LATEST NEWS: Didi Conn Explains How John Travolta’s Surprise Grease Moment Last Month Paid Tribute to Olivia Newton-John (Exclusive)… Full story

Didi Conn opened up to PEOPLE about the June 27 Grease sing-along at the Hollywood Bowl and why John Travolta showed up as Danny Zuko to honor last castmate Olivia Newton-John
Conn played Frenchy in the iconic 1978 film
Conn said now, she just has “gratitude” for Grease, its fans and its legacy

The 73-year-old actress opened up to PEOPLE about the June 27 Grease sing-along at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Her Grease costar John Travolta made waves when he arrived at the event dressed as his character Danny Zuko, but Conn, who played Pink Lady Frenchy Facciano, told PEOPLE that it took some serious maneuvering on her part, and that it was all to honor the memory of Olivia Newton-John.

“I was the host,” she explained, noting this was the fourth or fifth time she’s led the event. “I invited the T-Birds to be a part of it.”

“What’s so great about the sing-along, first of all, that it’s in the Hollywood Bowl, which is an amazing venue. To see that movie outdoors in that humongous screen for 18,000 people. everybody’s dressed up,” she said.

As for Travolta’s appearance, Conn remembered that the last time she ran into Travolta, 71, he asked her, “Why don’t you ever invite me?”

“I said, ‘I always invite you,’ ” Conn said. “And I said, ‘Next time I promise, I’ll make sure.’ ”

Two months before the sing-along, she reached out with the invite, but heard nothing until four hours before the event. “I get a text from [his assistant] saying, ‘Guess who is coming and tell me the schedule of the event,’ ” she said

The event started at 8 p.m. as they waited for the sun to set enough for the screening. Conn was joined on stage by three T-Birds from the movie: Barry Pearl who played Doody, Michael Tucci who played Sonny and Kelly Ward who played Putzie. Then she was joined by Randal Kleiser, the director of Grease.

Conn and Kleiser, 78, then told the crowd that the night’s screening was dedicated to Newton-John, who starred in the movie as Sandy and died in 2022. And then they told the audience they had a “special guest here in her honor.”

“And who walks out but Danny Zuko,” Conn shared. “We didn’t know he was coming dressed up with the black leather jacket and the strut. And oh my God, that was a surprise to me.” Only Conn, Kleiser and the head of the Hollywood Bowl knew Travolta was going to be there.