You loved them in Grease, now, The Pink Ladies are back for an all-new series of their own. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, streaming now on Paramount+, is a musical series that takes place four years prior to the original “Grease” musical we all know and love. The year is 1954 and four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, which sparks moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.
The series stars Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally and Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee.
Ari Notartomaso, who is nonbinary, plays Cynthia, a gender non-conforming student who struggles to find their place in the school until The Pink Ladies are formed. “The world’s changing boys,” Cynthia announces before putting on a showstopping performance of “New Cool.” Watch the full performance here:
Notartomaso already won over the hearts of millions with their incredible 2021 cover of “She Touched Me” on Tik Tok.
@arinotartomaso My phone is homophobic #musicaltheatre #lgbtq #lesbian #gay #bi #broadway #belt ♬ She touched me Ari Notartomaso – Ari Notartomaso
LGBTQ representation is present both on and off screen of this groundbreaking new series. The executive music producer for the series is none other than Grammy Award nominee Justin Tranter. Tranter is a non-binary songwriter who has worked with icons like Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, and Selena Gomez.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is streaming now on Paramount+.