Happenings Magazine Previews Grease & Upcoming Shows

Happenings Magazine

Published July 28, 2025

Players Circle Studio, Players Circle Theater’s education wing, is ready to shake, rattle and roll its way into the 1950s with their upcoming rockin’ musical Grease, running from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10.

Experience the nostalgia of high school in the ‘50s – peer pressure, love, and teenage life set against the campy backdrop of Rydell High. Discover the drama, comedy, and pop-culture satire that has made Grease one of the most popular productions of all time! Have fun as you groove, bop along, and watch this iconic musical come to live on stage with hits like “Summer Nights,” “We Go Together,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Beauty School Dropout” and so many more.

Ranging from ages 15 – 22, Players Circle Studio’s production of Grease will feature Lee County’s most talented, duck-tailed and bobby-soxed young adults.

“If you like the movie, you’ll love it live. These future stars of tomorrow are bringing this iconic material to new heights,” cheered director of education Kimberly Suskind. “We’ve just recently added a performance due to popular demand.”

Tickets for the local production of Grease range from $15 – $25.

Oklahoma In Concert

Next up on stage, audiences are invited to fall in love all over again with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! as Players Circle presents this familiar all-American classic in a fresh new way.

Running Aug. 21 – 31, Players Circle will mount a concert version of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s beloved musical. This sleek adaptation places an emphasis on the score and vocal talents of the performers.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, setting the standards and rules of modern musical theatre. In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination, and the promise of a new land.

Accompanied by a gorgeous live grand piano, eight professional Players Circle favorites will take the stage as they soar through this unforgettable classic, while 20 of the area’s most up-and-coming young adult performers join in the ensemble.“We are excited the shine a spotlight on the text, as well as the music. Oklahoma is outrageously comical, both lyrically and through its tongue-in-cheek dialogue. This aspect is often missed when focus is placed solely on production. This stripped down concert version allows audiences the rare chance to become reacquainted with what made their work so groundbreaking from the start,” shared associate artistic director Ted Wioncek III.

This staged reading, performed both behind and in front of music stands, stars AJ Mendini, Lexi Rae Smith, Kimberly Suskind, Ted Wioncek III, showcases Ricky Pope on piano, and features a large Players Circle ensemble.

Tickets for Oklahoma range from $35 – $45.

Players Circle’s summer season continues through September and October with world-class entertainment, featuring Brian Gurl & Carlann Evans (Sept. 5 – 7), The Danny Sinoff Trio (Sept. 12 – 14), A Day In Hollywood/A Night on Broadway (Sept. 18 – 21), comedian RC Smith & Friends (Sept. 27) and mime Bill Bowers (Oct. 3 – 5).

Players Circle Theater is located at 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-800-3292.