GREASE Comes To PlayhouseSquare As Part of KeyBank Broadway Series 5/11-23

The new Broadway production of the Tony Award nominated musical GREASE^TM will come to PlayhouseSquare May 11-23, 2010 as a part of the KeyBank Broadway Series. Tickets are on sale now at www.playhousesquare.org, by phone at 216-241-6000 or at The PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office.

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^TM 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 including "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'" and "We Go Together."

Platinum-selling recording artist and "American Idol" winner, Taylor Hicks, stars in the production as "Teen Angel." Hicks made his Broadway debut in the role of "Teen Angel" and has been on the road with GREASE^TM since the tour began on December 2, 2008.

"I had such a great experience performing on Broadway," says Hicks. "This is a great opportunity to visit old fans and new fans across the country while bringing them a great Broadway show!"

Taylor Hicks achieved widespread fame in 2006 as a contestant on the hugely successful FOX singing competition "American Idol." On May 24, 2006, Hicks was named the winner of the fifth season of "Idol" with over 63.4 million votes in total, during the live finale which aired to a worldwide audience of over 200 million viewers. On March 10, 2009, Taylor Hicks released his much anticipated new studio album The Distance, featuring the single "Seven Mile Breakdown."

The tour continues to star Josh Franklin as "Danny," Lauren Ashley Zakrin as "Sandy," Will Blum as "Roger," Hudson, OH native Bridie Carroll as "Jan," Kate Morgan Chadwick as "Frenchy," Laura D'Andre as "Rizzo," Kelly Felthous as "Marty," Allison Fischer as "Patty Simcox," Dominic Fortuna as "Vince Fontaine," Jesse JP Johnson as "Doody," Roxie Lucas as "Miss Lynch," David Ruffin as "Kenickie," Jamison Scott as "Eugene," and Youngstown, OH native Nick Verina as "Sonny."

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^TM originated in Chicago and made its premiere at The Kingston Mines Theater in 1971 before making its New York premiere off-Broadway at the Eden Theatre on February 14, 1972. After 128 sold-out performances, the show made the transition to Broadway taking up residence at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 7, 1972. GREASE^TM was nominated for seven Tony Awards in its spectacular initial run. On November 21, 1972, the show moved to the Royale Theatre before making its final transfer on January 20, 1980 to the Majestic Theatre. It closed as the longest running show in Broadway history after playing 3,388 performances. In 1978, GREASE^TM became a hugely popular feature film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles.

GREASE^TM, which opened on Broadway on Sunday, August 19, 2007, was born out of NBC's landmark talent competition TV series, "Grease: You're The One That I Want." The weekly talent competition drew 90 million viewers, and allowed America to vote for its favorite contestants to play the lead roles of "Sandy" and "Danny" on Broadway. Directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town), GREASE^TM features book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and WarRen Casey. Additional songs from the film are by Barry Gibb, John Farrar, Louis St. Louis and Scott Simon.

GREASE^TM features scenic design by Tony Award winner Derek McLane (33 Variations), costume design by two-time Tony Award winner Martin Pakledinaz (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kiss Me Kate), lighting design by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner (The Coast of Utopia, Wicked) and sound design by Brian Ronan (Spring Awakening, Curtains).

GREASE^TM is produced on tour by Paul Nicholas and David Ian, Nederlander Presentations, Inc. and Terry Allen Kramer by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
www.greaseontour.com

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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