'Grease' opens tonight in Rochester; Buffalo next week

    Josh Franklin is has replaced Ace Young in the cast of the national touring production of “Grease,” which is making stops in Buffalo and Rochester this month.

    The tour opens tonight at the Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester, then visits Buffalo next week.

    Ace Young, a former “American Idol” contestant, left “Grease” to join the Broadway cast of “Hair.”

    Franklin, an actor-singer-songwriter originally from Colorado, took over the role of “Danny” when the show was in Washington, D.C., last month. He’s returning to a part that he served as an understudy for in the Broadway run of “Grease.”

    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 hit 1978 motion picture for the first time ever in a Broadway production including “Sandy,” the Academy Award nominated song “Hopelessly Devoted to You,”  “Grease” and “You’re the One That I Want” - both of which were #1 hits on the Billboard Top 100 list.  These songs will be heard in addition to the songs made famous by the original stage production: “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’” and “We Go Together.”

    Franklin just completed a year with the national tour of “Jersey Boys,” which stopped in Rochester last year. His other credits include “Legally Blonde” on Broadway and national tours of “All Shook Up” and Disney’s “On The Record.”

    The tour also stars Lauren Ashley Zakrin as “Sandy” (who performed in Rochester in the 2008 production of Legally Blonde the Musical),  Will Blum as “Roger,” Bridie Carroll as “Jan,” Kate Morgan Chadwick as “Frenchy,” Laura D’Andre as “Rizzo,” Kelly Felthous as “Marty,” Allison Fischer as “Patty Simcox,” Dominic Fortuna as “Vince Fontaine,” Jesse JP Johnson as “Doody,” Roxie Lucas as “Miss Lynch,” David Ruffin as “Kenickie,” Jamison Scott as “Eugene,” and Nick Verina as “Sonny.”  

    “American Idol” Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks who has been touring in the “Teen Angel” role will not be appearing in the Rochester engagement of the tour, though he is scheduled to perform during the Buffalo stop.  Hicks made his Broadway debut in the role.

    Performances are scheduled through Sunday at Rochester’s Auditorium Theatre. For times and ticket information check www.ticketmaster.com, or call (800) 745-3000.

    The show moves to Buffalo for performances March 23 to 28 at Shea‘s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo. For times and ticket information, contact the Shea’s box office, 650 Main St., and 1 (800) 745-3000 or check Ticketmaster outlets, including www.ticketmaster.com.