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Interview: GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES Stars Talk Upcoming Musical Numbers, Working With Jackie Hoffman & More
May 17, 2024
Shanel Bailey, who has been seen on Broadway in The Book of Mormon, discussed filming the musical numbers in the new series. Joined by Jason Schmidt and Madison Thompson, the stars discussed their favorite memories on set, working with Jackie Hoffman, and more. Watch the new interview video now!
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0:00
I'm so excited to speak with you about this new series. I loved it. And Greece is so iconic to so many people. So what was it like for the each of you to be able to like create a new character in this Greece universe
0:14
Oh, such a privilege. Our showrunner, Annabel, she just created this like beautiful world and tapestry of like exploring all the pockets of the Greece movie that you didn't get with the movie
0:24
But at the same time like hang homage to like how spectacular the music and the dancing and the story
0:29
is of that movie. And so when I was creating Susan, it was so fun to kind of peek in deeper to the
0:36
socias, because that's not really a character group that you get to explore that much. And like
0:40
who are they? What is their story? Like, how do they hold themselves? Like, who are these people
0:45
And that's like what's so fun about being on a prequel series and is getting to explore those other
0:51
characters and breed life into them. So Susan was so much fun. Yeah. The world of Greece is just
0:56
like fun. There's nothing else but fun. I was, a class of it
1:01
where I played Danny Zuko and like my sisters in a jacket. It's on the internet somewhere
1:07
Dare you find it. But yes, like I was going to say as well
1:11
the soches are not really talked about or they don't really look to be explored
1:17
Yeah. In Greece and so creating them into fully dimensional people and figuring out what that looks like
1:23
what they sit like how they talk was a really fun. And then just adding that grease flare
1:28
that grease energy to it was. It was the best. Yeah And then for me I was so excited to do what I guess the intention of the entire show is is to kind of turn the lens to other points of view on a story that we know and love so so well
1:43
And I think Annabel and our writing team have done such a good job of creating stories that were definitely around
1:50
but we just didn't get to hear from. So I think that it's really exciting to get a perspective of someone
1:54
who walked the halls of Rydell and, you know, experienced the 50s that we all know and love
2:00
And so just to kind of get someone else's perspective, I think Hazel does a really cool job of showing us the other side of the camera, if anything
2:08
So that's really cool. Yeah, I mean, that was such an exciting part of it is like we got sort of our Rydell Hyde back, but we were able to sort of shed a spotlight on people that like we weren't really hearing their stories in the original one
2:19
Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm sure the series was so much fun just to film in general
2:24
Do each of you have like a favorite day on set or like a favorite memory that you're looking back on as the same
2:30
series is about to come out. I can't say, but I will say that most of my favorite days on set were the group dance numbers
2:41
And maybe it's because of like my, you know, theater background training, Book of Mormon
2:47
Like I love the idea of like being in a room with everyone's energy and just like feeding off
2:52
of one another. Like there's no greater feeling than having people dance their faces off to incredible music by
2:58
our team, Justin, Jamal. like everyone was working so hard and just you could just feel the grease energy in the room of like
3:04
people love what they doing and they going to make it as spectacular as it can be And so honestly every dance number was my favorite day on set Yeah I mean it was just a lot of love going around It was a lot of love for the content
3:17
but it was a lot of love for each other. And I personally just loved watching, I mean, truly watching everybody else work
3:23
Me and Maximo, who plays shy guy, one of the T-birds, we had this thing that we did later on in the process
3:28
because we watched Nicholas, the guy plays Gil, work. And he was just always fun and wild and wacky on set
3:34
And he made all these crazy choices. So later on in the season, Maximo and I would come on and said, we'd be like, right, what would Nicholas do
3:40
What would Nicholas do for our scene? You know, get those ideas flowing
3:44
And it was just watching everybody and Jackson Kaufman and all that big crowd
3:48
And these two beautiful ladies truly like, it was just one to watch everybody
3:55
And it helps me create my character as well. Yeah. Agree. I'll add on and say one of my first days, it was like one of our first days where we were shooting like the pep rally
4:05
and we had everyone there, like, in full, like, Rydell. And so for Susan, she gets to wear, like, the iconic Rydell cheerleader outfit
4:13
which I'm a huge fan of the original Greece movie. So it's like what Sandy and all the girls are wearing
4:17
So that was so special for me to see everyone dressed up all the football players
4:22
Like, our whole cast was there that night. And to do a night shoot, they're very bonding as their long hours
4:27
But it was so special because it felt like we were in the real Greece movie
4:31
Yeah. Good morning boys and girls. Thank you for the best summer of my short life
4:42
And welcome to the 1954 school year Lydia save your seat on my lap Sure to be our greatest year at Rydell game
4:55
We promised Roy and Bill we'd eat lunch with them today. To end the divisions among us
5:00
I want to be a T-Birdrude. Then become a truly united Rydell
5:07
He told me exactly what you did to get that jack in
5:12
It's not as bad as it's a seat. Seems these things blow over. Maybe for you
5:17
There are a lot of kids in Rydell who are sick of feeling like they're not welcome here
5:24
I know what it feels like to not be like the others. I want more money and probably should
5:32
We have to think big, really change things. Everyone already thinks we're such bad girls
5:37
Watch out, fellas. It's a girl game. We're not girls, but ladies
5:43
The pink ladies. We're gonna need some jackets. Pink Lady pledge is
5:50
to act cool, to look cool, and to be cool. Till death do us part
5:59
Think pink. The world's changing, boys. You gotta be bad to do good
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