Grease Is The Word This Summer At Mainstage In Gloucester Township

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Get ready to do the hand-jive, put on your bobby socks and celebrate teen life in the 1950’s with the kids from Rydell High as "Grease" takes the stage in this Mainstage Center for the Arts’ production. This fun-loving musical runs July 22–29 at Camden County College’s Dennis Flyer Theatre. It’s sponsored by First Bank, The Meadows Diner, Bowman & Company, LLP, Cordasco Financial Group and Advocare DelGiorno Adult Medicine.

Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, "Grease" is one of the world’s most popular musicals. It originally ran on Broadway for eight years and has had two revivals, numerous international productions, a movie, and live TV event. The Mainstage production involves nearly 80 local actors and main parts are double-cast.

Packed with familiar songs including "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'," and "Beauty School Drop Out," GREASE follows a group of teens as they navigate high school love and life. The guys, the T-Birds, are led by Danny Zukko (Jared Camacho and Jake Ropka, both of Cherry Hill). His followers include Kenickie (Paul Sigall of Williamstown and Charlie Barnie), Doody (Collin Correveau of Plainsboro and Andrew Ramos-Vassall of Atco), Rodger (Nick Flagg of Williamstown), and Sonny (Jacob Long of Haddon Heights and Lance Raikes of Deptford).

“It’s a unique situation for me to play a character who’s familiar to everyone out there. I like working on Danny’s different dimensions such as when he plays it cool and holds back. He’s also a fun character to portray, especially when he’s messing around with the guys,” said Camacho.

Ropka agrees, “A good deal of portraying Danny is just silly. It’s a great summertime show.”

Danny’s life is turned upside down when his summer fling, Sandy Dumbrowski (Delaney Burke of Runnemede and Natasha Filipov of Washington Township) ends up being the new girl at school. Upon reuniting, he acts too cool for her. Sandy befriends the Pink Ladies – Rizzo (Jade Chandler of West Deptford and Meghan Kennedy of Deptford), Marty (Ashleigh Neilio of Magnolia and Kayleigh Corn or Washington Township), Frenchie (Kaitlin Bassi of Sicklerville and Laura DiStefano of Bellmawr), and Jan (Kaylee Coratto of Marlton and Lindsey Sowers of Williamstown).

The Pink Ladies advise Sandy about the romance as Danny and Sandy try to decide if they belong together.

“It’s so nice to come back to Mainstage this summer, where I grew up coming to Summer Stage,” said Filipov.”I’m excited to be part of this show, especially since it’s the first time Mainstage has ever done Grease.”

Burke said, “In the play, Sandy is stronger than in the movie. I like that about portraying her.”

Additional characters include: cheerleader Patty Simcox (Nicole Duffy of Williamstown and Maggie O’Connor of West Deptford), Cha Cha (Nadia Straciollini of Washington Township and Anaya Colon of Cherry Hill), Eugene (Jayson Borenstein of Cherry Hill), Teen Angel (Greg Harr), Miss Lynch (Marissa Wolf), Vince Fontaine (CJ Kish), Sheila (Kiara Johnson), Hero (Jack Granite) and Scientist (Joshua Wiggins).

"Grease" is directed by Angela Longo and choreographed by Kate Orlando.

Longo said, “Grease is such a fun show with fantastic dance numbers and music that everyone enjoys. The cast is having a great time exploring life in the 1950’s as they prepare for the performance. We’ve been talking about the gender roles and sexism of that time and comparing how society today is much more socially aware. Presenting Grease today naturally lends itself to satire and we’re taking that on a bit. It will be fun for the audience.”

Spend some summer nights, or an afternoon, watching Grease. It runs July 22, 28, 29 at 7:30 pm and July 23 at 2 p.m. For tickets visit www.mainstage.org. or call (856) 227-3091.

About Mainstage

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization committed to providing a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Summer Stage, South Jersey’s longest running, most affordable visual arts camp, began in 1989 as an expansion of a successful middle school drama program. That first year, South Jersey Summer Stage was comprised of 65 sixth through twelfth graders and 10 staff members. Since then, Summer Stage has grown from one camp to nine programs offering exciting opportunities for those entering second grade through young adults. Now, more than 75 staff members direct, teach, design, choreograph, and prepare 500 young artists to be the very best they can be.