'Grease' and 'Grease 2': Where Are They Now?

by Patricia Chui Jul 19th 2007 // 7:02PM

Filed under: Comedy, Music & Musicals, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels, Hold the 'Fone, Summer Movies

Michelle Pfeiffer in Grease 2When John Travolta was cast as shy, overweight housewife Edna Turnblad in the movie musical Hairspray -- a role originated by drag, um, heavyweights Divine and Harvey Fierstein -- much was made of the fact that Travolta would be singing and dancing once again, a la Danny Zuko in Grease. (Well, also that he'd be donning a fat suit, rollers and a muumuu.) Less hyped, however, was the casting of co-star Michelle Pfeiffer, who not only got her start in a movie musical as well, but also did it in those very same hallowed halls of Rydell High. Yup, I'm talking about that most misunderstood of sequels, Grease 2.

Now, we got a lot of flack for not including Grease 2 on our list of the 25 worst movie sequels of all time, but I'm going to come right out and say it: I love Grease 2. Really. It's not that I don't understand the criticism -- let's face it, it's a baaad movie -- but it helps if you regard it not as a sequel, but as a festival of gloriously cheesy awesomeness. I mean, dude! It's got a song about bowling! Sex education set to music! Michelle Pfeiffer singing and dancing! If you can't appreciate the sight of Pfeiffer shimmying across the quad as she belts out how she wants a "C-O-O-L ... R-I-D-ER ..." then I kind of feel sorry for you.

Anyway. With fellow Rydell High alums Travolta and Pfeiffer finally starring in a movie together, and a musical at that, we took the opportunity to look up some other Pink Ladies and T-Birds and find out where Grease and Grease 2 stars are now. What do you think of their careers? What about those we had to leave off, like Lorenzo Lamas, who had a small part in Grease as dumb jock Tom? (Also, for the record, Sha Na Na is still around. On Saturday, they rock Columbus, Ohio.) And at the end of the day ... is Grease still the word?

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Tags: grease, grease 2, hairspray, where are they now, musicals, john, Grease,Grease2,Hairspray,WhereAreTheyNow,Musicals,JohnTravolta,M

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