In one word, the big deal about Grease: Live (2016) is: accessibility. In its nostalgic appreciation of the original 1978 film and earlier Broadway productions, Grease: Live raises some important questions about inclusivity, both in its structure and in the content it presents. By casting more non-white actors in the reimagined Grease (1978) and embracing the challenge of a dynamic live show while experimenting with that format, Grease: Live showed that updating a classic doesn’t have to be a stale act of nostalgia but can represent true creativity while communing with cultural history.

It’s refreshing to see a more diverse cast tackle a narrative very much a part of American culture. Despite being set in an American high school in the late 1950s, director Thomas Kail deliberately creates a space that’s an ideal reflection of the diversity people still strive for today. While addressing gender politics in the larger Grease narrative is an important and popular topic of discussion especially in the decision to keep the controversial line “Did she put up a fight?” in the song “Summer Nights,” the power of diverse representation is quite subversive in Grease: Live. Considering the different generational and subsequent cultural contexts of this classic, all-American story that takes place in the late 1950s at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the live show is an important reimagining for audiences during a time when the #oscarssowhite hashtag circulates the web. While Grease: Live isn’t about race relations, it’s particularly powerful to see a diverse group of talented performers, including Boyz II Men, featured on a popular show with no further explanation needed. Even actress Keke Palmer, who plays the notorious Pink Lady Marty Maraschino, shared an inspiring instagram post hours before the performance, writing, “…There has never been an African American in Grease and while I hate that that’s something to be pointed out, it is! My little brother and sister think differently growing up seeing me do something like this!” In addition to touching on a universal story of high school trying to fit in, Grease: Live can resonate with more young individuals in ways its previous iterations couldn’t.

The format of the performance also provided the viewers with the chance to see how it was made and enjoy the mastery of its production achievements. In addition to using multiple stages on the Warner Bros. Studios lot, the show relied on multiple camera set-ups that delivered a distinctly cinematic feel, from the imaginative car chase to the near-seamless transitions, despite its being a live performance. By catching glimpses of how the actors interacted with the impressive sets, the viewer can better appreciate their performances, including the complex blocking and their reactions to the inevitable surprises as part of a live show. In its particular combination of film and theatre production techniques, the viewer witnesses the important collaborations between departments. Viewers are literally immersed in this process, as the show even features a live audience.