In a recent interview with Drew Burnett Gregory from Autostraddle, Ari Notartomaso discussed their experience working on episode 5 of “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” titled “You Can’t Just Walk Out of a Drive-In,” highlighting the importance of queer representation and inclusivity in the entertainment industry.
Ari on Preparing and Filming “Merely Players” for Episode 5
Ari shared their thoughts on the preparation and filming process for the episode’s musical number “Merely Players.” They explained that they had very limited time to prepare, learning the entire dance on a Friday evening before shooting on Monday. Ari said, “It was very compressed. We got the song like a week and a half in advance, and then a couple of days after that, I recorded my part and then Niamh [Niamh Wilson who plays Lydia] recorded her part.”
Queer Dynamics in Episode 5
Ari expressed their appreciation for the openness surrounding Cynthia’s gender identity in the show, saying, “I’m so happy when I see online that queer people are interpreting Cynthia’s gender in different ways… I love that about Cynthia.” They also discussed their enjoyment of the exploration of the butch/femme dynamic between Cynthia and Lydia in episode 5, as well as the playfulness of their costumes in the musical number “Merely Players.”
The experiences shared by Ari Notartomaso in their interview with Autostraddle shed light on the significance of understanding, inclusivity, and queer representation in the entertainment industry. Episode 5 of “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” now streaming on Paramount Plus, demonstrates the show’s commitment to authentic storytelling and inclusive representation, setting an example for other media projects and emphasizing the importance of reflecting the diversity and complexity of the LGBTQ+ community.
For the full interview with Ari Notartomaso on Autostraddle, click here.
