With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Didi Conn brings 'Grease' sing-a-long to Hollywood Bowl
Listen
• 8:08
Poster for the "Grease" sing-along at the Hollywood Bowl, June 25, 2010.
(
Courtesy of Hollywood Bowl
)
Didi Conn
(
Photo by Greta Carlstrom
)
Tonight at the Hollywood Bowl, fans of the film “Grease” can sing along with hits like “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and “Greased Lightning.” Actress Didi Conn, who played Frenchy in the movie, will host the evening.
Conn told KPCC’s Alex Cohen about how she first got into acting and what it was like to audition for the role of the famous beauty school drop-out.
Conn says that Paramount Pictures told all the actors auditioning for "Grease" to show up dressed for the role. Trying out for the role of Frenchy, Conn decided not only to rent a 50s outfit from a costume shop but to get her hair done, too.
She drove down Crescent Heights where she came across a beauty salon called... Frenchy's!
Support for LAist comes from
"I couldn't believe my eyes," she says, "It was like heaven, you know? And there was Frenchy with this enormous, wonderful, imaginative hairdo."
Conn left the salon with a great new coiffure and a better understanding of what it's like to go to beauty school and become a hairstylist.
When she arrived at the Paramount lot, Conn felt confident in her looks, but not in her understanding of the role — seeing as she was just given a few pages of the script, known as sides. But, as she pulled up to the security guard's kiosk, she noticed a stack of thick envelopes.
"Excuse me, see those big fat envelopes?" she asked the guard. "Do they have scrips of 'Grease' in them by any chance?"
Turns out they did! The guard let Conn take a sneak peak, but only if she read the script while hiding under his desk. Armed with a better sense of the character, she fared well in her audition. But, she says reading the script may not have made too much of a difference. The director told her she got the part the second she opened her mouth, on account of her great voice.
For tonight's sing-a-long at the Hollywood Bowl, bring your best poodle skirt, saddle shoes, biker jacket, shades for the pre-show parade, and your heartiest vocals for a frolicking ‘50s sing-along to "Grease," for the first time on the Bowl’s giant screen. Grease is the word!
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist