GREASE Co-Author Jim Jacobs Donates $50,000 To Chicago's American Theater Company, Honoring PJ Paparelli

Chicago's American Theater Company, founded in 1985 as American Blues Theater, has established itself as company dedicated to exploring, nurturing and developing theatre that speaks to the working-class people of Chicago. Since 1993 their productions have been staged in an intimate 100 seat theatre transformed from a warehouse.

One of those intimate productions was the premiere of Stephen Karam's THE HUMANS, which just opened to rave reviews at Roundabout's Off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre and was almost immediately announced for a Broadway transfer by producer Scott Rudin.

As reported by Chris Jones in the Chicago Tribute, Jim Jacobs, who, with the late Warren Casey, wrote the Broadway musical GREASE, has made a gift of $50,000 to the American Theater Company for the purpose of developing new work.

GREASE premiered in a small Chicago theatre before moving to New York in 1972 and closing eight years later as Broadway's longest running production. (It now ranks at #15) After a film version considered an American classic and countless productions around the world, FOX will televise GREASE: LIVE on Sunday, January 31st at 7pm ET.

Jacobs' dedication to American Theater Company was due in great part to his professional relationship with the company's late artistic director, PJ Paparelli, who was killed earlier this year in a car accident. The two of them collaborated on what was billed THE ORIGINAL GREASE, an ATC production of the musical's original Chicago version, before the numerous revisions that came with Broadway and Hollywood.

Jacobs hopes that his gift will inspire others to match his commitment to Paparelli's legacy.

"It's really about, 'Let's keep the theater going'"

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Visit American Theater Company at atcweb.org.

GREASE: LIVE, which airs Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, will reintroduce and reimagine some of the show's most memorable moments, great music and timeless love story to an entirely new generation. In this live television adaptation of the musical classic, the beginning of senior year means the end of Danny and Sandy's summer romance - until Sandy unexpectedly transfers to Danny's high school. With their friends pulling them in different directions, it's up to Danny and Sandy to stay hopelessly devoted as they make their way from Rydell High to a new frontier.

GREASE: LIVE is a Paramount Television production. Executive-produced by Marc Platt ("Wicked," "Into the Woods"). Thomas Kail ("Hamilton," "In the Heights") is the director overseeing the stage direction and Alex Rudzinski ("Dancing with the Stars") will serve as the live television director. Broadway writers Robert Cary ("Anything but Love," "Ira & Abby") and Jonathan Tolins ("Buyer & Cellar," "The Last Sunday in June") will write the LIVE television adaptation. GREASE: LIVE is based on the original musical "Grease" by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, andParamount Pictures' 1978 feature adaptation. It is a Paramount Television production.

"Like" GREASE: LIVE on Facebook at facebook.com/GreaseLive. Follow the series on Twitter at @GreaseLive, and Instagram @GreaseLiveFOX.