Broadway’s ‘Grease’ coming to LMC
Published 8:28 pm Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The new Broadway production of “Grease” will make a stop at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Sunday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday.
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, including “Sandy,” the Academy Award-nominated song “Hopelessly Devoted to You” as well as “Grease” and “You’re the One That I Want” — both of which were No. 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 such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’” and “We Go Together.”
Eddie Mekka will star in the tour as DJ Vince Fontaine. Mekka is best remembered as Carmine Ragusa on the hit TV classic “Laverne & Shirley.” The role of Carmine led to many guest appearances on television from “24,” “Crossing Jordan,” “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” “Rockford Files,” to “The Big Easy,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Family Matters,” “Guiding Light,” “Bold and Beautiful” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” opposite Danny Devito. Other credits include Detective Murdoch in the Fox TV movie “Catch Me if You Can;” the “Mulberry Street” series with Connie Sellecca; and “Blansky’s Beauties” with Nancy Walker, Scott Baio and more.
Mekka has appeared in the movies “Beaches,” “A League of Their Own” as Madonna’s boyfriend, “On Top of the World,” “Stand Up,” “Love Made Easy” and “Dream Girls.”
On Broadway, he was nominated as Best Actor for “The Lieutenant” (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), along with Joel Grey, Robert Preston, Raul Julia and John Cullum. Mekka also appeared in “Jumpers,” “The Magic Show” and the one-man show “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m in Therapy” (off-Broadway). His touring credits include “Damn Yankees” with Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon; “Fiddler on the Roof” (most recently with Sally Struthers); “Grease” with Cindy Williams; “The Goodbye Girl;” and “Hairspray” in Las Vegas.
“Grease” 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 Feb. 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” was nominated for seven Tony Awards in its spectacular initial run. On Nov. 21, 1972, the show moved to the Royale Theatre before making its final transfer on Jan. 20, 1980 to the Majestic Theatre. It closed as the longest running show in Broadway history after playing 3,388 performances.
In 1978, “Grease” became a hugely popular feature film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles. A Broadway revival opened May 11, 1994 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it played 1,503 performances and won three Tony Award nominations. The new Broadway production of “Grease” opened Aug. 19, 2007 and was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
The film version of “Grease” produced one of the best-selling soundtracks in history and is the highest-grossing movie musical of all time.
“Grease” 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.
Directed by David John O’Brien and choreographed by Joyce Chittick, the 2010-2011 national tour of “Grease” features scenic design by Tony Award winner Derek McLane, costume design by Tony Award winner Martin Pakledinaz, lighting design by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner and sound design by Peter McBoyle.
Tickets for Grease at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Mainstage are on sale now by calling (269) 927-1221 or visiting lmcmainstage.org. Groups of 20 or more, students (kindergarten through college) and seniors (60 and older) receive 10 percent off single-ticket prices.