New Kid in Town: DiVita Is Rizzo in Broadway's Grease Beginning June 26
By Andrew Gans
and Adam Hetrick
26 Jun 2008
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Janine DiVita
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Janine DiVita makes her Broadway debut in the revival of Grease at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre June 26.
DiVita succeeds Jenny Powers as Rydell High's misunderstood bad-girl Rizzo. Powers – who exited the Broadway production to star in the world premiere of Dangerous Beauty for the American Music Theatre Project – played her final performance June 22.
A recent graduate of University of Michigan, DiVita appeared in the Florida world premiere of A Tale of Two Cities as well as The Day Before Spring at the York Theater Company and in regional productions of Sunday in the Park with George and Annie Get Your Gun.
The Broadway revival of Grease co-stars reality TV winners Max Crumm as Danny and Laura Osnes as Sandy. They are joined onstage by Ryan Patrick Binder as Doody, Susan Blommaert as Miss Lynch, Will Blum as Roger, Jeb Brown as Vince, Allison Fischer as Patty, Robyn Hurder as Marty, Lindsay Mendez as Jan, Jose Restrepo as Sonny, Matthew Saldivar as Kenickie, Jamison Scott as Eugene, Kirsten Wyatt as Frenchy and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. The ensemble comprises Josh Franklin, Cody Green, Natalie Hill, Matthew Hydzik, Emily Padgett, Keven Quillon, Brian Sears, Christina Sivrich, Amber Stone and Anna Aimee White.
"After spending a hopelessly devoted summer with Sandy Dumbrowski (Osnes), the new girl in town," Grease press notes state, "Danny Zuko's (Max Crumm) 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."
Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, Grease features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Martin Pakledinaz, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and sound design by Brian Ronan.
Grease features book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The new production also boasts songs from the hit 1978 film, which co-starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Among the film songs heard in the Broadway revival are "Sandy," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Grease" and "You're the One That I Want."
The new cast recording of Grease is available on the Masterworks Broadway label.
Grease debuted on Broadway in February 1972 with a cast that included Barry Bostwick (Danny), Carole Demas (Sandy) and Adrienne Barbeau (Rizzo). The musical closed in April 1980, after playing 20 previews and 3,388 performances. The 1994 revival cast Rosie O'Donnell in the role of Rizzo.
Grease is produced on Broadway by Paul Nicholas and David Ian, Nederlander Presentations, Inc. and Terry Allen Kramer by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.
Tickets for Grease, priced $71.50-$121.50, are available by calling (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information visit www.greaseonbroadway.com.
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Finalists Ashley Spencer and Derek Keeling of the reality TV audition series "Grease: You're the One That I Want" will be the new Sandy and Danny of Broadway's Grease beginning July 22. Crumm and Osnes will play their final performances July 20.
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