Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins Will Pen the

Epic Musical Event, Airing LIVE Sunday, January 31, on FOX

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) and Paramount Television announced today that film, television and stage actress and singer Keke Palmer (SCREAM QUEENS, “Masters of Sex”) will be joining the cast of GREASE: LIVE as the sassy Pink Lady “Marty Maraschino.” Palmer will star alongside Julianne Hough (as “Sandy”) and Vanessa Hudgens (as “Rizzo”). In addition, Broadway writers Robert Cary (“Anything but Love,” “Ira & Abby”) and Jonathan Tolins (“Buyer & Cellar,” “The Last Sunday in June”) will write the LIVE television adaptation airing on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

Palmer began her career with a breakout role in the film “Akeelah and The Bee.” She later went on to star as the title character in the hit cable series “True Jackson, VP,” for which she received four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program. Palmer most recently made Broadway history as the first African-American and youngest actress to star in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic 1957 musical, “Cinderella.” Other film credits include box office mega-hit “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “Joyful Noise,” “Brotherly Love” and “Imperial Dreams.” Her television credits include “A Trip to Bountiful,” for which she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special; cable miniseries “Full Circle”; made-for-TV movie “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story”; and a six-episode arc on the second season of “Masters of Sex.” Palmer is set to star as “Zayday Williams” in FOX’s comedy-horror series SCREAM QUEENS this fall.

Broadway writers Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins most recently wrote additional material for the Tony-nominated revival of the Broadway hit “On the Town.” They authored the books for the upcoming musicals “Sharp Dressed Man,” featuring the songs of ZZ Top; “Sullivan,” exploring the life of Ed Sullivan; and “Take the Lead,” based on the New Line film of the same name. Their romantic comedy, “My Owner’s Wedding,” is being produced by Millennium Films with Andy Fickman directing. Tolins is best known as the author of the plays “Buyer & Cellar,” “The Last Sunday in June” and “The Twilight of the Golds.” Cary directed the films “Anything but Love,” “Ira & Abby” and “Save Me.”

Marc Platt (“Wicked,” “Into the Woods”) will executive-produce GREASE: LIVE, Thomas Kail (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”) is the director overseeing the stage direction and Alex Rudzinski (“Dancing with the Stars”) will serve as the live television director. GREASE: LIVE is based on the original musical “Grease” by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and Paramount Pictures’ 1978 feature adaptation. It is a Paramount Television production.

“Like” GREASE: LIVE on Facebook at facebook.com/GreaseLive. Follow the series on Twitter at @GreaseLive, and Instagram @GreaseLiveFOX.

About Paramount Television

Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of creative television programming across all media platforms. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.

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