God bless you, Vanessa Hudgens.
The former High School Musical star shared very sad news with fans just hours before taking to the stage as Rizzo in Grease: Live on Fox last night: her dad passed away from cancer.
Hudgens posted a message on Twitter about her father’s death, adding that she would do the show “in his honor” that evening.
And it’s very safe to say that Hudgens made her late parent proud, most notably with two standout performances.
As Rizzo, Hudgens was tasked with two solos, the first of which (above) featured her making fun of Julianne Hough’s very pure and innocent main character.
The second, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” was an emotional ballad that gave us a look inside Rizzo herself:
The performances are impressive enough on their own (heck, Anna Kendrick wants to have sex with Hudgens as a result)… but they’re made even more so when you consider what Hudgens was going through at the time.
“Imagine you had Vanessa Hudgens’ day, and doing that. What a superhero. In total awe,” Tweeted Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda in response.
And he was far from alone in his praise:
Austin Butler: WOW @VanessaHudgens singing ‘Worst Things’ had me in tears. Just brilliant.
Demi Lovato: My prayers are with @VanessaHudgens today.. You are one strong, and admirable woman.
Ashley Tisdale: I wouldn’t expect anything less @VanessaHudgens is killing it! So proud of my girl.
And after all the hand-jiving and grease lightnings were over and done with, Fox concluded its three-hour performance with a dedication to Hudgens’ father, Greg.
Sad, but perfect, right?
Here’s a look at the most memorable moments from a great production:
