Austin should've gone home last night. Autins comes across as someone who be more interested in Kinikie or Doody than Sandy. For me his performances are forced and completely unbelievable. They are almost creepy.
Max is by far the best on that stage. He is genuine and believable. He looks like a Greaser. He is the most consistent performer up there. He is extremely likable and yet can turn on the arrogance needed for Danny Zuko. His voice is perfect for the role. He has great acting chops and is extremely appealing in that unassuming way.
Derek is gorgeous but not consistent. He has the weakest voice left out of the 3.
Laura-Oh my goodness. This girl is fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. What a voice and she is the best actress up there.
Ashley-Not believable in the tiniest way for me. She is "acting" the whole time.
Allie-Way tooooo young at this point and she is a terrible actress. She looks lost on that stage a lot.
IMHO-The only 2 people up there that will be believable AND capable of a Broadway run are Max and Laura. And if they do win, I will make my way out to Broadway to see them.
Pretty much spot on with how I feel. I'm glad someone else said Austin is creepy. He's too slick and he looks like he's performing, not acting. Not only that, but he's too old to play a high schooler. Totally not believable to me. Danny is not only a wannabe tough guy, remember he, too, has a very vulnerable and not so confident side. I just don't see that in Austin.
Derek is handsome and likable, but I agree on the weak voice.
Ashley is like Austin to me. She looks like she's performing, not acting. While I think she's got a good and strong voice, for some reaon her high voice starts to sound like chalk on a blackboard to me, like screaming.
Laura is strong, attractive and seems to me to have a good ability to come across as both the sweet Sandy and the sexy Sandy. As to hair. Maybe most people see Sandy as blonde, but I'm not really hung-up on that. The character is more important.
Max.....I love Max. Of all the guys up there, I most bought him as a high schooler in love and also as a wannabe greaser. And while the videos were hokey, it did give me insight into why Max brings the "realness" to the role. The cockiness/bravado and the sensitive side. He never seems like he is just performing. He is the character.
Is he conventionally handsome? Of course not, although I think he's very cute. But that isn't really what attracts young girls like Sandy. Its that "bad boy" image. However, she eventually goes beyond that intial attraction, because she finds the person inside of the image. And Danny finds the same in her. He finds that there is more to Sandy than her "Sandra Dee" image.
Yep, Max and Laura are the far more believable as the characters to me, than Austin and Ashley. And to me they seemed to have the most chemistry. They seemed to have developed a connection a couple of weeks before the duet, too.
I have a hard time seeing Austin or Ashley in love with anyone besides themselves.
