Aiming to be the one that you want

Celaya, known as Boy-band Danny, is trying to return to the roots of his acting career as Danny Zuko through the new NBC reality show. It would bring the performer full circle since playing the role of the leader of the T-Birds was Celaya’s first taste of acting as a senior at Hillsdale High in 1993.

"It was so surreal [to see Jason on TV]. It was amazing. That’s my little boy. That’s the little boy who said, ‘I’m not going to school. And, I’m not doing this.’ All the little things you could think of. It was amazing to see someone that I knew on TV. That was the first time I had seen that,” said his mother Sonia Celaya Gee.

Celaya grew up in Foster City as the middle of seven children.

"He was cute, round-faced and would keep us all in stitches. He loved to dance and loved to sing and loved to be the center of attention. He was so cute,” she said.

But the family thought Celaya’s future was in sports. Growing up, he was the little athlete partaking in basketball and soccer all the way through high school. He had never taken to the stage, but a friend suggested he audition for the school musical senior year. Celaya debuted as Danny Zuko in the Hillsdale presentation of "Grease.”

Celaya headed to Brigham Young University after high school for a year before taking a two-year religious mission in Guatemala. He returned to BYU after and graduated in 2003 with his bachelors of fine arts degree in musical theater. Celaya modeled throughout college to help pay his tuition.

He loved dance and was on the college dance team performing ballroom dance. After college he taught hip hop, Latin and pop dance before getting an off-Broadway break in the musical "Altar Boyz” — a look at the life of a boy band. When the chance came to return to his ’50s roots, Celaya headed to Los Angeles to audition for the show. Now, Celaya is one of seven Dannys-to-be trying to win over the American public as well as the celebrity judges in a chance to perform on stage in New York.

Celaya’s mother makes the trip to Los Angeles every time there’s a taping to cheer on her little boy. But watching people judge someone she loves is a little difficult. During the last taping, Gee watched judges tell Celaya to be less pop.

"I felt like standing up in the audience … because I think he’s so wonderful. It’s hard. But, I’m sure it’ll be harder [as the competition continues]. He just smiled through everything. It’s always hard to hear criticism about somebody you care for. I’m sure everything will be OK,” said Gee.

Despite the harsh criticism Gee said her son is accurately depicted on the small screen as someone with a big, kind heart who’s willing to listen.

"All the contestants love him. They go over to him for a hug or they go over to him for a problem and I can see that. I could see that they all stand around him,” she said. "And, it’s because they feel he’s a kind person.”

"Grease: You’re the one that I want,” airs on NBC on Sundays. Voting begins at 7 p.m. central time. For more information on the show visit www.nbc.com/Grease/.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.