Photos by Jeremy Daniel | Ryan Avoux, Dante Brattelli, Jen Clark, Meg Guiney, Scott Silagy, SLee, Kristen Amanda Smith, and Lara Strong.
Don’t Vape! The Grease Parody is a hilariously unhinged spoof of the iconic and timeless musical film Grease. The show pokes loving fun at all of the wonderful moments, sexual innuendos, outrageous characters, rivalries and secret romances from the original. The hair products may have changed, but the drama, the rivalries, and the thirst for hallway clout remain timeless. It’s the musical you know and love… but dragged through a cloud of strawberry-scented vapor and a TikTok filter.. It’s the show that you want (…Ooh! Ooh! Ooh, honey!)
After originally premiering in Atlanta in 2018, Don’t Vape! was scheduled to premiere in NYC in August 2019 at Improv Asylum. Ten days before the first performance, the rightsholders of Grease served Sketchworks Comedy a cease-and-desist letter, claiming Don’t Vape! violated their copyright. As a result, Sketchworks Comedy filed a lawsuit against Grease, believing that they were protected under fair use law. After a two-and-a-half year legal battle, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain ruled that Don’t Vape! is, indeed, a parody.
Co-Author
Catie Hogan
Lyrics & Additional Book Danny Salles
Costume & Props Design Brendan McCann
Creative Consultants Seth Rudetsky & James Wesley Jackson
Co-Author
Sketchworks Comedy
Director Jack Plotnick
Lighting Design Jamie Roderick
General Management Visceral Entertainment
Lyrics & Additional Book Billy Recce
Music Supervision & Arrangements Lena Gabrielle
Sound Design Shannon Slaton
Produced by Sketchworks Comedy & Visceral Entertainment
Written by CATIE HOGAN with LEANNA ADAMS, JOHN D. BABCOCK III, CASEY HOLLOWAY, JULIE SHAER & BRIAN TROXELL
Lyrics & Additional Book by BILLY RECCE & DANNY SALLES
Choreographed by ASHLEY MARINELLI
Directed by JACK PLOTNICK
WHY THE “DON’T?”
After doing our own research, vaping, it turns out, is dangerous for your health (with the possible exception of strawberry-kiwi flavor – studies pending).
Once we learned that popcorn lung is not a concession snack, we felt compelled to change our show’s messaging – out of concern for public health, and respect for the ongoing sensitivities within the theater community.
Don’t vape – it’s bad for you! But do see DON’T VAPE! The Grease Parody!