Interview: Taylor Quick And Nick Cortazzo of GREASE At Fulton Theatre

After seeing Grease on opening night, I sat down with Nick Cortazzo and Taylor Quick, playing the lead roles, to understand who these two talented performers are and why they came to Lancaster’s Fulton theater for this popular show. What follows is excerpts from that conversation:

BWW: Can you tell our readers a little about your background?

Cortazzo: I started in Pittsburgh doing theater from a young age. Then I went to Baldwin Wallace University, outside of Cleveland, and graduated from their musical theater program in 2021. Then I made the move to New York. I was there for five months and then went out with the Hairspray tour. I’ve played Link Larkin for fourteen months and then auditioned for Grease. 

Quick: I was born and raised in Little Rock Arkansas. I grew up as a dancer. Ballet was my first love. I went to the Joffrey Ballet School summer intensive and was invited to stay year round, but didn’t and chose to pursue acting instead. I had grown up surrounded by singing and dancing. My Aunt was on Broadway. My mom was a dancer. I knew musical theater included all three. I wouldn’t have to give up dance. Actually, dancing, especially ballet, has helped me so much. I received a BFA in musical theater and moved to New York

BWW: Why did you seek out a role in Grease?

Cortazzo: My agents notified me of the project. It started with an audition tape which I filmed at one o’clock in the morning during a travel day for the Hairspray tour. We were stuck in Michigan, flew on a plane that we thought might crash, and finally made it to…I have know idea where we ended up. We were in a dingy hotel room and I thought, “ I guess I’ve got to record this.” I was worried about the sound and the thin wall, but I finished the recording and, after submitting, I got a call back. I went to New York for the call back and read with Taylor. I flew back to the Hairspray tour and as soon as I returned I got the call that I was going to be Danny. I learned a lot doing Hairspray and was ready for my next challenge. I had done Grease in Summer stock during college and grew up on the movie. I used to sing “Your the One that I Want” on my karaoke machine. It’s now a full circle moment. 

Quick: Like Nick I got an appointment from my agents. I knew Grease was coming and I have always wanted to play Sandy but never have. I submitted an audition tape and got the role. 

BWW: Grease is a much loved and well known movie. How did this impact your preparation for the role?

Quick: I grew up with the Grease movie and always loved Olivia Newton-John. I didn’t want to be a carbon copy of her. I definitely do tiny things that are a nod to her, but you would have to really know the music to catch those. I definitely wanted to honor her because of her recent passing, but at the same time, I wanted to bring my own to Sandy. Also, the libretto (musical script and lyrics) is very different than the movie script.  

Cortazzo: Part of it is honoring the movie. We’re not doing Shakespeare, people expect to see the Grease they know. I try to bring myself to the character and find his softness. Danny and Sandy fell in love. So there is a real human being there behind the facade. Finding the soft pieces and showing what Sandy fell in love with helps explain the ending in a way that shows each character expressing who they really are.   

BWW: As the main characters and love interests, how did you accomplish the chemistry needed to sell this romance? 

Quick: I recognized right away that Nick is fun to act off of. We got along right away and didn't take ourselves too seriously. With the more physical scene we had an amazing intimacy coach, Nora Gair. She was so awesome. It was my first time working with an intimacy coach and she was able to shape the scene so you are not guessing. I already had trust in Nick, so I wasn’t worried. And really, we just had fun. 

Cortazzo: In the audition, I thought, “This is the girl who is going to play Sandy”. Normally, a reader sits behind a table and reads lines with you and gives you no inflection to work with. Taylor and I fully did these scenes together [during call backs]. It was fun right off the bat having just met. Our relationship works so well off stage that it translates on stage.

BWW: Were there other characters/ actors who you enjoyed working with?

Cortazzo:We all have fun together both on stage and off. I have a lot of fun with Gianna [Gianna Yanelli] who is Rizzo, both on and off stage. We created some fun moments together in the show. I think the show is cast incredibly well?

Quick: I agree, it is really well cast and it’s a blast to work with everyone. I wish I had more scenes with the Pink Ladies. At the end of the show, it’s fun to connect with the Burger Palace Boys [AKA the T-Birds] and the Pink Ladies. Even though Rizzo is awful to me in the show, Gianna [Gianna Yanelli] is lovely and we couldn’t laugh any harder together offstage. I love the whole cast. Everyone is fantastic and nobody is afraid to have a good time. 

BWW: Were there any challenges you had to overcome?

Cortazzo: My biggest challenge with the show is the script. It does not set the actor up for success. Fortunately, there was a lot of language and dialogue that was cut because it was a script from the 60’s and not appropriate. A Lot of adjustments made. All of Danny’s lines start with “What do you mean? Are you kidding?” So it’s challenging to make them each different. Trying to make these lines make sense in today’s world. 

Quick: I was so happy they took out the offensive material. When we first got the script I thought, “Ahhh, this is not ok”. It wasn't okay then but definitely not now, especially with kids coming to see the show. My biggest challenge was to not make Sandy one note, completely vanilla. The script makes this difficult. She is the new girl and not like the others who are bold and larger than life characters. She is not like the Pink Ladies and not supposed to be. She has to be different. That's what part of the show is about. So I had a good time exploring how to not make her flat. I Think the bravery is in her all along. She may not be as experienced as the Pink Ladies, but that doesn’t mean she's not intelligent or can’t stand up for herself. I enjoy finding those attributes about her and playing those strong moments. Sandy's bravery has always been there. I chose to play it in a way that the change doesn't come out of the blue. Instead of changing for someone else, the Pink Ladies help her to be brave, determined and confident in who she is. 

BWW: Can you tell our readers about some of your favorite moments in the show?

Cortazzo: I do enjoy my scenes with Taylor. We really do not interact with each other a lot on stage. That is another challenge to convince this audience that we like each other and only have two and half scenes to get that done. I really like “we go together” at the end of both acts. The mega mix is fun.

Quick:  My favorite number so far is actually, “Summer Nights” because it's one of the only times that almost everyone is on stage and I get to look everyone in the eyes. That scene before is always so fun because those Pink Ladies are hysterical to interact with. The song is such an exciting moment and the audience eats it up. It’s a lot of fun. Of course I adore any moment I get to share with Nick. I also watch “Sandy” from the wings every night because I love it so much.

BWW: What has your experience been working at the Fulton Theatre?

Cortazzo: I love it! I have not worked anywhere else that treats their actors as well as we are treated. The people are lovely. The town loves the theater and the town is really cute. I love Central Market. 

Quick: The theater itself is one of the prettiest I have ever performed in. The rehearsal space is

Cortazzo: Stunning

Quick: floor to ceiling windows. It's so nice. They treat us so well. The town is so cute. Everytime I come here I discover more. It’s adorable

BWW: Given this opportunity to share your thoughts with your audience, what else would you like the Fulton patrons to know about you or the show?

Cortazzo: Get your tickets. There are not a lot left. It’s great for family or date night. There is something for everyone. 

Quick: It runs till July 23rd. You will leave singing and dancing

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