“Grease” may be a show about the 1950s, but A Work of Heart’s social media coordinator, Sophia Monte, is bringing technology into the mix.
Monte, a 20-year-old Early Childhood Education Major at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, creates Tik Tok videos for the company, and she also happens to be one of two actresses performing as Sandy. This is her first lead role with the company, but she is not a stranger to the production company. She has taken many masterclasses and played small roles in A Work of Heart’s 2021 production of “Legally Blonde.”
Monte has not formally auditioned for a musical since she portrayed Sophia in the jukebox musical “Mamma Mia!” back in 2019 at the YMCA in her hometown Wayne. “I was so excited, and I was relieved because I was really nervous,” she said about receiving the email from Angelo DeFazio and Nicole Lippey that she earned the role after auditions.
Monte said she finds inspiration for Tik Tok posts by keeping up with trends on the popular social media app as well as “making sure everyone is included.” Monte created a post introducing the cast of “Grease” along with the characters that they portray. She said that A Work of Heart’s next Tik Tok post will be a similar format but for the company’s junior show, “High School Musical.”
Check out Sophie's Tik Tok here!
Monte shared that her favorite songs to sing are “Summer Nights” because of the blocking as well as her solo in the second act, “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” “I like to sing slower songs usually in my life,” she explained.
The character of Sandy is often criticized by people because of her stark differences from the rest of the characters in the show. With this in mind, Monte says she is making her own connections to the character. “I feel like I’m like Sandy in ways especially when it comes to relationships,” Monte added.
She also explains how she admires Sandy for how the character interacts with Danny Zuko in the show. “When he starts treating her not the way he’s supposed to, she’s not afraid to stand her ground,” Monte said.
Monte said she has had a lot of fun rehearsing for this show. She added “reconnecting with a lot of people from high school or others shows and all coming together to put on a super iconic show.”
Monte’s advice for her fellow castmates are to enjoy each moment because the time of the show will go by quickly. “Taking in and savoring every rehearsal while learning everything and having fun” is what she suggests for everyone to do.
Monte expressed her gratitude for her friendships with her cast mates and the summer show. “Everyone getting along makes performing together so much better,” she said.
Watch all Tik Toks from A Work of Heart Productions!