JIM JACOBS (Book, Music and Lyrics) Jacobs, who created Grease (in 1970) with Warren Casey, was born and raised on the mean streets of Chicago's far northwest side. During the golden era of rock 'n' roll (1956-1960) he was a guitar-playing "greaser" student at Taft High School. In 1963, Jacobs met Warren Casey when they were both cast in a local theatre production of A Shot in the Dark. Seven years later they wrote what was to become one of the greatest musicals of all time.Grease opened in 1971 in a former trolley barn called the Kingston Mines Theatre in Chicago. A year later, Grease made it to Broadway and "Greasemania" took off, resulting in one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. The 1978 movie became and remains the highest grossing movie musical of all time. Originally an actor, Jacobs has been seen on television, in motion pictures, regional theatre, national tours, and on Broadway. He is the co-author of several other plays and musicals including Island of Lost Coeds, a musical spoof of the low budget sci-fi/horror/jungle movies of the 1950s, which he wrote with Warren Casey. In May 2014, Mr. Jacobs was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from Columbia College in Chicago. He currently resides in Southern California and remains active in the theatre, especially with the American Theatre Company of Chicago.

WARREN CASEY (Book, Music and Lyrics) was born in Yonkers, New York, and attended Syracuse University. During the late '50s, he learned all about "greasers" while working as an art teacher in upstate New York. He moved to Chicago in 1962, where he hoped to pursue an acting career. He appeared in dozens of productions, including creating the role of Bernie Litko in David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He supported himself with jobs in retail, including working as an assistant manager of a chain of apparel stores, and as a record salesman. In the meantime, he taught himself how to play the guitar and began writing songs. Mr. Casey acted with the Chicago Stage Guild (where he met Jim Jacobs), the Old Town Players, and the Kingston Mines Theatre. The latter company staged the original production of Grease which he wrote with Jim Jacobs. After the incredible success of both the musical and the movie, the two collaborated on Island of Lost Coeds, a musical satire of the B-movies of the 1950s. Mr. Casey died in 1988.

SCOTT WEINSTEIN (Director) is thrilled to return to the Marriott Theatre where he previously directed Something Rotten!, Murder For Two, Shrek and the world premiere of Cinderella...After The Ball among others. Based in New York and Chicago, Scott is a multiple Jeff Award winning director, most recently for his newly conceived chamber version of Ragtime with Griffin Theatre where he is a company member.Other favorite credits include Violet (Jeff Nom - Best Director) and Titanic (Jeff Nom - Best Director, Production) both with Griffin; Rock of Ages (Drury Lane Theatre); Becky Shaw and Noises Off (Windy City Playhouse - Jeff Nom); Rent at Theo Ubique (Jeff Award - Best Director, Best Musical); She Kills Monsters (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep); Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Million Dollar Quartet (Fingerlakes Music Theatre Festival, Phoenix Theatre, Village Theatre); Upright Grand (Citadel Theatre) and the world premieres of Baristas (New York International Fringe Festival), The Enlightenment of Percival Von Schmootz and Knights of The Sales Office (Adirondack Theatre Festival). He is a company member with Redtwist Theatre where he has directed Frost/Nixon, Circle Mirror Transformation and The Drawer Boy among others. Scott is the recipient of a Berkshire Theatre Festival Directing Fellowship and a Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership. He was the Associate and Resident Director for the Broadway National Tour, Las Vegas and Chicago productions of Million Dollar Quartet. He directs the resident production on Norwegian Cruise Lines as well as regional productions across the country. He has developed new work at Pittsburgh CLO, The American Music Theatre Project, The Marriott Theatre, Route 66 Theatre, Porchlight Theatre and others. Proud graduate of Northwestern University and member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.ScottGWeinstein.com

WILLIAM CARLOS ANGULO (Choreographer) happily returns to Marriott where he choreographed Footloose, Seussical, Shrek, and Bridges of Madison County. Other choreography includes Ars Nova, The Public Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in The Park, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and more. He was honored with a Jeff Award for his revisionist choreography in Paramount Theatre’s West Side Story and an ALTA Award for his choreography in La Havana Madrid at Steppenwolf 1700 and Goodman Theatre. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and Drama from Indiana University, and he studied on scholarship at Hubbard Street Dance Center and Ballet Chicago.

RYAN T. NELSON (Music Director) is a Lecturer in Music Theatre for the School of Communication at Northwestern University and Music Director for Northwestern’s Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts. He also serves as Music Supervisor for the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) and the famed “Waa-Mu” show. Ryan is the Resident Music Director at Chicago’s Marriott Theatre, where he has music directed dozens of productions, including the world premieres of October Sky, Hero, Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now And Forever and For The Boys. In 2016, Ryan won the Jeff Award for Music Direction for Man of La Mancha, and his work on A Chorus Line and The Light in the Piazza at the Marriott were both recognized with Jeff Award nominations for excellence in Chicago theatre.

TERRY JAMES (Executive Producer) has been associated with the Marriott Theatre for more than 35 years. Originally from New York, as a professional actor he first appeared at the Marriott Theatre in 1982 and eventually settled in Chicago. After more than 20 years on stage, he became the resident musical director for the Marriott Theatre in the 1990's; Associate Producer in 1992; and Executive Producer in 2000. Mr. James has continued the Marriott Theatre's long commitment to fostering new works including this season’s Darling Grenadine, October Sky by Aaron Thielen and Michael Mahler (creative team of HERO) as well as recent premieres of Now & Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (2013), HERO (2012), For the Boys (2011), The Bowery Boys (2008/09), Married Alive! (2007), All Night Strut (2006/07), Once Upon A Time in New Jersey (2006) and numerous others. The Marriott Theatre has become a prime venue for launching many Broadway shows into the regional market with such acclaimed productions as this season’s Something Rotten!, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Bridges of Madison County, Mary Poppins, 9 to 5, Hairspray, Cats, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard, Beauty and the Beast, and Les Misérables, among others. Special gratitude and thanks to our family of subscribers for their incredible support, and for making us your Marriott Theatre!

ANDY HITE (Lead Artistic Director)began his affiliation with Marriott Theatre as an actor in 2000. Two years later he joined the artistic team as Assistant to the Artistic Director, and is now ecstatic to hold the position of Artistic Director in this great theatre. As Artistic Director he has had the pleasure to oversee numerous critically acclaimed productions. Most recently he helmed Cats, On the Town, The King and I and City of Angels. Prior to joining Marriott Theatre, Andy enjoyed an award winning acting career in Chicago and was fortunate to be able to work with companies such as Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Oak-brook Theatre, Northlight Theatre, The Auditorium Theatre, and, of course, Marriott Theatre. Mr. Hite also teaches acting and audition workshops for musical theatre. His greatest accomplishments are twins Rowan and Sylvie, and wife Sasha.

AARON THIELEN (Artistic Director) Thielen has long been an advocate for the creation of new musicals. Most recently he and Michael Mahler wrote OCTOBER SKY the Musical that had its World Premiere at Marriott Theatre in 2015. The show had its west coast premiere at the Old Globe in San Diego, where it won the 2016 Craig Noel Award. This writing team also wrote the Jeff Award winning musical HERO, which was produced at the Marriott and the Asolo Rep in Sarasota. Thielen also created a stage adaptation of the Twentieth century Fox Film For the Boys. Thielen’s Marriott directing credits include Spring Awakening, She Loves Me, Oklahoma! Spelling Bee... and Darling Grenadine. Thielen is a board member for the National Alliance for Musical Theater. In 2018 he was hired by the State Department to travel and help develop an emerging artists program in Bosnia and Herzegovina that culminated in a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which premiered at the National Theater of Sarajevo and then toured the country. He will return this summer to continue expanding the program.

JEFFREY D. KMIEC (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning Chicago-based scenic designer. His designs have been seen at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane, Timeline Theatre, American Players Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Porchlight, Raven Theatre, The Artistic Home, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Heritage Theatre Festival and The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. He received three consecutive Equity Jeff Awards for his designs on The Little Mermaid at the Paramount Theatre (2017), Deathtrap at Drury Lane Theatre (2016), and Les Misérables at The Paramount Theatre (Co-Design with Kevin Depinet in 2015). Jeffrey received his MFA from the University of Virginia and is a member of USA 829. See more of Jeffrey’s work at jeffreydkmiec.com.

AMANDA VANDER BYL (Costume Designer) Amanda is delighted to join the team at Marriott Theatre again, having previously designed Junie B. Jones and assistant designed Footloose and Something Rotten! Her recent credits include The Bloody Bathory (The Barrens Theatre Co.), Comedy of Errors (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre), and The Little Foxes (Citadel Theatre). She will be designing One Man, Two Guvnors at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival this coming summer. www.amandavanderbyl.com

JESSE KLUG (Lighting Designer) Marriott credits: Man of La Mancha (Jeff Nomination), Cats (Jeff Nomination), Singin’ in the Rain, October Sky, Evita, Hero, The King and I, Dreamgirls, as well as 16 others. Off-Broadway: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Screwtape Letters (Off-Broadway and National Tour). Regional: Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Paramount, Steppenwolf, Milwaukee Repertory, Shakespeare Theatre Company, American Players theatre, Indiana Repertory, Arizona Theatre Company, Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, Geffen Playhouse, The Old Globe, Asolo, Court Theatre, Writers Theatre. He is a Jeff Award winner and nineteen time nominee. JesseKlugLightingDesign.com.

SARAH ORTIZ (Sound Designer) is thrilled to be making her Marriott Theatre and Chicago sound design debut with Grease. Previously she has been the resident audio engineer for the Marriott's 2019 season, running productions of Footloose, Darling Grenadine, Something Rotten!, and Oliver!. Originally from Southern California, Sarah has worked as lead audio engineer at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The Laguna Playhouse, and House of Blues Anaheim. She has also recently toured as Front of House engineer for the Broadway National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet. Sarah has earned a B.A. in Music and a B.A. in Asian Studies from California State University Chico. Special thanks to parents Catherine and Victor for always being supportive of their daughter no matter where life takes her.

SALLY ZACK (Properties Designer)This is Sally’s 47th production with Marriott Theatre having most recently designed the properties for Oliver. In Chicago, Sally has worked as a scenic, lighting and props designer. Previous designs include scenic design for Alice in Wonderland here at the Marriott, Icarus and Striking 12 at Bohemian Theatre Ensemble and props design at Notre Dame Shakespeare. She has been the Props Manager at The Weston Playhouse in Vermont and The Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. She received her BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland and attended the MFA Stage Design Program at Northwestern University. Love and thanks to Jason, Emmitt, and their dog Mable. To see examples of her work visit sallyweissdesign.com.

MIGUEL A. ARMSTRONG (Wig Designer) is the hair and make-up assistant supervisor at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, DePaul University Theater School Faculty, and a wig artisan for Paramount Theater Aurora. His Marriott Theatre credits include, Sweet Charity, Holiday Inn, Million Dollar Quartet, Something Rotten!,and Oliver! Other Chicago credits include; Rock of Ages, Matilda The Musical (Drury Lane); The Wild Party (Bailiwick Chicago); Amadeus, Dogfight (Bohemian Theater Ensemble) The Cunning Little Vixen, Iphigenie en Tauride (DePaul Opera Theatre); Mame (Music Theater Works); The Assembled Parties (Raven Theater); The Art of Questionable Provenance (Stage Lab). He is a proud ‘Design Storm’ award recipient for his designs of Spring Awakening; at The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

TONIA SINA (Intimacy Director) Executive Director, and Head of Pedagogy of Intimacy Directors International. Recently featured in the New York Times, American Theatre Magazine, LA Times, Huffington Post, CBC Radio, and several other publications and radio shows and podcasts, she is the originator and creator of Intimacy Direction as a specialty. Recent credits include The Bakkhai at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, and In the next room or The Vibrator Play at Reduxion Theatre in Oklahoma City. She currently speaks at hundreds of universities, workshops, conferences, and theatre companies to educate artists on Intimacy Direction and sexual assault prevention. Tonia is a soon-to-be triple kidney transplant recipient, rare and chronic disease patient advocate, and national motivational speaker. She attended Niagara University for her B.F.A. in theatre performance and Virginia Commonwealth University for her M.F.A. in movement pedagogy with a specialty in intimacy.

MAEGAN BURNELL (Stage Manager) Previous Marriott credits include Footloose, Million Dollar Quartet and Shrek. Recently, she was the Assistant Stage Manager for Newsies (Paramount Theatre) and A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theatre). Select Regional Credits include All My Sons, Sense & Sensibility, The Foreigner, Tartuffe, The Drowning Girls, Bus Stop, Charlotte’s Web, Junie B. Jones and Lyle the Crocodile (Arvada Center), Catch Me If You Can (Aurora Fox Arts Center), Tell Me On A Sunday (Avenue Theatre) and Sondheim on Sondheim (Cherry Creek Theatre). Education: MFA in Stage Management from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. All my love to my husband, Jonathan D. Allsup.

RICHARD STRIMER (Assistant Stage Manager) This past season Richard was Assistant Stage Manager for Darling Grenadine and Oliver here at the Marriott Theatre as well as multiple opportunities to work run crew. Previous Assistant credits: Assistant Stage Manager (Deathtrap - Drury Lane), Assistant Director/Assistant Choreographer (Bye Bye Birdie - Drury Lane), Assistant Choreographer (42nd Street - Paramount Theatre), Assistant Choreographer (I Love Lucy Live - Broadway Playhouse & 2nd National Tour) and Dance Captain for many shows. Selected performance credits: Something Rotten (Peter Quince), Singin in the Rain (Cosmo Brown – Jeff Award), Crazy for You (Bobby Child- Jeff Nomination), What a Glorious Feeling (Gene Kelly - Jeff Nomination). Richard thanks you all for supporting live theatre and his wife, Ariane, for everything!I love you.

PETER BLAIR (Associate Producer) started working with Marriott Theatre in 2005. He has been a Production Assistant, Production Administrator, Producing Associate and currently Associate Producer. In addition to his work at Marriott Theatre, Peter is the former Executive Director of BoHo Theatre in Chicago, where he produced acclaimed revivals of Floyd Collins, Big River and Pippin. Other work includes Drury Lane, Porchlight Music Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse and 18 months with the original Chicago company of ...Spelling Bee. Originally from San Diego, Peter earned a music degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He lives in Highland Park with his wife, Claire Warner, owner of Volume Gallery, and daughter, Ada.

PETER MARSTON SULLIVAN (Associate Artistic Director) has worked for Marriott Theatre for thirteen years in various capacities, including his current position of Associate Artistic Director. Peter earned a B.A. in Theatre and an M.A. in Teaching at Trinity University in San Antonio, and an MFA in Directing at Illinois State University. In tandem with his work at Marriott Theatre, Peter frequently directs in the city and was Artistic Director of BoHo Theatre from 2010 to 2018. Recent directing projects include The Pajama Game at Northwestern University; 110 in the Shade, Dogfight, Amadeus, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Floyd Collins, Pippin, Icarus, Big River, Ghosts, I Am My Own Wife (co-Director), Playing with Fire (After Frankenstein), and M. Butterfly at BoHo Theatre. Love to his talented wife, Elizabeth.

MEG LOVE (Production Manager) is excited to be a member of the Marriott Theatre team! Meg holds a BFA with an emphasis in stage management from Webster University and has stage managed and production managed in Chicago for the past 10 years, most notably at BoHo Theatre, where she currently serves as Executive Director. Past credits include productions with Okoboji Summer Theater, The Old Globe in San Diego, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Noble Fool Theatricals and the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus. Many thanks to Dan and family.

PATTI GARWOOD (Musical Supervisor/Conductor) has been a member of the Marriott Theatre staff for the past 25 years. Patti earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Iowa. Other Chicago musical directing and conducting credits include the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra featuring Dennis DeYoung, Catskills on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Other regional work includes The Fireside Dinner Theatre, Musicana Dinner Playhouse, La Comedia Dinner Theatre, and The Capitol Theatre.

MUNGIOLI THEATRICALS, INC. (New York Casting): Arnold J. Mungioli, C.S.A., Lindsey Bristol & Melanie Lockyer are delighted to be working once again with Marriott Lincolnshire, having previously cast Damn Yankees here. Also in Chicago: Joseph… with Donny Osmond, Bill T. Jones’ Fela!, Jewtopia, Bleacher Bums, Hal Prince’s Show Boat, Ragtime… Current shows include Nikki Sixx’s The Heroin Diaries, The Devil’s Arithmetic, Little Dancer, Open Road, Southern Promises... Other: Disney’s High School Musical, The Lion King, and Aladdin; Sunset Boulevard, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Candide, Little House on the Prairie starring Melissa Gilbert, 12.14 Foundation’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Trinity Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Playhouse. Two Artios Awards; CSA Media Access Award. www.mungiolitheatricals.com

THE HERON AGENCY (Press Representative)is a full-service PR, Marketing, & Social Media agency. National Tours: The Singalong Wizard of Oz, C.S. Lewis’ THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS and THE GREAT DIVORCE, Celtic Thunder. Numerous concert engagements at arena theaters representing such artists as Jerry Seinfeld, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Wynonna Judd, Louis CK, The Beach Boys, Linda Eder, Michael Feinstein, Jewel, and Andre Rieu. Clients have also included Sesame Street Live, the Olympic Superstars, the Champions Challenge (McEnroe, Bjorg, Agassi), Barney Live!, the Highland Games, and the Harlem Globetrotters. Additionally, they represent regional theaters including the Royal George, First Folio and Stage 773. Other corporate clients include Marriotts of the Midwest, Paper Source, and Ocean Prime.

‍