The Colby Echo

Issue date: 2/9/07 Section: News & Features

Media Credit: Courtesy Billy Bush '94

Billy Bush '94, first cousin of President George W. Bush, is hosting a new unscripted talent competition series aimed at casting the lead roles in a June 2007 Broadway revival of the musical Grease. The show, Grease: You're the One That I Want, premiered Jan. 7 on NBC and is being used to select the parts of Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko for the show, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.

Prior to his new gig, Bush hosted the radio morning show Billy Bush and the Bush League Morning Show in Washington D.C., served as East Coast correspondent for the entertainment news show Access Hollywood from 2002 until mid-2004, and made his third appearance as co-host of Miss Universe 2005. With his facetious sense of humor and on-the-air shenanigans with celebrity interviewees, Bush has managed to create a name for himself in the entertainment business.

A major in International Studies and Government, Bush was captain of the men's lacrosse team for two years and a DJ for WMHB. "That's when I got the bug, and just in time. It was my senior year, and I realized I could do this for a living," he said in an interview for Colby Magazine in 2004.

While he is also remembered on campus for being a first cousin of the current President, and the fact that his uncle, George H.W. Bush delivered the commencement address at his 1994 graduation, there is more to his time on campus than that. One professor, Adjunct Assistant Professor of English for Speech and Debate David Mills, remembers Bush quite well. "He was a lot of fun, he was lively, and I always enjoyed his company," Mills said.

"He actually took all his clothes off in speech class one day - the speech was in defense of a streaker at Berkely," Mills said. While Bush remained behind the podium throughout the duration of the speech, Mills said it was confirmed by a late comer to class that he had indeed gone all the way with the stunt.

Mills recruited Bush to appear in a production of Romeo & Juliet that he was directing, based on his success in speech class. While he kept his costume on while on stage, he was known to leave backstage of Page Commons in favor of a quick beer with friends between scenes in the nearby Marchese Blue Light Pub. "He was good, he did it well," Mills said of the production, adding, "Between that and my speech class, I feel some responsibility for his success."

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