Grease or HSM? Grease takes the crown
By Felicia Pinkney Star-Telegram Staff Writer
We were never ones to instigate fights at school, but this is one rumble that would make even Don King’s hair stand on end: In one corner of the lunchroom, we have the undisputed champion of high school musical-motion pictures since 1978, Paramount Pictures’ Grease. And in the other corner, next to the vending machines, is Disney’s High School Musical, this year’s tween sensation.
The two movies couldn’t be any more different, yet they are, in many ways, one and the same. In fact, one couldn’t exist without the other according to imdb.com, the working title of High School Musical was once Grease 3.
The concert tour of High School Musical stops in Dallas on Sunday, and that got us to thinking: Which movie best represents the land of lockers, peer pressure and teen angst? Which has the most memorable songs? And which could we watch a gazillion times without getting tired of it?
Here’s our tale of the tape, with the winners of each category and our prediction for overall champion.
In the words of Leo, a member of the Scorpions gang, from Grease: “The rules are… there ain’t no rules.” Now, let’s rumble.
GREASE
AGE: The musical itself is 34, and the movie’s 28; it debuted on Broadway Feb. 14, 1972 and in theaters June 16, 1978
PLOT: Good girl Sandy and bad boy Danny fall in love over the summer. Can Danny keep his “rep” intact and his love for Sandy after they end up at the same high school? Set in the ’50s, Grease is all about fast cars and back-seat foolin’ around with lots of song and dance thrown in.
THE PLAYERS: Danny (John Travolta); Sandy (Olivia Newton-John); Kenickie (Jeff Conaway); Rizzo (Stockard Channing); “Crater Face” (Dennis C. Stewart); Cha Cha (Annette Charles)
THE CLIQUES: The T-Birds: the Pink Ladies; the Scorpions, the jocks
THE SCHOOL, ITS COLORS & MASCOT: Rydell High; red and white, no known mascot.
ADMINISTRATOR YOU LOVE TO HATE: Principal McGee (Eve Arden)
THE SONGS: You’re the One That I Want; Beauty School Dropout: Grease, We Go Together
AWARDS/STATS: Nominated for an Oscar in 1979 for Best Original Song for Hopelessly Devoted To You, won a People’s Choice Award in 1979 for favorite musical motion picture.
SPINOFFS: Grease 2, and, um, High School Musical. A reality TV show called You’re the One That I Want, which attempts to cast the lead roles for the Broadway revival of Grease, debuts Jan. 7 on NBC.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
AGE: Nearly 11 months; it debuted on the Disney Channel Jan. 20, 2006
PLOT: Basketball star Troy and shy, smart Gabriella meet over a holiday break and discover that they both love to sing. They wind up at the same high school and audition for roles in the school musical, much to the dismay of their friends. Set in modern times, HSM is squeaky clean and about going after your dreams with lots of song and dance thrown in
THE PLAYERS: Troy (Zac Efron); Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), both at right; Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale); Ryan (Lucas Grabeel); Chad (Corbin Bleu); Taylor (Monique Coleman)
THE CLIQUES: The jocks, the brainiacs: the skater dudes
THE SCHOOL, ITS COLORS & MASCOT: East High red and white: Wildcats, Theater teacher Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed)
ADMINISTRATOR YOU LOVE TO HATE: Theater teacher Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed)
THE SONGS: Breaking Free, Get’cha Head in the Game, Stick To the Status Quo, We’re All in This Together
AWARDS/STATS: Emmy Awards in 2006 for outstanding children’s program and outstanding choreography: triple-platinum-selling soundtrack was the first-ever TV movie soundtrack to make it to No.1 on Billboard’s Top 200.
SPINOFFS: The sequel is due to be released in 2007. There’s also the High School Musical Dance Along and the HSM pop-up version (remember Pop-Up Video?).
AND THE WINNER IS...
AGE: Hard to say, youth is often an asset in most fights, but rookies are also prone to more mistakes. How else do you explain Grease 2?
PLOT: You make your own call here.
THE PLAYERS: Travolta has the best moves, but Hudgens gets our vote for best good girl because she proves that girls can be both beautiful and smart. As for bad girls, Rizzo and Sharpay are running neck-and-neck.
THE CLIQUES: No contest: The Pink Ladies rocked; all the girls wanted one of those pink jackets.
THE SCHOOL, ITS COLORS & MASCOT: Gotta go with old Rydell High: East High sounds a little too generic.
ADMINISTRATOR YOU LOVE TO HATE: We love the way Ms. Darbus says “theatuh,” but Principal McGee rocks because it’s fun just watching her cringe, especially during the Blue “Moon” at the dance-off.
THE SONGS: We Go Together, because it’s fun to sing “rama lama lama/ke-dinga de-ding-a-dong” and “shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom-de-boom.” However, Get’cha Head in the Game was tough to avoid, mainly because it has a catchy beat and there are, like, 56 versions of it, including a hip-hop version, a karaoke version and a ringtone.
AWARDS/STATS: Unanimously High School Musical.
SPINOFFS: We’ll make that determination after HSM 2 comes out.
Program note: Zac Efron (Troy” from the High School Musical movie) is filming the musical motion picture Hairspray and will not be a part of this concert tour; in his place will be Emmy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Drew Seeley, who co-wrote the hit Get’cha Head in the Game and contributed male vocals to the High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtracks.