Grease Is The Word

[Footie_Chick]

ITV is to launch a new reality TV show to find stars for a London revival of classic musical Grease.

Grease Is The Word is hoping to re-create the success of the BBC's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, which launched the career of Connie Fisher, who is currently starring in the London revival of The Sound Of Music.

Thousands of West End wannabes are expected to apply for the chance to become the new John Travolta and Olivia Newton John on the London stage.

Hopefuls who make it through the initial auditions will be sent to a three-day boot camp. Just eight couples will then be chosen for the live TV show, and the winning pair will make their West End debut in July.

The judging panel will comprise I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Outta Here! star David Gest, West End star Sinitta, theatre producer David Ian and American choreographer Brian Friedman.

Zoe Ball, who will co-present the show, said: "I remember seeing Grease for the first time when I was seven years old and I loved it. I learned all the songs by heart and I just wanted to be one of the pink ladies at Rydell High."

Grease Is The Word starts in April.

[Luna]

Sounds good i loved maria this should be even better with the catchy songs

[Trinity]

I loved Maria too.

I queued for 5 hours TWICE to see Grease at the pictures in Paisley when I was 14.

I would have loved to have been a pink lady!

Now the only part I could audition for would be the dried up old school secretary...

[Footie_Chick]

It's a redo though isn't it, what i mean is that it has already had a shoe production. I went in January 2004 to see it at Manchester Palace Theatre, it had Johnathan Wilks (Robbie's best mate) as Danny and Hayley Evert (Came 5th in Pop Idol) as Hayley. It was amazin then, so i think it will be agood idea to have it shown again and that we get an input into selecting the cast.

[LostVoodoo]

god, how are ITV allowed to blatantly rip off so many of the BBC's programmes like this?

although what made me laugh my socks off was that apparently Simon Cowell bough the performing rights to Grease the original PLAY, not knowing that You're The One That I Want and Hopelessly Devoted are actually only in the FILM and he had to fork out shedloads more to pay for them too

[Jojo]

I would love for some excellent dramas to be shown, rather than this constant stream of reality programmes. As much as I love Grease, we have so many X Factor, Fame Academy, Maria etc and now this that I would just like to sit and watch a decent drama rather than watching judges ripping shreds out of people desperate to make it into this business.

[Katy]

I bet this is at the same time as Any Dream will do, BBCs search for Joseph. Its all getting a tad samey if im honest.

[Siobhan]

I loved Maria too.

I queued for 5 hours TWICE to see Grease at the pictures in Paisley when I was 14.

I would have loved to have been a pink lady!

Now the only part I could audition for would be the dried up old school secretary...

hehe I could play the part of the diner woman!! don't think Pink Lady extends to Pink old Lady

[Tannie]

I would watch this as i love grease. And i also watched Maria and that was good to

[Chloe O'brien]

I remember going to the cinema every saturday morning for weeks to see the film. I knew all the words and songs. Think I'll audition for the part of Rizzo.