HAVERHILL — The curtain rises again for the first act of Haverhill’s newest collective of artists and actors — stepping back into the spotlight with leather jackets and slicked-back hair.
Merrimack Valley Stageworks, a newly launched theater company, is soon to debut with a large-scale production of the musical “Grease” and a goal to reestablish the city as a hub for the performing arts.
While fresh faces are set to grace the stage, its leadership is anything but unfamiliar, with many theater-lovers and local community leaders at the helm of Stageworks — pushing for a more permanent presence.
“We are absolutely thrilled to introduce Merrimack Valley Stageworks,” Board President and former Haverhill School Committee member Paul Magliocchetti said. “Our goal is to create a true community hub for theater, where everyone feels welcome to experience the magic of live performance”
The spark behind Stageworks began last summer, when founding member Angelica Jeffreys organized a meeting between Haverhill leaders and business figures, pitching the idea of the new theater company.
Jeffreys said the city was left with a noticeable gap in performing arts after one longstanding group disbanded last year.
“There’s a vacuum in Haverhill,” she said. “There was a theater group here. It disbanded, and we have the opportunity to do something very exciting.”
Jeffreys was referring to the Pentucket Players, which was founded in 1994, and shut down while a planned production of “Murder on the Orient Express” was still on the calendar. The group’s website now leads to an error page, and its social media accounts have been inactive since last winter.
Jeffreys served as the president of the board for the now-defunct Pentucket Players, and she now intends to fill the absence of a theatre group with Stageworks. Many of the board members aim to eventually bring a performing arts center to Haverhill through their productions, she said.
Magliocchetti credited Jeffreys with assembling the board, her passion for theater, and all of the work behind-the-scenes from getting the company off the ground, securing licensing rights for “Grease,” and hiring a director.
To announce its arrival, Stageworks first production of “Grease” runs from Thursday to Sunday, March 12 to 15, at the Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College, 315 Turnpike St. — a roughly 600-seat venue.
Directed by Paul Metzger, the show features a cast of about 30 performers from across the region. Leading the show are Zakaria Tber of Woburn as Danny Zuko and Olivia Avery-Principi of Beverly as Sandy. Jeffreys said there are a handful of Haverhill residents sprinkled throughout the cast such as Ted Rusomanis as Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel, Catherine Bisi as Cha-Cha, Stephen Matthews as Johnny Casino, among many others.
Jeffreys, herself, will take on the role of Miss Lynch.
“The chemistry among this cast is incredible because so many of them are neighbors and peers within the arts community,” Metzger said. “From Haverhill and Groveland to Lawrence and Salem, these actors are bringing a level of local pride and energy that makes Rydell High feel like home”.
Set in 1959, Grease follows Danny and Sandy as they navigate teenage love and rebellion at Rydell High School, backed by high-octane choreography and a score that includes “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” and “You’re the One That I Want.”
It’s a show with wide appeal, and when auditions were held in December, about 75 performers tried out for a part — an unexpectedly large turnout for a first-time company, Jeffreys said.
Now, rehearsals are held three nights a week at HC Media’s studio at 60 Elm St., made possible through a collaboration with HC Media Executive Director Matt Belfiore.
While Grease is set to hit the stage in North Andover, the board is planning ahead with intentions to explore venues through the Merrimack Valley, eyeing Haverhill City Hall’s Nicholas J. Ross Auditorium.
The production will be held during the following showtimes and dates: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12; 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 13; 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 14; 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15.
Tickets range from $25 to $40 and are available at mvstageworks.booktix.com.