“Grease: Live” is a Hand-Jiving, Lightning Success

TV Musical Trend on an Upsurge with this Welcome Addition from Fox

Following the success of several recent NBC productions of musicals produced live for a special television event, Fox entered the TV musical market with a bang. Grease: Liveaired on Fox for a one-night special event this past Sunday night, January 31, 2016. Bringing the beloved 70s musical set in the 50s to contemporary audiences, the production confirmed the timelessness of this story of teenage romance and angst, set to an incredibly memorable and catchy soundtrack. While musicals on the small screen is not a new concept, the trend is certainly experiencing a renaissance. NBC instigated this revamped craze in 2013 with a live airing of The Sound of Music, which brought in an astounding live viewership of 18.3 million people. In 2014, NBC brought to television a live version of Peter Pan, which performed less well with audiences, and just recently in December 2015, NBC’s The Wiz brought in 11 million viewers. As for Grease: Live, the broadcast brought in an incredible 12.2 million viewers on its first night, averaging 4.3% of 18-49 year olds and with a 7.4 overnight rating among households. With this first phenomenal success, Fox may very well be considering making live musicals an annual event, just as NBC has done, and other networks will likely begin entering the game too.

Cast Received Mixed Notices, But Didn’t Detract from the Fun

The casting for Grease: Live incorporated a variety of actors, singers, and dancers from many different domains of fame, as well as a few newcomers. One of the most commended performances was that of Vanessa Hudgens, who played Betty Rizzo. Traditionally a very feisty and rebellious part, Hudgens portrayed her with a bit of a softer touch than, say, the film portrayal by Stockard Channing. Nevertheless, her performance of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” was excellent, as she managed to find a balance between grittiness and vocal intensity. Furthermore, Hudgens deserves even more praise for her endurance that evening, as her father passed away less than a day before, ending a long battle with cancer. As for the lead parts, Sandy was played by Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars, Rock of Ages), and Danny Zuko was played by Aaron Tveit (Catch Me If You Canon Broadway, Les Misérables the film). Both of these performers were excellent dancers, but their acting left something to be desired. The effect was that the dance numbers were high energy and full of zest, but the interstitial scenes lacked charisma, and the key central romance lacked the magnetic intensity of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, as portrayed in the film. Nevertheless, it was easy to forgive this underwhelming element when the music began and another timeless song hit the screen. Supporting actors of note include Haneefah Wood, who played Principal McGee’s assistant with a hysterical beleaguered quality, and Didi Conn, who played the original Frenchie in the movie, and here made a cameo as a kindly waitress in the Burger Palace, reminiscing, “I miss high school.”

Thomas Kail Led Ingenious Blend of Theatre and Television

The production was directed by Thomas Kail, who is riding the wave of his success as the director of Broadway’s Hamilton. Furthermore, the particular elements of live broadcast direction were handled by Alex Rudzinski, who directed Dancing with the Stars. Unlike NBC’s TV musicals, which often involved large flat backdrops and a rear-projection system, Fox’s Grease: Live truly thought outside the box regarding how to bring this musical to television. Rather than being constrained to one large theatre-like space, Grease: Live spanned a 20-acre location, with golf carts whizzing the cast from one scene to the next. The expansive nature of the show was made clear within less than five minutes, as the singer Jessie J sang the title song, the camera following her as she snaked backstage, and then out onto the street. The element of a live audience was also included, sometimes to great success as extras on the bleachers or other crowd scenes, but it was sometimes distracting to have extras in the quieter moments. Furthermore, an unlikely Los Angeles rainstorm made some cast members carry umbrellas in outdoor scenes. Of all the outdoor scenes, the race scene was the most underwhelming of the broadcast, as they didn’t even make an effort to have the cars move. Nevertheless, the overall conception and execution of Grease: Live was truly beloved by the majority of the broadcast’s huge viewership, and we should expect to see an increasing number of live musicals for the small screen in the near future.

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The "hun" is your new go-to summer hairstyle

 

The "hun" or half-bun, a half-up-half-down 'do, can take any girl’s hair from messy to trendy in just moments. All you have to do is section off the top half of your hair, throw it into a bun and leave your messy waves hanging down, loose and free.

There’s a hun for everyone and there’s no right or wrong way to style it. It’s easy to do straight out of the pool or right off the beach and can quickly take your look to the next level in no time. The perfect lazy-girl hairstyle, the hun is nearly effortless without seeming sloppy.

With the hun being the next best hairstyle, tons of celebs are blowing up instagram rocking the trendy hairdo. Check out some of our favorite stars working the look and try it yourself.

 

Vanessa Hudgens is rocking the hun right on the top of her head.

 

And Ashley Benson shows how it can be worn with bangs and a brightly colored bob.

 

Camila Cabello proves that two is better than one, rocking the only thing better than the hun: the double hun.

 

Yara Shahidi's mini-hun is maybe the cutest thing we've ever seen and works perfectly for hair with tons of volume. 

These celebs have shown that the hun can be whatever you make of it and show that it works with just about any type of hair. So the next time you are running late or just don’t feel like styling your hair, just section off the top and throw it into a hun. You’ll have all the trendiness with hardly any preparation.

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Vanessa Hudgens Returns As The Face Of Bongo In Boho Chic Campaign

Vanessa is back as the face of Bongo and she returns with more fashionable pieces for fabulous prices! Click below to shop the collection, (which was inspired by her boho babe style!), and see what Vanessa had to say about her spring campaign.

If you love Vanessa Hudgens’ style, then you’re in for a treat, thanks to the brand new, Spring 2015 Bongo collection. Inspired by the 25-year-old actress’ very own wardrobe, it features a little bit of everything — from playful casual wear to sultry silhouettes that are perfect for a night out on the town with your best gal pals. Take a look!

Vanessa Hudgens’ Bongo Campaign — See Pics Of The Collection:

We’re always so excited to see where we can find pieces from Vanessa’s wardrobe, and now Bongo is bringing us a collection that mirrors her versatile, boho chic style!

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This Bongo Spring 2015 collection is available exclusively at Kmart and Sears, and it is their best collection to date! Entirely inspired by Vanessa, you can find relaxed summer denim, and even sexy matching separates like this Skimmer Crop Top in Floral for just $15!

Vanessa Hudgens’ Bong Spring 2015 Campaign Collection

Spring, where are you? We can’t wait to rock this Vanessa-inspired collection! She looks amazing posing in a gorgeous cobalt blue jumpsuit, and she has us itching for a vacay in her high-waisted, printed shorts. We also got a sneak peak of the fun, patterned swimwear and casual kimonos that scream Vanessa’s style!

Here’s what Vanessa had to say about the fashionable and affordable collaboration: “It was so exciting to team up with Bongo to create the spring collection, inspired by my very own personal style,” said Hudgens. “All the pieces are styles that I love to wear, like matching crop tops and pencil skirts, cute motorcycle jackets and asymmetrical skirts. What I love most about this collection is that it allows you to be whoever you want to be–which is me in a nutshell!”

We’re definitely having a fangirl moment over Vanessa’s Spring 2015 Bongo collection but what do you think? Tell us if you’d shop the collection in the comments below!

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Rebecca Minkoff’s Fall 2015 Collection: Great For Vanessa Hudgens & Kristen Stewart

The designer’s ’70s glam collection evoked a boho, rocker vibe that was effortless and beyond cool — and so many Hollywood It-girls will definitely love the looks!

It is no secret that Rebecca Minkoff captures the cool, contemporary vibe season after season — and while she did that with her Fall 2015 collection, I also loved the infusion of ’70s chic, glam rock clothing. While sometimes a collection so heavily inspired by a decade can seem a little over-the-top or too retro on the runway, it struck the perfect chord as it evoked memories of NY in the late ’60s and early ’70s in a modern way, redefining the trends for her contemporary audience — and if there’s one thing Rebecca has clearly mastered, it is the art of dressing the effortlessly cool chick. I find the decade so inspiring but it isn’t always easy to interpret the look for everyday dressing — but Minkoff has it down to a science with her Fall 2015 line.

Rebecca Minkoff’s Fall 2015 Collection:

The collection, inspired by Patti Smith and her memoir, Just Kids, consisted of flowing jumpsuits, shearling jackets, printed maxis, knit separates, peasant tops and minis. Fringe, sheer, leather, velvet and suede were major players throughout the collection as Minkoff mixed textures to create cool fall looks — it was like peeking into Stevie Nicks‘ dressing room when she was on the road with Fleetwood Mac. Rebecca’s accessory game is always spot on, and the bags, hats, and shoes proved to be standout pieces that took the looks to the next level — and my ultimate favorite were the over-the-knee, fringed boots. The inspiration could be seen down to the minute details, such as the guitar strap-inspired embroidery on crossbody bags.

Victoria Justice, a big fan of the brand, sat front row — and she would look amazing in the leather mini skirts from the Fall 2015 line. Bomber jackets and matching, printed mini skirts had an edgy vibe, making the outfit perfect for Kristen Stewart to rock for a photocall. Eternal boho babe Vanessa Hudgens would look amazing in the printed jumpsuit and the plunging, printed minis — and she would love all the fringe detailing in the collection.

Romantic, rocker glam clothing that’s wearable and cool? We’ll take one of everything!

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