Grease fans were given a huge treat as John Travolta transformed into Danny Zuko – and looked incredible!
A Hollywood Bowl sing-along of Grease on June 27 saw thousands of fans gather for the special screening, joined by original castmates Barry Pearl, Didi Conn, Kelly Ward, Michael Tucci, and director Randal Kleiser to introduce the show.
None of them knew what was about to happen.
At 71, Travolta swaggered on stage in his old Grease persona, instantly rewinding the clock back to 1978. He greeted his co-stars before slipping straight into character, asking the crowd: “LA! I thought you were going back to Australia?”
Staying in character, he added: “That’s cool, that’s cool, baby. You know, rocking and rolling and whatnot,” before leading the crowd in a booming: “A-womp-bop-a-looma a-womp-bam-boom!” The audience erupted in cheers.
Signing off as himself, Travolta told fans: “Enjoy the show, we love you!”
He later shared the secret on Instagram, writing: “Tonight at the Hollywood Bowl, for the first time I surprised everyone at the GREASE Sing-A-Long and dressed up as Danny Zuko. No one knew. Not even the cast. Thank you for a great evening.”
The moment marked Travolta’s first public return as Danny since Olivia Newton-John’s death in 2022, per Heart.
The two last donned their Danny-and-Sandy outfits together in 2019 for a series of Florida sing-along events celebrating the film’s 40th anniversary.
Released in June 1978 and adapted from the 1971 stage musical, Grease wasn’t just a box office hit — it became a cultural juggernaut. The film pulled in over £310 million worldwide (around £1.3 billion today), with £105 million from its original U.S. run alone. Re-releases in the ‘80s and ‘90s only added to its success.
The soundtrack was just as iconic, with hits like ‘You’re the One That I Want’, ‘Summer Nights’, and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ dominating charts. ‘You’re the One That I Want’ sold over 15 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling duets of all time.
The film catapulted Travolta and Newton-John to global superstardom. Coming straight off Saturday Night Fever in 1977, Travolta cemented his teen idol status as the swaggering greaser. Newton-John, already a Grammy-winning artist, reached a new generation of fans as Sandy Olsson.
Its cultural influence has endured for decades, inspiring sequels, spin-offs, school productions, sing-along tours, stage revivals, and most recently, the 2023 prequel series Rise of the Pink Ladies.
For Travolta, the Hollywood Bowl surprise was no doubt tinged with emotion. Olivia Newton-John died in August 2022 after a long battle with breast cancer, first diagnosed in 1992.
Following her death, Travolta paid tribute on Instagram with a heartfelt message: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much.”
He continued: “We will see you down the road, and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”
