By Scott Cronick
I love theater, but I’m not so fond of musicals. In fact, the older I get, the more I dislike them every day.
Part of that has to do with the modernization of the musical, which I think has removed a lot of the fun, whimsy and innocence of the genre that made classics like “Damn Yankees” and “Singin’ in the Rain” thoroughly entertaining despite the inherent silliness.
“Grease,” however, is the anomaly.
When the movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John came out in 1978, I was a mere 7 years old, so I discovered it when I was 11 or 12, probably on my parents’ VCR or on HBO, which my parents surprisingly subscribed to.
Whether it was Newton-John stirring up things inside me that never stirred before, Travolta’s cool charisma and chemistry with his co-star, the timeless, catchy rock ‘n’ roll, or just the overall enduring visuals of the pastel jackets of the Pink Ladies and the leather of the T-Birds, the carnival finale and the stylized hot rods, “Grease” stands the test of time for me and many others.
That’s why Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is tapping into the cultural phenomenon of “Grease” by offering a full production of the show in its fabulous Music Box theater — the first time Borgata ever attempted to house a Broadway-style show — through Aug. 9.
Expect the full show, awesome costumes, amazing set pieces — including a real car on stage — and a fantastic cast of more than 20 actors who let us all roll back the clock, as well as introduce a new generation, to have two hours of nostalgic fun.
I was able to have a great conversation with one of those actors, Matthew Rella, who plays Danny Zuko, opposite Lindsay Jordyn’s Sandy Olsson. Rella is reprising his starring role in this Concord Theatrical Company production, which previously presented “Grease” at Borgata’s sister property, MGM Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss.
The New Jersey native previously starred in the first National Broadway tour of “Tootsie,” and has showed his diversity in other productions such as “Beauty & the Beast” as Gaston and “West Side Story.”
Scott Cronick: Matthew, tell us how you landed this fun role?
Matthew Rella: Quite a few of us are returning cast members. Our Producer/Director Jeb Rand put on the show at the Beau Rivage last summer. I auditioned for the show in the spring of ‘25, got the job and was super excited to take on this role. Then I got an email and a call from Jeb a couple of months ago saying, “Hey, we’re getting the band back together. We’re doing it again, this time in New Jersey and how would you like to be a part of it? I said, “Of course, in my home state, an iconic show and an iconic role.” So, I had to take the opportunity.
SC: Do you remember what your first introduction to “Grease” was?
MR: My first experience with “Grease” was when I went to college in New York City, and in my sophomore year, we actually did a production of “Grease.” I knew it was kind of right in my wheelhouse. I got the hair for it. I’m Italian. I feel like I kind of live in that “Grease” world. So, I circled the auditions on my calendar, watched the movie and realized what an iconic movie it is. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John became stars overnight.
SC: So, before that, you never saw it?
MR: Yeah. I never saw it as a kid, and I didn’t really do theater growing up.
SC: Shame on your parents for not showing that movie to you. So, you’re watching it as a full adult, was there anything that stood out to you that was weird to you?
MR: Well, the first thing that stuck out was some of the actors who were supposed to be playing high school kids; it’s like they had high school children of their own. So that was the first thing that stuck out to me. But aside from that, even though it was before my time, I could absolutely see why it has aged well.
SC: Let’s talk a little bit about the role of Danny. It’s been played by so many people over the years. You don’t want to be a carbon copy of John Travolta or anyone for that matter. So, what have you brought to the role that you think is different?
MR: Jeb and I had a long conversation about who this guy is and do we want to just do a John Travolta impression, or do we want to really look at what’s on the page and really bring something to this? As an actor, I come from a place of honesty with every character that I portray, even if it’s a Disney show or something like that, like it has to come from a place of honesty and believable human behavior. So, for me, I try to look at why Danny is the way that he is, where he is in his social circle, right? He’s at the top of the food chain when it comes to the T-Birds. I really analyze the text, and I try to play this guy imagining him in real-world scenarios and not just in this kind of exaggerated world. I think one of the things that I try to bring to him is that vulnerability because it’s easy to get lost in it if you’re doing a caricature of what you think the role is.
He comes across as this super cool, suave guy who looks like he’s got it all together, right? The hair, the jacket, everybody worships him. His friends, the T-Birds, look up to him. The girls want him. So, it’s really easy to just think, “Oh, this guy has no downsides to him. There’s no drawbacks. He’s got it made in the shade. Everything’s going his way.” But that’s really not the case. He’s got an inner struggle and inner turmoil.
And I think part of that is he has this image that he’s created of what a T-Bird is and what the rest of the school thinks about the T-Birds when they look at him. So, he has to uphold that. He has to uphold that to keep his reputation, to uphold that to his fellow T-Birds because they look up to him.
But I think there’s things that he wants to do as a person that he wants to be outside of just that. And that’s a struggle for him because everyone’s put him in this box, but I think I think he wants to be more than just that.
SC: Are there other New Jersey cast members?
MR: We have some people that actually grew up not too far from the Borgata down the shore here. I’m all the way from Bergen County. So, this is nice for me to see other parts of New Jersey that I only come to in the summer on a vacation.
SC: What about song-wise? What has resonated with you?
MR: Of course, the kind of motif that gets repeated a lot and is at a central part of the show is “We Go Together,” right? It ends Act 1. It also ends the show. It’s just this idea that despite all the drama, the turmoil, the conflict between people … at the end of the day, they’re all friends. They all love each other. And they all have each other’s backs despite any things that might be going on and arguments they might have. At the end of the day, they’re like family. They’re like siblings, and they have each other’s backs, which is really beautiful. It’s fun to be a part of that kind of dynamic on stage to build that family.
I mean, of course, personally for me, I love singing “Sandy.” It’s just such a beautiful song and such a vulnerable, beautiful moment for him. It’s a moment of regret. It’s a moment of reflection and kind of looking at himself and saying, “OK, this is my opportunity to become a better person. And I’m going to do that because this is a girl that I love and I’ve been stuck in my ways for so long.” And, like I was talking about earlier, this kind of box that everyone wants to put him in. And now this is his moment where he’s choosing her over the person that he used to be.
SC: Please talk about the production itself.
MR: It’s a little bit smaller of a space, stage-wise and backstage than probably a lot of theater productions are used to, but everyone back here — the crew, Jeb, — they just really have been so smart with everything and really maximize the space. We maximize the depth, finding ways to kind of minimize the set, but still really immerse you in it, whether it’s the bleachers, somebody’s basement … you still feel like you’re right there. We use a lot of good backdrops.
We also use the house. There’ll be a lot of moments where actors will kind of come in around the audience, which is cool. It really helps you feel like you’re immersed in that production, which I think everybody wants to walk away from “Grease” feeling that, right? You really want to feel like you’re part of the T-Birds, you’re part of the Pink Ladies, you’re up there dancing with everybody. I love that.
SC: What about the car in “Greased Lightnin’?”
MR: It’s a real car. It’s the real deal. Sometimes you’re limited with what you can do in a car, and you get like kind of a cardboard cutout situation, but nope, not with us. We have a real car with headlights and a steering wheel, the whole thing.
We have a lot of cool set pieces, like the interior of the school with locker rooms and lockers and a cafeteria. It really helps you feel like you’re back in 1959.
“Grease” is performed at The Music Box at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa various times and days through August 9. Tickets start at just $25. Go to TheBorgata.com for tickets and information.
Scott Cronick is an award-winning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” – 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.
