Riverside Theatre's Mainstage Season to Conclude with GREASE, 4/11-5/4
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 19, 2013
Riverside Theatre's Simply Amazing Season concludes with the effervescent musical comedy Grease on the Stark Stage. Written by composer, lyricist and librettists Jim Jacobs & WarRen Casey, Grease takes the stage from April 11 through May 4, 2013 and is sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors and Riverside Theatre's Patron Producers group.
Get ready to hand-jive the night away with the rollicking, hip-shaking, original high school musical, Grease. Danny, the 'bad boy greaser' falls in love with Sandy the 'girl next door', but will their differences keep them apart or will love conquer all? Featuring the unforgettable songs "You're The One That I Want," "Summer Nights," "We Go Together," "Hopelessly Devoted To You," and many more, Grease is the electrifyin', rock n' roll musical of a simpler time - of growin' up, cruisin', and goin' steady.
The show opened at the Eden Theatre on February 14, 1972 and garnered seven Tony Award nominations. When the show closed in April 1980 it had run for 3,388 performances, making it the longest running Broadway show to date. A Chorus Line would surpass that total a few years later. Grease became a hit in London, a smash musical film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and garnered two successful Broadway revivals in 1994 and 2007.
Set in 1959 at Rydell High School, Grease follows the lives of ten working-class teenagers as they follow their hearts and their dreams. While the musical score recreates the sounds of a bygone era, the story deals with issues that are still current - falling in love, fitting in, never giving up on your goals.
Riverside Theatre's production is directed by Bruce Lumpkin and stars Matthew Ragas as Danny, Laura Giknis as Sandy, Michael Warrell as Kenickie, Richard Cerato as Doody, Matthew Rossoff as Sonny, Adolpho Blaire as Roger, Kate Fahrner as Betty, Lilly Tobin as Frenchy, Rachel Camp as Marty, Tara Tagliaferro as Jan, Nate Golden as Eugene, Tracey Dunn as Patty, Eric Kunze as Vince & Teen Angel, Brad Greer as Johnny Casino, Elizabeth Racanelli as Cha-Cha Digregorio and Mary Martello as Miss Lynch. The remaining cast members are: Hallie Cercone, Owen Pelesh, Kerri Rose and Matthew Steffens.
The design team includes: Michelle Gaudette (Choreographer), Ken Clifton (Music Director), Cliff Simon (Scenic Designer), Lisa Zinni (Costume Designer), Richard Winkler (Lighting Designer), Craig Beyrooti (Sound Designer) with Ingrid Olson (Stage Manager) and Nikki Baldwin (Assistant Stage Manager). Casting was done in New York by Wojcik / Seay Casting, LLC.
Grease performs April 11 through May 4, 2013 on the Stark Stage at Riverside Theatre. Tickets are $36 - $70. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com.
Performances are: April 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 & May 3 @ 8pm; April 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, May 1, 2 & 4 @ 2pm; and April 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, May 1 & 2 @ 7:30pm.
Riverside Theatre is the largest professional producing, not-for-profit theatre in the state of Florida. Riverside Theatre programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Riverside Theatre is a member of the Cultural Council of Indian River County.
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR: Bruce Lumpkin: Since its beginnings, Greasehas preserved its never-ending popularity, proving that its themes remain eternal and appeal to every generation. When Grease premiered on Broadway in 1972, it amusingly depicted a slice of the rock'n'roll influenced teenage life of the 1950s. Additionally, the show challenged the conventional style of musicals of the period, emerged as a classic in its own right, and defined a new genre of musicals. The show was an instant hit amongst the public, and seven years later, it became the longest-running show in the history of Broadway. The 1978 cult-classic film only heightened the musical's popularity by introducing the story and music to the masses. Since then, Greasehas only continued to become well-known and beloved all over the world.
Grease is a timeless musical which entertainingly captures the shifting world of the 1950s-a world in which pop culture and rock'n'roll greatly influenced the dress, speech, and behavior of a generation; liberated adolescent America; and forever changed mainstream American culture. The musical interestingly portrays and deals with a variety of real issues found in 1950s teenage life while it thoroughly entertains.
Grease is one of those musicals that we do not only because it is enjoyable and entertaining but because it evokes a certain amount of nostalgia within us for a bygone era and has become a treasured piece of musical theatre which we can revel in over and over again. I certainly feel a special connection to the musical. Early in my career, the first job I landed after moving to New York City was on a tour of Grease, and I am thrilled to be returning to this show with a fresh approach. I am delighted to be working at Riverside Theatre for the first time, and I hope that our production will maintain the legacy of this musical.
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