North Riverside, IL – Greased Lightning illuminates the
stage in North Riverside Recreation Community Theater’s (NRRCT)
latest production. Grease, a Broadway hit made even more popular
by the 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John,
transports audiences back to the 50s, complete with poodle skirts,
sock-hops and the hand jive.
Created by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease first debuted
on Broadway in 1972. Favorite songs include Beauty School Dropout,
Greased Lightnin’, Summer Nights, and We Go Together. Grease
was nominated for seven Tony awards and played 3388 performances
before closing on Broadway in April 1980.
Grease’s plot centers around the teenage relationship between
Danny Zuko, the leader of the Rydell High School “greaser” gang,
and Sandy Dombrowski, a goody-goody newcomer taken under the wings
of the Pink Ladies, the female counterpart to the greasers’ gang. “People
of all ages love the show,” said first-time NRRCT director
Jay Fontanetta. “Whether it’s because they grew up
in the 50's and the show brings them favorable nostalgia, or because
they grew up in the 70's and remember how popular the show was
when it came out, or even if they grew up in the 90's and simply
love the music, Grease appeals to people.” Fontanetta also
believes audiences appreciate Grease’s underlying message. “It’s
about being true to yourself. Danny and Sandy both attempt to change
for love, but their true personalities first attracted them to
each other and bring them together in the end.”
Fontanetta’s new to NRRCT but no stranger to the theater.
For the past four years, he has worked as theater director for
Elmwood Park high school and as Artistic Director for the Elmwood
Park Community Theatre, where his directing credits include Lanford
Wilson's The Rimers of Eldritch, Guys and Dolls, and Hair. He spent
many years as a company member of Circle Theatre where his credits
include directing subUrbia, When You Comin' Back Red Ryder, and
the Midwest premiere of Frank Pugliese's Aven'U Boys. He is a member
of the Illinois Theatre Association and a frequent contributor
to the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.
The cast includes Maggie Zdarsky of Broadview, Joe Disantis of
Brookfield, Rosana Sentana and Eric Hanson of Chicago, Giselle
Ruecking of Elmhurst, Anthony Patryn, Brian Carmack, and Tricia
Murphy of Elmwood Park, Jim Cirese of LaGrange, Synoma Hays of
Melrose Park, Mickey Smith of Milwaukee, Angelica Landa, Brett
Radeck, Debbie Czajka, Jake Czajka, Jason Czajka, Josh Czajka,
Joan Halvey, Alyssa Ray, Lauren Wilcox, and Elizabeth Beherndt
of North Riverside, Claire Saxe, Diane Nora, Katie Monahan and
Lilya Ouskel of Oak Park, Emily Goldberg and Kate Spear of River
Forest, Sarah Depillo of River Grove, Brittany Vogel and Diane
Kelley of Riverside, Michael Lewis and Sandra Mendez of Summit,
and Carolyn Webber of Westchester.
Rev your engines, slick back your hair, and head over to North
Riverside Recreation Community Theater to enjoy Grease!
Grease opens on Friday, April 28th and continues through Sunday,
May 7th at the North Riverside Village Commons located at 2401
S. Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside, Illinois. Evening performances
will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm.
Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and students
with ID, and $6 for children under 12. For tickets, call Terri
at 708-567-3572.
The North Riverside Recreation Community Theater (www.nrrct.com)
is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 with the goal
of expanding appreciation of the arts by presenting quality theater
at affordable prices. Since its inception, the group has produced
28 shows, ranging from time-honored classics such as Hello, Dolly!
and The Music Man, to modern shows such as Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat and Little Shop of Horrors, to six original
scripts written by NRRCT members.
