Last night, Vanessa Hudgens was the standout star of Grease: Live thanks to her incredible performance of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do." The song is Rizzo's 11 o'clock number, immortally rendered on screen by Stockard Channing. Hudgens did it justice, filling it with emotion, and making it her own.
While her interpretation stands on its own, the moment was especially resonant as she was performing through personal tragedy.
Earlier on Saturday Hudgens tweeted that her dad, Greg, had died. She wrote: "I am so sad to say that last night my daddy, Greg passed away from stage 4 cancer. Thank you to everyone who kept him in your prayers." She planned to "do the show in his honor."
Grease: Live was dedicated to Greg Hudgens.
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So lovely that @GoGrease was dedicated to the loving father of @VanessaHudgens! R.I.P. Greg Hudgens! #GreaseLive pic.twitter.com/uTUcszNu1L
— Clay Brice (@clay_brice) February 1, 2016Austin Butler, Hudgens' boyfriend, tweeted about how moving her performance was.
WOW @VanessaHudgens singing 'Worst Things' had me in tears. Just brilliant #GreaseLive
— Austin Butler (@austinbutler) February 1, 2016While "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" was a heartbreaking moment, Hudgens also imbued Rizzo with sassy energy in other parts of the show.