Broadway Creative Team Seeks High School Students for Summer Production of GREASE at Midland Center

Director David Ruttura

Well, this car is automatic, it’s systematic, it’s hydromatic, why it’s a star-studded lineup of Broadway creatives seeking the top high school talent to perform in a summer production of the hit mega-musical, GREASE! Auditions are now open for this staged production, designed to give professional-level experience and training to local rising stars, and offer artistic development for youth by working with a Broadway creative team with decades of professional experience from the Great White Way.

“As we continue to fulfill our mission for the community, we want to use our relationships with Broadway artists to bring top-level talent to the Great Lakes Bay Region to develop, inspire and train the next generation of professional performers,” said Matt Travis, Midland Center’s Director of Choral & Orchestral Programs. This performance opportunity is designed for current high school students ages 16 and up, who will work through an intensive rehearsal process and star in the 1950s rock and roll musical.

The Broadway creative team will be led by Director David Ruttura, former Associate Director of 10 Broadway shows including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, School of Rock, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Follies; and is joined by Music Director Richard Carsey, Conductor of Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera, and formerly Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s Carousel and Disney on Classic – a multi-media orchestral concert tour of Japan.

The creative team is rounded out with Choreographer Robin Masella, Assistant Dance Captain in the original Broadway cast of Frozen, as well as seen on stage in Broadway’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factor and the 2016 revival of Cats; and Vocal Coach Liz Gray, Musical Theatre Voice Faculty member at Interlochen Arts Academy.

Choreographer Robin Masella

“It’s exciting to be able to give the rising stars of our community an opportunity to work with this incredibly talented roster of artists,” added Travis. “The creative team for this production of Grease is excited to begin reviewing the submissions from youth in our community, and get the chance to meet them when they arrive in Midland later this summer.”

Students looking to audition should visit the Center’s website at midlandcenter.org/Grease to complete the online form and submit an excerpt singing a music theatre song that best features their voice. The Center is continuing to accept audition submissions through April 28, 2021 at 5 p.m. with the performance taking place June 25 – 27, 2021 outdoors at the Center. Performer tuition is $200 per student cast in the production.