Grease on a busy Sunday

In the mix tonight (Feb. 11) were a performance by the Georgia Guitar Quartet at the Singletary Center, the Police reunion on the Grammy Awards and the second live episode of Grease: You're the One That I Want. To be blunt, the latter would not be in the mix, if it were not for University of Kentucky graduate Derek Keeling, who is in the hunt to be the next Danny Zuko on Broadway. (The photo, right, is of Derek performing Jan. 28/by Dean Hendler, courtesy NBC.)

If tonight's performance was any indication, we'll probably be tuning in to the bitter end, because Keeling offered another knock-'em-dead performance, this week of Footloose, and earned universal praise from the judges, again. Kathleen Marshall, director of the revival, told Keeling she'd be happy to have him on stage opening night, and producer David Ian said, "You've really got what it takes to be a leading man on Broadway." In addition to singing and dancing chops, Derek's sleeveless button-down showed a well-sculpted physique that must have been good for a few audience votes.

Have the producers taken back a little power? Tonight's show featured a sing off between Jan. 28's bottom two Dannys and Sandys in audience votes, and the judges picked who was axed. Predictably, that spelled curtains for the pair they brought back from elimination last week: Matt Nolan and Ashley Anderson. Honestly, wasn't it a tad cruel to give these two a glimmer of hope that they could make it to opening night? OK, I'm complaining about cruelty in reality TV, like that ship didn't sail years ago.

Anyway, I did not make it to the second hour because I assumed this was a one-hour show after the two-hour live opener Jan. 28, and my VCR (I know, how 20th Century) was scheduled to catch the Cops on the Grammys. By the way, for all the talk of friction between the band members, Stewart Copland looked like he was having a blast sitting at the drum kit during a rousing rendition of Roxanne. Wow.

But I digress. Is NBC really giving two-hours a week to this Grease show?! One is frankly trying enough, and the ratings are underwhelming -- 46th for the week of the 28th broadcast. The formula is really wearing thin, as are Billy Bush's little teasers like, "Will it be a musical masterpiece or massacre." Gag me with a Playbill. Then it's really funny when he greets a performer who just sang with a line like, "Amazing performance," and the judges essentially say, not so much. And why was Juliana Hansen dubbed "Rock Chick Sandy," while the judges keep complaining she isn't tough enough? Wouldn't a rock chick, by definition . . . oh, stop analyzing it.

But, for Derek and our Ohio Sandys, Ashley Spencer and Kate Rockwell, we'll keep tuning in . . . even for two hours, if we must.

UPDATE: At least a few fans were pretty torqued off about the apparent change in rules. Check the NBC Grease: YTOTIW message board and Raven Snook's blog for TV Guide.