for anyone to be able to vote this week. Think he knows something we don’t or is he just trying to think positive?

“Grease: You’re the One That I Want” airs tonight (Sunday) at 8 on NBC…

Derek Fans: This is the one that counts!

This is the one that counts, folks. You’ve done such a good job, but now you need to vote to get Derek into next week’s finals.

Because if he makes it into that top two, I think he’s got a great shot to win this thing.

In my opinion, Derek’s toughest competition is Max. He’s pretty much come out of nowhere to become the favorite. He’s got a great voice, he’s a good actor, but his look is a little off for me. Maybe it’s because he’s so young.

Austin (who was saved in tonight's sing-off after getting the lowest number of votes) tends to over-perform, which was especially obvious during the two group performances tonight. That tendency makes his Danny not come off as tough as he needs to be. I think Austin is a great performer, he’s just not meant for this role—even though David and Jim both picked him as their favorite tonight (Kathleen picked Max.).

The good news for Derek is that the panel no longer has any say and now it is completely up to you. So, vote, vote, VOTE!

Derek’s number is 1-888-I-VOTE-02. You can vote up to 200 times until 11 p.m. You can also vote online at www.nbc.com/grease up to 10 times per e-mail address (So if you have two e-mail addresses, vote 20 times.) until 4 a.m. Monday.

And in case you’re curious, my favorite Sandy is Laura, followed by Ashley.

Don’t forget that for a director’s perspective, you can visit the Tri-State Theater blog by clicking on the link on the right.

Holy Crap! The Derek Fans Come Through Again

A HUGE congratulations to the Derek fans out there. I said that you needed to put Derek in the top two to keep him in for sure. And that's exactly what you did.

And he was rewarded with the perfect song for him, "The Devil in Disguise," which he nailed.

Thankfully, unlike "American Idol," the show saved the sappy video for after his performance, because seeing his dad say how proud he was made Derek cry.

Kathleen said he had the "true easy-going charm of a Broadway leading man." Her brother, Rob Marshall, the director of "Chicago," said it was "beautiful." Due to time (Rob talked a little too long.), we didn't hear comments from Jim and David.

I've got to believe that it's Austin that will be saved after the sing-off later in the show, but if the panel saves Chad, that could seriously help Derek's chances.

However, Derek may not need any help since it's obvious he has a huge fanbase.

I'll be back with more comments after the show...

Derek Needs You Again!

Unfortunately for the “one that we want,” Derek Keeling, he’s starting to develop a little bit of a reputation as one whose voice cracks under pressure.

And on tonight’s “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” producer David Ian said “it’s a worry now.”

For Derek, it was already a worry as he spent the last week with a vocal therapist who encouraged him to take up swimming and yoga so he wouldn’t have a repeat of the duet performance.

Tonight, he was given the chance to redeem himself with another ballad, Bryan Adams’ “Heaven.” And for the most part he did redeem himself except for one small crack—not as bad as the duet performance, but still noticeable. Jim called it “solid” and Kathleen liked it as well, but David Ian said it was “a bit safe and a bit boring” and he was most concerned about that crack.

The show didn’t really do Derek any favors by making him the only Danny to sing a ballad. The three other contestants gave scorching performances with lots of dancing with the Sandys. Derek was forced to give a restrained, but terribly romantic, performance with Laura.

You managed to keep him out of the bottom two after the duets. If you want to do it again, you need to vote, vote, vote! You can call 1-888-IVOTE-02 up to 200 times until 11 p.m. or you can vote up to 10 times at www.nbc.com/grease until 3 a.m.

But I think in order for Derek to stick around, he will need to be in the top two. Because for the first time, I’m not sure if he could win the sing-off.

For a director’s perspective, be sure to visit the Tri-State Theater blog by clicking on the link on the right…

Way to Go Derek Fans!

All of you Derek supporters out there should give yourselves a big pat on the back…

Even Derek was surprised that he avoided the bottom four this week on “Grease: You’re the One That I Want” after a bad performance during last week’s duet rounds.

Interestingly, his duet partner, Kate, did not get the same pass, as she ended up in the bottom four and was eliminated by the judges. As I said last week, she really didn’t give Derek much help in the chemistry department and clearly, the judges noticed. Serious Sandy was just way too serious.

Kevin, who barely survived elimination last week, was sent home by the judges.

This week, it was all about the Sandys, as they performed songs with the dancing help of the remaining Dannys (The Dannys did not sing.). Next week, the spotlight will be on the Dannys and it will be time to vote once again.

You’re doing a great job so far…

Derek Is the One Andrew Lloyd Webber Wants!

So no matter what happens to Derek Keeling from here on out, he can remember this night for as long as he lives—the night that Andrew Lloyd Webber said he was the best choice to play Danny.

Holy crap!

I had actually already written a post about how I was worried for Derek since I didn’t think he gave the strongest performance, but after hearing those words from Webber (and Kathleen Marshall, the Broadway show’s producer), I threw my draft completely out the window.

For the record, I still don’t think that Derek was the best performance, but I defer to the opinion of the great Lord Webber. And I hope everyone watching will as well.

If you missed it, Derek performed “Footloose” from “Footloose: The Musical.” It was a performance that played to his strengths—his dancing and his showmanship. And let’s just face it. He totally looks the part.

But with this strange sing-off twist where the two people America eliminated got to stay, anything can happen. So Derek will need all of the votes he can get.

To vote for Derek, you can go online at www.nbc.com/grease and vote up to 10 times per e-mail address until 3 a.m. Monday. You can also vote by phone at 1-888-IVOTE-03 up to 200 times until 11 p.m. Sunday.

We’ll get the results next Sunday at 7 p.m…

And if you want the opinion of Huntington's version of Lord Webber, just visit the Tri-State Theater blog by clicking on the link on the right...

Attention Derek Fans: You Must Vote Again!

So if Derek Keeling is “the one that you want,” you will need to vote again, thanks to NBC’s crazy scheduling.

Although there was no mention of it Sunday night (that I saw), NBC is allowing a second chance to vote this Sunday during its repeat of last Sunday’s "Grease" performance show. Because it’s not been well promoted, someone could get messed over by this second week, so Derek fans need to vote this Sunday (February 4th) as well to make sure it’s not him.

You can vote online at http://www.nbc.com/grease from 10:55 p.m. to 5 a.m. (ET), but you can only vote 10 times per e-mail address. You can vote by phone from 10:55 p.m. to 1 a.m. (ET) a total of 200 times. Derek’s number is 1-888-I-VOTE-01.

We will finally get the results Sunday, February 11th…

How Did Derek Do?

Because I was watching the SAG Awards (and my paltry 2 out of 8 correct predictions), I only caught some of “Grease: You’re the One That I Want.” But I did catch Derek Keeling’s performance, and based on the recap, I thought he did quite well.

Among the judges, only David Ian, “the most powerful person in British theater,” chose Derek as the best Danny. Kathleen Marshall, the new Broadway show’s producer, chose Austin, Jim Jacobs, the co-creator of “Grease,” chose Chad and Olivia Newton-John abstained from choosing.

For me (and again, this is just based on the recap), Derek’s biggest competition last night was Kevin—but that’s probably just because he did “Walking In Memphis” and I love that song. Chad sounded good, but he didn’t appear to have that much stage presence. Jason and Max were totally unmemorable and Matt had the complete wrong look. As for Austin, the “hot” Danny (whose performance I did see), running up and down stairs is not stage presence. And he missed every single high note he attempted on “Mony, Mony.”

Derek wisely chose “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” a song that would allow him to show off his moves—and he definitely has them. He may not have the strongest voice of the six Dannys, but he’s got the perfect voice for the “Grease” songbook and he totally looks the part.

I don’t think Derek is in any danger of getting eliminated, but we “Idol” fans know how much of a curse going first can sometimes be…

And there’s one other problem. Because some dumb programmer at NBC started the voting part of the show the week before the Super Bowl, as they told us last night, it will be two weeks before we get another new episode. But what they didn’t tell us is that according to the NBC website—which has not been updated to include what happened on last night’s show—viewers will have another chance to vote on last night’s performances next week. NBC is re-airing the past three episodes next Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. Last night’s episode will air at 10 p.m., with voting re-opening between 10:55 p.m. and 5 a.m.

I will make sure and keep you posted on those developments, so all of you Derek fans can vote!

Whatever happens, Derek is sure to get excellent exposure as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber will sit in on the next judge’s panel.

By the way, if you want a theater person's point of view on Derek's run, be sure to visit Chuck Minsker's "Tri-State Theater" blog...

Photo courtesy of NBC.