Live Theater, Local

“Grease” is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis!

Posted: January 8, 2010 at 7:50 am   /   by   /   comments (2)

IS COMING TO THE FABULOUS FOX!

STARRING PLATINUM-SELLING SINGER/SONGWRITER
AND “AMERICAN IDOL” WINNER
TAYLOR HICKS

WELCOMES NEW CAST MEMBERS
ACE YOUNG,
LAURA D’ANDRE, ALLISON FISCHER,
JESSE JP JOHNSON AND JAMISON SCOTT

The new Broadway production of the Tony Award nominated musical GREASE™, opens in St. Louis at the Fabulous Fox Theatre for 16 performances, January 12-24, 2010. Tickets are available at the Fox Theatre box office, all MetroTix outlets, online at www.metrotix.com or by phone at 314-534-1111.

Grease Tour 11 Pictures

Grease tour 11: Freddy, My Love featuring Bridie Carroll, Allie Schulz, Kelly Felthous and Kate Morgan Chadwick. Photo by Joan Marcus.

After spending a hopelessly devoted summer with Sandy Dumbrowski, the new girl in town, Danny Zuko’s world is thrown upside down when Sandy appears at Rydell High on the first day of school. What follows is a rock n’ roll celebration of growin’ up, cruisin’ with friends and goin’ steady. The new production of GREASE™ features songs from the smash hit 1978 motion picture for the first time ever in a Broadway production including “Sandy,” the Academy Award nominated song “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Grease” and “You’re the One That I Want” – both of which were #1 hits on the Billboard Top 100 list. These songs will be heard in addition to the Jacobs/Casey songs made famous by the original stage production: “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’” and “We Go Together.”

Ace & Lauren:  Ace Young & Lauren Ashley Zakrin portraying Danny & Sandy.  Photo by Daniel A. Swalec.

Ace & Lauren: Ace Young & Lauren Ashley Zakrin portraying Danny & Sandy. Photo by Daniel A. Swalec.

In this production, Ace Young (“American Idol” Season 5 finalist and Grammy nominated songwriter) will star as “Danny.” Lauren Ashley Zakrin (understudy for “Elle Woods” in the first national tour of Legally Blonde) will star as “Sandy.” “American Idol” Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks continues to star as “Teen Angel.” Taylor Hicks made his debut on Broadway in the role. The tour also stars: Laura D’Andre as “Rizzo,” Allison Fischer as “Patty Simcox,” Jesse JP Johnson as “Doody,” Jamison Scott as “Eugene,” Will Blum as “Roger,” Bridie Carroll as “Jan,” Kate Morgan Chadwick as “Frenchy,” Kelly Felthous as “Marty,” and Dominic Fortuna as “Vince Fontaine.”

The ensemble features Joseph Corella, Preston Ellis, Erin Henry, Ruby Lewis, Dayla Perkins, Mark Raumaker, Mike Russo, Matthew William Schmidt, Christina Sivrich and Elizabeth Stacey.

GREASE™ will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre January 12-24, 2010. Performances are Tuesday-Saturday evenings, 8pm; Saturdays & Sundays, 2pm; and Sunday, January 17 at 7:30pm. There is also a weekday matinee on Thursday, January 21 at 1pm. Ticket prices range from $24-$66 and are subject to change. Please visit www.fabulousfox.com for current pricing information. Tickets are available at the Fox Theatre box office, all MetroTix outlets, online at www.metrotix.com or by phone at 314-534-1111. Group orders of 20 or more may be placed by calling 314-535-2900. GREASE™ is a U.S. Bank Broadway Series presentation and sponsored by American Airlines.

Buy Tickets Now!

GREASE BROADWAY HISTORY

• GREASE features book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
• GREASE originated in Chicago and made its premiere at The Kingston Mines Theater in 1971.
• GREASE made its off-Broadway premiere at the Eden Theater on February 14, 1972.
• The original Broadway production of GREASE opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 7, 1972.
• The original Broadway company of GREASE starred Barry Bostwick (Danny), Carole Demas (Sandy), Adrienne Barbeau (Rizzo), Timothy Meyers (Kenickie) and Walter Bobbie (Roger).
• GREASE was nominated for 7 Tony Awards during its spectacular initial Broadway run.
• GREASE closed on Broadway after 3,388 performances, closing as the longest running musical in Broadway history.
• A Broadway revival opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theater on May 11, 1994 and played 1,503 performances.
• Over the years, alumni of Rydell High have included John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Richard Gere, Patrick Swayze, Debbie Gibson, Frankie Avalon, Davy Jones, Chubby Checker, Lucy Lawless, Marilu Henner, Rosie O’Donnell, Linda Blair, Debby Boone, Sheena Easton, Jasmine Guy, Mackenzie Phillips, Brooke Shields, Dannii Minogue and Megan Mullally.

QUOTES FROM THE TOUR

Teen Angel featuring Taylor Hicks.  Photo by Larry Busacca.

Teen Angel featuring Taylor Hicks. Photo by Larry Busacca.

“The show, a touring version of last year’s Broadway revival, includes songs from the film, among them the luminous “Sandy” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” sung by the star-crossed lovers; and the rousing closer, “You’re the One That I Want” — in other words, most of the best-known songs from the whole Grease deal…they’re big hits for a reason.”

— Rick Massimo, Providence Journal (Dec. 2008)

“If Grease shares the same place in your heart that it does in mine, you will adore this incarnation. Everything you are looking for in a production of Grease is here.”
“The cast shines in numbers like ‘Summer Nights’, ‘We Go Together’, ‘Born to Hand Jive’ and for the first time in the play, ‘You’re the One That I Want’. The all-guys ‘Greased Lightnin’ pops. The choreography in these numbers is fresh, clever and tight. There are some moments of real “Oh, wow!” brilliance.

— Randy Rice, broadwayworld.com (Dec. 2008)

“Bad economy got you down? Holiday shopping stressing you out? Family driving you nuts?

Then buy a ticket to see “Grease”, and you’ll feel all the stress and sadness melt away. Somehow, a show legions of fans know inside and out, forwards and backwards and upside-down can still hold a crowd’s attention and get them smiling, even in the face of today’s tough times.

If you’ve been saying to yourself, “I’ve seen ‘Grease’ a hundred times, so I could probably skip this one,” do yourself a favor and check it out. This is a slick, professional production with great voices, fun sets and an old-fashioned good time. This isn’t a show to be scrutinized – it’s a show to simply be enjoyed.”

– Robin Miner-Swartz, Lansing State Journal (Dec. 2008)

“Taylor Hicks, an American Idol winner, seizes his magical moment. As Teen Angel, he sings Beauty School Dropout with a stirring voice and charming presence that nods with a few grins to his celebrity. Others may prefer the golden-oldie singers who filled the role on film or previous tours, but Hicks gets my vote.”

– Michael Grossberg, Columbus Dispatch (Dec. 2008)

“The Broadway touring version of ‘Grease’ is as slick as a greaser’s hair. It’s as fast as a T-Bird on a date and as loud as a high school hop. Director/Choreographer Kathleen Marshall has packed it with talented performers, and she keeps ’em hopping. The action is matched by the powerful voices of the cast, who really belt out those famous tunes.
Those who grew up with the movie version of the show will be glad that this latest Broadway production includes the popular songs added to the film, such as “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Grease” and “You’re the One That I Want.”

– Renee Valois, St Paul Pioneer Pres (Jan. 2009)

“Helmer-choreographer Kathleen Marshall’s much-hyped 2007 Broadway staging of this venerable rock ‘n’ roll tuner may have sprung forth from the NBC talent competition “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” but this road show incarnation proves that “Grease” has the basic substance to “hand jive” its way into infinity.

Infectious talent and energy flows from the kids at Rydell High. Emily Padgett’s Sandy Dumbrowski and Eric Schneider’s Danny Zuko are impressive as the respective goody-two-shoes new girl and the school’s bad boy who courts her.”

– Julio Martinez, VARIETY (Mar. 2009)

“The Soul Patrol meets the high school musical in the latest revival of “Grease.” Directed and choreographed by multiple Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, this show’s strength is its nonstop kinetic exuberance and committed young cast, who tear it up in big ensemble numbers like “Greased Lightnin’” and “We Go Together.”

And then there’s Mr. Hicks, who shows these youngsters what stage presence is all about. Resplendent in a black suit glittering with rhinestones, tongue firmly in cheek, Hicks appears as the Teen Angel who advises Frenchy to go back to class in the sly “Dropout.” If only all guidance counselors had such a sense of event. Mr. Hicks amps up the glamour factor and is a welcome guest. I just wish he’d played his harmonica longer.”

– Charlotte Stoudt, Los Angeles Times (Mar. 2009)