Mounting a live televised musical is a risky proposition under the best of circumstances. Not only do you have all the dangers of any live theatrical production, what with wardrobe malfunctions or actors forgetting their lines or whatnot, but you also have all of the technical elements inherent in getting a broadcast out to millions of households. Considering all of the challenges the team of FOX's Grease Live! were already facing going into tonight's production — including inclement weather and the tragic death of Vanessa Hudgens' father — most of the show went off without much of a hitch. Well, that changed during the climactic dance number when Grease Live! 's sound suddenly cut out at the worst moment possible, right in the middle of the high-energy production number, "Born To Hand Jive."
Just as the show came back from a commercial break, as Mario Lopez's Vince Fontaine announced the beginning of the dance contest, and Joe Jonas began to sing the iconic tune of the "Hand Jive," millions of viewers around the world suddenly found themselves watching a silent pantomime. Granted, the sound was not out for very long — likely not longer than a minute — but it was still a jarring moment in a production that had otherwise been running like clockwork. Even when the sound came back, it remained distractingly staticky until the next commercial break.
FOX has responded to the snafu with the following tweet:
Thankfully, everything quickly seemed to be back on track for the meticulously-planned production. All things considered, one has to admire how smoothly such a complex undertaking has been running thus far. Hopefully, the whole Grease Live! team will be able to finish out the show without any further complications.
Images: Kevin Estrada/FOX
