How Do You Solve... Heads State-side for Grease Stars???

Just as Pop Idol has proved equally popular on both sides of the Atlantic, Producer David Ian is hoping How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? can work its magic State-side, too. Following his TV exposure on the BBC’s talent search to find the leading lady for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music, Ian is taking the talent contest format to America to find the leading players in a new Broadway production of Grease. BBC Worldwide and America’s NBC are joining forces to find the next Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko – the roles made famous by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in the hit 1978 movie. The TV show, entitled You’re the One That We Want, will see hopefuls auditioning in front of a panel including Ian, the musical’s co-creator Jim Jacobs and Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall. The Broadway production is set to open in June 2007 and will be directed and choreographed by Marshall. Paul Nicholas and David Ian Associates, Nederlander Presentations and Phoenix Productions will produce. Grease premiered on Broadway in 1972 and is frequently revived. It was voted most popular musical in a Channel 4 poll and has had repeated West End seasons, interspersed with almost non-stop touring; so there should be no shortage of pink ladies, prom queens, T-birds and hip-swivelling heart-throbs hoping to catch some Grease Lightning.

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