Jordan Fisher – Grease: Live

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) We are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) Holden is back on “Liv and Maddie,” which is a ton of fun. There is a ton of drama to be had. Also, January 31^st is the big Grease: Live day. We’ve been working tirelessly and having a blast putting the show together.

Q) What can you share about Holden’s return?

A) It’s a whole new chapter to Liv (Dove Cameron) and Holden’s friendship and relationship. Holden and Liv went on their first date and it’s exciting that after a couple of seasons we’ll see their dynamic together, what they could potentially be as a couple. Thankfully, they like us together and Dove and I’s friendship goes back a while. We have a blast working together and going on that journey with Liv and Holden. It has a lot to do with the showrunners and their belief and trust in us.

Q) Was his return planned or a surprise for you?

A) From the beginning, really, their idea was to get it to a point where Holden could try things out and see what came of it. As people are responding to the show and the episodes, it seemed that everyone wanted to see Liv and Holden together. It’s something that I was looking forward to and one of the creators of the show was a huge fan of theirs.

Q) Is comedic timing something that comes natural to you or have you had to work at it?

A) Definitely comedic timing is one of the most challenging things to get ahold of, especially in sitcoms. There is a different approach when it is single camera work and multi-camera work. I’m kind of a sponge. I love learning, studying and researching things. I like to take advantage of the time I have to master my craft and get better at it. I watched a lot of “Friends” growing up and it is one of my go-to shows to study timing, wit, delivery and execution. It’s definitely something you work hard on and hope is well received.

Q) You have been appearing on “Teen Wolf.” Were you a fan before joining the show and what have you taken away from your experience on the show?

A) I’m a nerd. I love DC, Marvel and X-Men. I love Greek mythology and Norse mythology. With this show, I’m surprised I hadn’t watched it before appearing on it. It was a very last minute thing for me. They created this character for me to come on the show and it was an awesome honor. I thought I should really do some research on the show to see what was happening and figure out what was going on. I binge watched the first season in a matter of three to four days. I understand why the fanbase is as obsessed as they are. It’s a beautifully done show! They do an incredible job with the characters and the growth of the show. They allow the fans to go on a fun, action packed journey that also incorporates romance. It’s a lot fun and I’m very honored to be a part of it. Jeff Davis, the showrunner, is very talented and amazing. He’s very hands-on. He came into the makeup trailer on my very first night and said, “Hey! Welcome to the family.” That is something that is not as common that you would hope it would be in our industry. It just speaks to his character.

Q) We’ll be seeing you in Grease: Live. How did you get involved with the show?

A) It started about a year ago when a friend of mine had a wedding party to celebrate his wedding. He asked me to sing at it and one of the execs of Paramount heard me singing and reached out to my management. They said they would like to put me up to audition for Doody in Grease: Live. One thing lead to another…The director and music director came down in October and we sat down together to talk about the show. I sang a song and that was that! It was kind of a whirlwind. I put a tape together in January/February last year and they were still trying to lock down a bunch of characters so I didn’t hear about it for months on end. I had forgotten about it until they announced Aaron Tveit would be playing Danny. A few weeks later I got the call and then I had to race to finish up some other projects.

Q) What has been the most challenging part of rehearsing for the show?

A) I think it is the ambitious nature of the show that has been the most challenging. We’re essentially doing the Broadway version of Grease with elements from the movie that everybody knows and loves. There are also some newer elements that haven’t been done. There is a brand new song written for the show and Jesse J has a whole big sequence of “Grease Is The Word” that kicks the show off. It starts on one stage and ends somewhere else. We have two full sound stages and a house on Warner Brothers. So, we’re spread out over the lot. With the show being live, there are people hopping in and out of golf carts, changing and then doing a scene. What we’re really doing for this production is letting people see the wires and what is involved. We are going to celebrate what the format is and how live we actually are. I think the most challenging part is not fully knowing how it is going to go until we do it, but that’s the excitement of this format and a live audience of 700 to 800 people in an hour space as well as the 20+ million that will be watching. There is something about that adrenaline rush. We’ll do our best to make it happen!

Q) How do you feel about integrating new songs into the show?

A) That’s a great question. It’s a touchy subject, depending on what direction you come from. Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, the music supervisor on the show and our musical director, are incredibly talented and very smart men. Ultimately, they are huge fans of musicals and huge fans of “Grease.” In terms of trusting that the new additions of the songs, you have to understand that between Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey that it’s only going to be things that push the story along and help you fall in love with the characters that much more and let you get to know people. It’s a song that helps to move the story along. I think Carly Rae [Jepsen] sings the song so well and you are set up for greatness. I was a fan of Grease before starring in the show and grew up with it. I, for one, (not only being a part of the show, but a fan of it) was excited that there was going to be a new song. Frenchie will sing it and it will help us get to know her and what she requires as a person. I think everyone is going to love it!

Q) What was it like working with Didi Conn?

A) It’s incredible! Didi Conn is going to have a moment where America melts when original Frenchy and new Frenchy run into each other. It’s a really, really sweet moment. I will never forget watching that in person. Didi’s first day of rehearsal she came in and slayed a scene with Carly! She was just so captivating, beautiful, elegant and bright. It is just such an honor to live these great moments.

Q) Grease is legendary and iconic. What do you think it is about it that continues to stand out?

A) I think our social cues and social standards have transcended for generations. The social aspect of just friendships, cliques, dynamics, dreams, goals and mile markers in our lives and in our high school lives have never really changed. They have evolved over time, but that social aspect of life hasn’t changed. What hasn’t changed, where Grease is concerned, is celebrating comradery of T-Birds, Pink Ladies and everyone else in the show. It’s the sense of community that we all have. As well as the choreography…These were all actual pop hit songs! It was a post-World War 2 time and the golden era of the United States. The music was really well ahead of his time. These were pop records released at that moment, had beautiful people and there was singing and dancing. I guess I go back to the whole social aspect of being a teenager and having friendships, talking to each other about having sex for the first time and hooking up with each other. My character wants to be a rock star some day and he is finding out if his community is going to support that or not. It’s the most coming of age story that I think is the most relatable over so many generations. My grandparents watched and loved Grease. My parents, my sister and my niece and nephew – everyone has watched it throughout the decades. I think that will never go away. Being a part of this revival of the show really kind of reintroduces everyone’s favorite moment and seeing it in this format is a special thing. I’m super honored to be a part of it.

Q) What have you taken away from working on show?

A) Truly, it has given me a different kind of confidence. I think it is one of the most ambitious things that any network has done for any TV show or special. It is 100% live and we have the whole eastern part of Warner Brothers to ourselves. People are hopping on golf carts to go one place to another and changing. We’re doing content that is so familiar to people and they will know it like the back of their hand. I am really honored to pay homage to the original film and original Broadway production as well as adding an air of newness and exhilaration to it that can really only be done in the format that we are doing. It’s the most challenging thing that I have ever done and I would do it all over again in two seconds.