LEWISTON — Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick and The Public Theatre in Lewiston are partnering for the first time to bring the musical “Grease” to The Public Theatre stage.

The show runs June 18 to 30 at the theater at 31 Maple St. in Lewiston.

The collaboration will be the first time The Public Theatre has presented a musical, and it gives Maine State Music Theatre audiences the opportunity to experience the venue. For the past six consecutive years, The Public Theatre has been awarded the title of “Best Theatre” in Maine in the Down East Magazine readers’ poll.

“When the possibility of having our two professional theaters collaborate on a musical was presented, we jumped at the idea,” Christopher Schario, The Public Theatre’s executive/artistic director, said. “We think that combining the strengths of our organizations will create a production that will surprise and delight both our audiences.”

The cast and costumes will come from the Brunswick theater and the production will be directed by Schario, who has a long history with the musical “Grease.” He performed the role of Kenickie in the national tour when it was first running on Broadway.

“Grease” steps back in time to Rydell High’s senior class of 1959. The duck-tailed, hot-rodding Burger Palace Boys and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking Pink Ladies in bobby socks and pedal pushers, evoke the look and sound of the 1950s. Head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new good girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their “Summer Nights” as the rest of the gang sings and dances their way through the songs, including “Greased Lightnin’,” “We Go Together” and “Born to Hand Jive.”

Tanner Callicutt, who will graduate from Elon University this spring and has played Tony in “West Side Story” at the New Bedford Festival Theatre and Link Larkin in “Hairspray” at Surflight Theatre and Laguna Playhouse, will play the lead role of Danny. Katie Brnjac, whose credits include Violet in “Alice in Wonderland” at Stages St. Louis, will play Sandy.

The cast includes interns from Maine State Music Theatre’s renowned Educational Fellowship Program, including Alicia Babin as Rizzo, Jonathan Bryant as Johnny Casino, Diego Cortes as Sonny, Nicole Fava as Frenchy, Liv Nurmi as Patty Simcox, Collins Rush as Doody and Robert Avery Wilson as Kenickie. Natalie Bellamy, a former Maine State Music Theatre intern in the class of 2017, will play Marty.

Local actors round out the cast with Andrew Carney of Gorham as Eugene, Mara Dale of Portland as Jan, Nicholas Hall of South Berwick as Teen Angel, Ayanna Stover of Wiscasset as Cha-Cha, Ben Walker-Dubay of Kennebunkport as Roger, Cameron Wright of Yarmouth as Vince Fontaine and Jane Abernethy of Brunswick as Miss Lynch. Siobhan Kelley of Portland is ensemble and understudies the female roles.

The show is choreographed by Raymond Marc Dumont. The creative team includes Evan Cuddy as music director, Jennifer Madigan as scenic designer, Kathleen Brown as costume designer, Thom Beaulieu as lighting designer and John Morrison as sound designer.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; and 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 26.

A preshow Baxter beer tasting will be held Wednesday, June 19, and a wine-tasting on Tuesday, June 25, courtesy of Central Distributors in the theater lobby.

Tickets are $35 for premium, $30 standard and $27 for groups of 15 or more. They are available at The Public Theatre, at thepublictheatre.org, at 207-782-3200 and at msmt.org and 207-725-8769.

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