Taylor Hicks Shines in "Grease"
The “American Idol” Winner on Tour with “Grease” Company
Oct 5, 2009
Birmingham, Alabama was bustling with excitement when their hometown celebrity, Taylor Hicks, returned home again, this time bringing with him a Broadway cast. The show made its Birmingham stop September 22- 27, 2009, playing a series of shows at Birmingham’s BJCC.
Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel
Taylor Hicks played the part of Teen Angel, played by Frankie Avalon in the original “Grease” movie. He first took the stage in Act II of the play, following star Emily Padgett, playing Sandy, performing her solo number, “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
The stage opened to reveal the outside of a burger joint with a giant ice cream cone on top. Frenchie, played by Kate Morgan Chadwick, lamented over having dropped out of beauty school, for which she dropped out of high school.
The crowd roared when the ice cream cone opened, revealing Taylor Hicks, clad in a rhinestone covered suit, inside the cone. The cone lowered to the stage and Hicks stepped out to loud cheers and applause from the crowd. He sang his number, “Beauty School Dropout,” milking the hometown feel by putting his ear to the audience, asking for louder cheers. The audience obliged.
Hicks’ performance solicited lots of laughs, as well, as Frenchie delivered her funny line, “I voted for you,” in the middle of the song, referring to Hicks’ stint on “American Idol.” The audience never stopped cheering while Hicks was on stage, showing their pride in the hometown talent. Hicks seemed to enjoy his time on stage, smiling as he sang his song and interacted with Chadwick. At the end of his number, he climbed back in the ice cream cone, and it rose back to its position at the top of the burger joint and closed.
Other “Grease” Cast Members
The other outstanding performance was by Dominic Fortuna, who played the role of Vince Fontaine. Fortuna was on stage before the show started, warming up the audience by singing songs and interacting with the crowd. He asked for names of towns in Alabama, which he later used in a line in the play. He got lots of cheers, second only to Hicks.
Danny was played by Eric Schneider, and sidekick Kenickie was played by David Ruffin. Dayla Perkins, who usually plays the role of Cha-Cha, took over the role of Rizzo for the Birmingham performance.
Two of the most entertaining characters were played by Will Blum and Birdie Carroll, who played Roger and Jan. Will Blum had one of the best voices of the play and provided plenty of comic relief.
Hicks’ Extra Performances
Hicks made an extra appearance at the end of “Grease,” coming on stage to play “Seven Mile Breakdown” from his new album “The Distance.”
In addition, he made two appearances at the nearby WorkPlay Theater, playing with members of his old band from his Alabama days and members from the band of his previous tour. Hicks played to sold out crowds Friday night and Saturday night.
Grease continues to tour through June 2010 as a Broadway touring company. Hicks often schedules extra appearances in the town where "Grease" is playing. Check Hicks' website for shadow tour dates.
 |
 |
 |
