By David Meade
The Mill Town Players opening weekend performance of “Grease” was held before an enthusiastic crowd who enjoyed the entertaining and electrifying musical based in the 1950s. Held in the historic Pelzer Auditorium, the live theater show is the final production of the Mill Town Players inaugural season which included six full productions and two concerts.
The play will continue over the next three weeks, with performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through August 8.
The Mill Town Players began their season last year with Always Patsy Cline and followed by a state and regional award-winning Dark of the Moon and A Christmas Carol.. Concerts included A Country Christmas and a Pelzer Gospel Homecoming. Other productions included Alice in Wonderland, an origianl adaptation of Treasure Island and ending with Grease.
“Grease is one of those shows that everyone seems to love,” Director Will Ragland said. “You know the songs, you love the characters and you connect to the era of the 1950s.”
In the musical, wholesome good girl Sandy and greaser renegade Danny fall in love over the summer, they expect to never see each other again. But when they discover that they are now attending the same high school, social differences challenge their romance.
The show features a local cast of 24 including: Michael Lewis – Danny; Charly Anne Roper – Sandy; Allie Kiser – Rizzo; Zoe Jackson – Frenchy; Megan Smith – Marty; Mary Evan Giles – Jan; Ben Toledo – Kenickie; Ben Toledo; Aaron Pennington – Roger.
Also Luis Martinez – Doody; Noe Perez – Sonny; Lizzy Parnell – Patty; Sara Roper _Cha-Cha; Ian Dorman Vince Fontaine; Juan David Rios – Eugene; Will Landrum – Johnny Casino; Hollis Griffin – Miss Lynch and Will Ragland – Teen Angel.
Pink Ladies inlcude Rachel Andrews, Jenna Gilmer, Ashton Reid and Danielle Trykowski. T-Birds include Noach George, Daniel Snow and Phillip Taylor.
Mill Town Players Executive Director Will Ragland said, “I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has believed in what we are doing here and who have given us their time, talents and words of support to make Mill Town Players a reality. We are giving this beautiful old auditorium a second life and making live theater accessible to anyone who wants to see it. We absolutely love what we are doing, the community that we are building, and making it happen right here in Pelzer.”
Tickets for Grease are only $10 for general admission, $8 for seniors 65 and older, and $7 for students under 18 and available at the door or online, July 17-Aug 8, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm.
The new season will begin with Ring of Fire, The music of Johnny Cash September 4-29.
Mill Town Players perform in the historic Pelzer Auditorium at 214 Lebby Street, Pelzer. For more information about Mill Town Players and upcoming productions, call 864-947-8000 or visit the website www.milltownplayers.org.
(See a review of “Grease” by Sylvia Corbin in this week’s pring edition of Journal)
