|
21
December 2006
Simon
Cowell Unveils Grease
Talent
Show
TV
talent show supremo
Simon
Cowell
is to make a series
searching for the leads
for a new production of
Grease.
The
show follows the success
of BBC One's How Do You
Solve A Problem Like
Maria which saw Connie
Fisher starring in the
Sound of
Music.
It
will go against the
BBC's own follow-up
which will uncover a
lead for Joseph and his
Techincolour
Dreamcoat.
Simon
Cowell beat the BBC to
the rights to the Grease
show after the
corporation set up the
American
version.
Auditions
to find two unknowns to
fill the roles of Sandy
and Danny will begin in
the near future with a
view to a new stage
production opening next
summer.
BBC
Worldwide is already
co-producing a US
version for NBC, hosted
by Denise Van Outen and
titled Grease: You're
The One That I
Want!
Simon
Cowell denied stealing
the UK show from the
BBC.
"As
with anything you want
to buy, you have got to
pay a lot of money.
These things don't come
cheap and rightly so,"
he said. "I think it's
good the BBC haven't got
it so it isn't coming
out of licence fee
payers' pockets. I think
we have done a great
service."
Simon
Cowell, who has just
signed a reported
£20m deal for three
more seasons of
X-Factor, added: "In my
opinion, Grease is the
best musical on the
planet. These two parts
will be the most
sought-after roles in
the West End. It will
work beautifully for us
as a reality show. There
will be a lot of
twists."
Simon
Cowell will be taking a
back seat with theatre
producer David Ian, who
appeared on How Do You
Solve A Problem Like
Maria?, being the lead
judge.
Ian
will produce the West
End show in partnership
with Paul
Nicholas.
Return
To News
Index
|
