Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) and Paramount Television announced today that Tony Award-nominated director Thomas Kail (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”) and veteran director Alex Rudzinski (“Dancing with the Stars”) will direct the live musical event GREASE: LIVE. Kail, as the director, will oversee the stage direction, while Rudzinski will serve as the live broadcast director.
GREASE: LIVE is scheduled to air on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX and stars multi-talented performers Julianne Hough as “Sandy” (“Safe Haven,” “Rock of Ages”) and Vanessa Hudgens as “Rizzo” (Broadway’s “Gigi,” “Spring Breakers”). Marc Platt (“Wicked,” “Into the Woods”) is executive producer.
“Thomas Kail’s brilliant directing work on the explosive ‘Hamilton’ and the cutting-edge ‘In The Heights’ showcase his groundbreaking talent for merging classic Broadway musical storytelling with contemporary song styles and narratives. His productions resonate profoundly with today’s audience and his sharp instincts make him the perfect director to bring GREASE to a new generation,” said Platt.
“Alex Rudzinski brings a wealth of experience in live television directing,” Platt continued, “and has a modern sensibility and vision in creating entertainment that captivates his audiences. We are enormously proud to have Thomas and Alex at the helm of re-imagining one of the most beloved musicals of all time.”
Kail is currently directing the off-Broadway sensation "Hamilton." He received a Tony Award nomination for his direction of “In the Heights,” the acclaimed Broadway musical that won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Additional New York credits include “Lombardi,” “Magic/Bird,” “When I Come to Die,” “The Wiz” and many more. He is the co-creator and director of the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. Kail's television credits include “2 Broke Girls” and 2010’s “The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special,” as well as the TV show “Freestyle Love Supreme,” on which he served as executive producer.
Rudzinski has directed more than 500 hours of live broadcasts and all 20 seasons of “Dancing with the Stars.” He is known as one of the leading multi-camera music directors in the television industry, specializing in live broadcast events, non-scripted entertainment and reality programming. The tightly scripted approach to live performances and television has won Rudzinski’s creative team three Emmy Awards for camera work and technical direction. Additional U.S. credits include “The X Factor,” “The BAFTA Britannia Awards” and the “iHeart Radio Jingle Ball Concert” at Madison Square Garden.
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DIRECTORS ANNOUNCED FOR “GREASE: LIVE” – Page 2
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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