RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE Star Jackie Cox Joins Musical Theatre West's Summer Production of GREASE

Don't be a "beauty school dropout" this summer! Musical Theatre West has announced that the iconic role of Teen Angel for its summer production of Grease will be played by RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 star Darius Rose, aka Jackie Cox! This exciting, transformative production will open with an opening night Sizzlin' Summer Sock-hop on July 9th, where show-goers are encouraged to dress in their best 50's era get-ups. The show runs on select dates, July 8 - July 24, 2022 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of Cal State Long Beach. Tickets for the rockin' return of Grease to the Musical Theatre West stage range from $20 - $96 each and are available now, by phone at 562-856-1999 or online at musical.org.

Southern California's premiere musical theater company is thrilled to welcome the "Persian Princess" Jackie Cox to the MTW stage for MULTIPLE fabulous roles within the fiercely talented and inclusive cast! The multi-talented star will showcase her range as the sassy and savvy Teen Angel, serenading Frenchy to stay in school with the fan-favorite song "Beauty School Dropout." Jackie will also steal the spotlight with her shushing of the rowdy Rydell High students as no-nonsense English teacher, Miss Lynch.

Jackie shared, "I've loved Grease since I was a kid but never saw myself in the show, so I'm beyond thrilled that we have a new more inclusive vision for Grease! My Drag is very much influenced by that era, and I can't wait to pay homage to Eve Arden (amongst other iconic divas) in my portrayal of Miss Lynch."

Jackie will present a new take on the iconic Teen Angel character, adding, "Drag was underground in the 50s and 60s but it certainly existed. In the way I see my Teen Angel, I've come up with a backstory where Frenchie met some queer people in beauty school who introduced her to whatever underground drag shows are happening near Rydell. So her vision of Teen Angel just happens to be a fabulous drag queen!"

Jackie Cox was the first queen of Iranian descent to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race, making history when she appeared in a hijab on the runway. In her hometown of NYC, Jackie has long been a feature of the theatrical cabaret scene and recently completed a world tour of her show JackieVision which featured her take on the hit song "Agatha All Along" and was showcased on the Disney+ show This is Me: A Pride Celebration Spectacular.

In addition to Drag Race, Jackie has appeared in a recurring role on NBC's Days of Our Lives & Peacock's Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, in ABC's What Would You Do?, in Fusion's Shade: Queens of NYC, as well as numerous appearances on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, winning the title of "Real Queen of Beverly Hills" for her impersonation of TV personality and Depends undergarment spokeswoman, Lisa Rinna.

In a prior life before drag, Darius performed in regional theater productions primarily in California. Regional credits include: Light in the Piazza (Giuseppe) El Portal Theater of North Hollywood, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hedwig) Orange County's Theater Out, Big River (Huck) The Gem of Garden Grove, Les Miserables (Lesgles) Vista's Moonlight Amphitheatre, and Godspell (Jesus) Pacifica Spindrift Players. Darius holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from UCLA's School of Theater Film and Television.

Musical Theatre West is honored to have Jackie Cox as a part of its rockin' revival of Grease. With this rendition of Grease, MTW will feature a contemporary cast and creative team that highlights the progress of theater since the original Grease musical debuted on Broadway 50 years ago. Jackie joins the highly-anticipated production of iconic 50's tale of teen angst (and teen angels!), that will feature all the fan-favorite song and dance numbers that cemented Grease as the soundtrack of a generation. Sing along with Teen Angel for "Beauty School Dropout," laugh at Miss Lynch's strict dance contest rules, and cheer on the love story of Danny and Sandy with Musical Theatre West this July!

"We couldn't be more thrilled to have Jackie Cox in our latest revival of Grease," said Paul Garman, Executive Director of Musical Theatre West. "It is important to us that all theater-goers can see themselves on-stage and feel represented, especially in our beautifully diverse community of Long Beach. Jackie is an extreme talent whom we can't wait for audiences to experience this summer, along with the rest of our amazing cast and creative team."

The Long Beach premiere of Grease will kick off summer on select dates, July 8 - July 24, 2022. Tickets are currently priced at $20 - $96, available for purchase by phone at 562-856-1999 or online at musical.org. Fees may apply. Not recommended for children under 14. More information, a full line-up of performances, and additional details can be found at https://musical.org.

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