The actress performed in Fox's live musical event on Sunday just one day after her father died.
It was an emotional weekend for Vanessa Hudgens, who wowed fans as Rizzo in Fox’s Grease: Live! on Sunday night, just one day after losing her father, Greg, to cancer.
The 27-year-old actress took to social media on Monday to thank friends and fans for their support and to celebrate the efforts of the entire Grease: Live! cast and crew.
“I can't believe@gogrease is OVER! Grand opening and grand closing. Thank you to everyone who watched and supported me last night,” she wrote. “Doing #greaselive was one of the most incredible experiences and I'm so glad you guys liked it as much as I did. Till next time Rizz... ❤️ #pinkladyforlife.”
Hudgens’ performance was a highlight of the impressive live musical, particularly her rendition of Rizzo’s heartbreaking ballad, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.” On social media, her friends and fans were effusive with their praise for the actress’ performance.
“WOW @VanessaHudgens singing 'Worst Things' had me in tears,” Hudgens’ boyfriend, Austin Butler, tweeted. “Just brilliant #GreaseLive.”
Grease: Live! executive producer Marc Platt spoke to Variety on Monday about Hudgens’ personal strength and powerful performance.
“It was incredibly brave of her. She’s a professional, but she’s also a human being and a daughter,” he said. “She knew that she had to put that in a box for a few hours and use it to fuel her performance ... Her performance speaks for itself. We were all very proud of her and send love to her family.”
The show also honored the actress’ father in the credits with a special title card reading, "In loving memory of Greg Hudgens."
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Check out the video below for more highlights from Hudgens’ performance.