MovieChat Forums > Grease Live! (2016) Discussion > Bad choice for Frenchie's song

Bad choice for Frenchie's song

posted 8 years ago by dmnemaine
12 replies | jump to latest

First of all, this is supposed to be 1959, and the score of Grease is a pastiche of the pop music of the era. Frenchie's solo number was way too 21st Century pop, and stood out like a sore thumb. Secondly, it wasn't a very good song. All it seemed to do was endlessly repeat the hook line "All I need is an angel" ad nauseum. Seems to me that the songwriter(s) could have come up with something more in keeping with the rest of the score, and put at least a little effort into writing a halfway decent number. In my opinion, if I had to choose between this song and not having Frenchie sing as per the original, I'd choose the latter.

[–] peacefulwarrioress 8 years ago

I thought the song sounded like modern cheesy pop too. It sounded like a reject song from Frozen.

[–] dmnemaine 8 years ago

To be honest, I was disappointed that they decided to basically do a reboot of the film version instead of going with the stage version. The 1978 movie took what is meant to be an ensemble show and made it into "The John Travolta And Olivia Newton-John Show". In my opinion, the stage version is much better than the film.

[–] peacefulwarrioress 8 years ago

Well the film version is the most popular and that's what people want to see. I didn't even know there was an original stage version.

[–] dmnemaine 8 years ago

Yeah, I know why Fox did what they did.

[–] NotAmyMerrick 8 years ago

I thought they did a good job of amalgamating what younger people know as Grease from the movie with the original stageplay, not an easy feat considering even the later revisions of the stage play are more movie like.

It's not perfect by any means, I'd have liked Putzi and Jans song to have been in it, but as far as i recall that and the terrible "High school hop" were the only things missing, Freddy and These magic changes were both placed back in as well as the three movie songs.

[–] SilverCreedWolf 8 years ago

If you want to read a very condensed synopsis of the stage version's story line and thereby see just how much was changed to make the 1978 movie, I typed it up in another thread. Link below:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4366830/board/thread/253556820?d=253844275#253844275

https://www.facebook.com/JoeTyriaOfficialFanPage

[–] bedrock1960 8 years ago

The stage version was one of the longest running productions in Broadway history. And you were saying....?

[–] ttrek-1 8 years ago

Mostly because everyone likes the movie.

[–] zigfried-2 7 years ago

Well the film version is the most popular and that's what people want to see. I didn't even know there was an original stage version.

You do realize that the original Broadway production of GREASE became the longest running Broadway show ever in 1979? It was eventually passed by A CHORUS LINE, CATS, LES MIZ and PHANTOM, but at one point GREASE held the record.

[–] VinnieRattolle 8 years ago

I didn't mind "All I Need Is An Angel" at all. "Beauty School Drop Out," on the other hand, was dreadful. She wants "an" angel, and suddenly she has a whole gaggle of them singing badly. I dunno how the hell Boyz 2 Men wound up in this, but it was a truly bizarre casting decision. Weirdly, the soundtrack cut of "Beauty School" is okay, but their live performance was awful.

[–] matthieus2 8 years ago

I too thought All I Need is An Angel seemed an odd choice.

I suppose it's weird seeing an adaption of Grease with a new song all these years later.
I personally don't think it's a bad song, but it sounds more like a Disney song than anything else.

[–] PopSixSquish 7 years ago

I loved the entire performance, but the main highlight for me was Carly Rae as Frenchy! I thought she looked wonderful, acted and sang the part very well, and of course, finally got the solo Frenchy's always deserved. (Sure, I'd love it if each Pink Lady could have one, but that might be pushing it a tad. Frenchy and Rizzo have always been my very favorite characters.) Her scene with Didi Conn on that awesome diner set was just brilliant, and I fell in love with her song right away. I've been way, way, way less impressed with new songs inserted into musicals.