Rogers City Theater to host first production on new stage

For more than 60 years the public has grown accustomed to seeing the latest motion pictures on the big screen of the Rogers Theater. For the first time on the newly renovated stage, an old-fashioned theater production, featuring live actors, will grace the stage with the presentation of ?Grease, the Rogers City Version.? It is set for Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., as well as February 20 and 21.

The stage fills what used to be 12 rows of seats in the front of the theater and is blended to look like original construction instead of an add-on. Stage lighting and an extra curtain were installed to make the stage complete. It is a labor of love for Rogers Theater owner Karl Heidemann, who joins the cast for the first production.

?IT IS NICE to have this play because it forced us to move forward as fast as we could. That has been stressful in some ways, but in other ways the deadline forced us to get things done,? Heidemann said. Heidemann praised the work of contractor Jerry Fleming, electrician K and K Electric, and plumbers Zgorski-Micketti for making the dream into reality. ?The stage looks like it has been part of the theater from the beginning, and that is exactly what we wanted,? Heidemann said.

?This play is going to be a good exciting musical production that the community truly is going to enjoy. But beyond that, we have a stage now that lets us do all kinds of things.? Heidemann said the stage could host high school choral groups, visiting musical groups, band concerts, comedians, battle of the bands or other productions. ?We have opportunities here that others do not have. We have a beautiful theater that was designed in 1939 that still looks good. It still gives you that wonderful feeling of being in a real theater. This is going to be a real treat for the high school kids if they do a production here because they will be in a real theater, not a high school gym,? he said.

Megan Marx, a senior at RCHS, is the director of the production. ?The crew is working hard and we will get it all together. It is a fun show,? Marx said. ?The story line is that it is a 25-year anniversary for the gang of Grease. It takes place at the summer festival in the 70’s. The gang comes back to the tent and talks about their lives after high school.? ?Some of the characters have been changed to fit Rogers City.

Songs have been changed to fit the new play and are quite hilarious if I do say so myself.?

THE CAST INCLUDES Sandy- Jackie Poch, Danny- Karl Heidemann, Rizzo- Kathy Woloszyk, Frenchy- Pennie Kelly, Marty- Missy Wozniak, Jan- Valerie Schalk, Kenickie- Bryan Mills, Doody- Craig Bisson, Roger- Mike Peterman, Sonny- Mike Marx, Miss Lynch- Charlotte Heidemann, Patty Simcox Kowalski- Deb Jones, Eugene- Tom Radka, Chi Chi- Kim Yarch, Teen Angel- Sid Nadolsky, Voice of Teen Angel- Pennie Kelly. Rogers City High School Alumni are: Kathy Talaske, Kim Yarch, Alison Marx, Lisa Dietlin-Kortman, Tom Radka, and Becky Smith.

The crew list includes: Megan Marx- director, Amanda Minton- assistant director, Morgan Suszek- music director, tech managers- Mike Tomas and Matt Darga. The rest of the crew is the people in Voiced in Harmony who plan on going to Florida in March. They are putting together the sets, publicity, tickets, and will serve in various capacities on production dates.

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