Back in 2009, the Broadway Theatre of Pitman put on a mainstage performance of “Peter Pan.” Heather Grasso, then 30, captivated the audience in the namesake role — and she even flew above the stage, thanks to a sturdy harness setup.
Now, more than 15 years later, she has been instrumental in the theater’s recent success. With her help, the theater draws 100,000 guests annually to its mainstage musicals, which, in the last few years, have ranged from classics like “The Sound of Music” and “The Wizard of Oz” to bold, modern shows like “Kinky Boots,” “The Prom,” and “Rent.”
Grasso is the producing artistic director of Pitman’s beloved (and historic) Broadway Theatre. She assumed the role in summer 2019 after growing as a performer and choreographer within the organization. In short, she says, her real job is being “the mom of the theater.” And many others involved with the organization agree with this sentiment.
“She has a great way of making everybody feel like they’re at home,” says Krystina Hawkinson, the assistant to the producing artistic director. “She really focuses on fostering a positive environment … and she’s very attentive to making sure [casts, crew, and guests] feel appreciated and welcome.”
Currently, she’s overseeing the Broadway Theatre of Pitman’s 100th anniversary special, which will celebrate its rich history. Running June 5th through 7th, the production will feature a full choir and orchestra to perform songs from monumental musicals across the theater’s eras.
Along with Grasso’s team at the theater — including Hawkinson — she works year-round on the productions from the time of selection to closing.
The author Richard L. Eldredge says the quality of shows at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman is impressive. He believes the theater’s consistent success in retaining longtime subscribers and attracting newer, younger crowds is “really due to Heather [Grasso]’s vision as the producing artistic director.”
She primarily focuses on creating the crews, casts, and overall vibe for each production journey. Handling the schedules, flows and operations, internal communication, and fully producing the shows are just some of the things she does in her role. However, she stresses that there’s not a clear-cut way to describe her role.
“Heather is very unafraid to get her hands dirty. She leads by example and jumps in anywhere,” Hawkinson says.
“You’ll see a lot of upper management [at other establishments] kind of stay in their lane and delegate, and that’s fine, but Heather is very much like, ‘Oh, we’re short front-of-house staff? I will be out there ripping tickets.’ Or, ‘The line for concessions is too long?’ Heather’s back there serving popcorn.”
According to Hawkinson, Grasso’s leadership is effective, in part, because her attitude is, “We’re all on the same team and nobody is above anybody else.”
“We’re really trying to take theater to a completely different level, not just by what we put on the stage, but by the functionality and the atmosphere that surrounds it,” Grasso says.
Richard L. Eldredge, a Pitman native who recently published his book “Pitman’s Broadway Theatre at 100: The Story of a Beloved Landmark and the Town That Saved It,” says the quality of shows is impressive, noting there was “virtually no difference” between the theater’s 2025 production of “Parade” and the official Broadway North American tour production he saw shortly before.
He believes the quality of productions, as well as the theater’s consistent success in retaining longtime subscribers and bringing in newer and younger crowds is “really due to Heather’s vision as the producing artistic director.” During her tenure, she’s influenced Pitman’s evolving community, says Eldredge, who notes that the theater brings business and excitement to Pitman’s restaurants and shops.
Every show requires careful attention to reach its highest potential. It’s hard to say exactly how many people work on each show, since it’s always dependent on individual needs. Nonetheless, every show “takes an army.”
It also takes someone like Grasso — who leads with compassion while adhering to high standards — to make everyone she works with feel safe and valued. She’s the mom of the theater, after all, and describes herself as Elle Woods if she were overseeing a theater production rather than a courtroom, since she radiates positivity and motivating energy.
Now that she’s behind the curtain, Grasso is thoughtful about the experience of those on stage.
“I want to take care of everybody, and I want to make sure they have a home away from home,” Grasso says. “This should be a release for them, somewhere they can be creative and have that outlet of being somebody else for a little bit.”
But in the beginning, she was an 11-year-old with a newfound love for performing.
The first show she was in was “A Little Night Music” at the Ritz Theatre Company in Haddon Township, says Grasso, now 47. She grew up there, yet the production eventually led her to performing in shows across the tristate area throughout the rest of her childhood and early adulthood.
The singing, the dancing, the acting, the performing on stage — it all became a fundamental part of Grasso’s life. And she quickly discovered her passion and unique skill for choreographing.
“I’ve been in choreography basically since I was, not even kidding, 14 years old,” she says. “Somebody I knew very well had run a cheerleading program, and I used to choreograph all their routines.”
Grasso had so much fun working with the team and teaching the squad, and she fell in love with choreography itself. She learned firsthand how to craft unique formations and use the entirety of a performance space, whether it was a stage or a mat.
She became a go-to choreographer among her community, someone others in the performing arts knew they could call and count on to create masterful dance numbers. Grasso assisted many other choreographers as part of various programs over the years, including a handful of productions with the theater department at Washington Township High School in Sewell.
After her Broadway Theatre debut as Peter Pan in 2009, she remained part of the Broadway’s universe, scoring starring roles like Polly in “Crazy for You” in 2011 and Bombalurina in “Cats” in 2014.
“I was actually pregnant when we did [“Cats”],” she recalls. “I found out during the run of the show. It was pretty wild.”
After she had her son, she “kind of retired from being on stage.” It felt like a natural time to take a step back and use her skills to help others shine.
“I always thought having the last bow in a show was the most important, to be under the lights,” Grasso remembers thinking. “But to be behind them gave me a different sense of pride.”
Grasso spent time assisting with choreography, but she didn’t receive her first sole choreographer credit for a mainstage production until 2018 when she choreographed “Chicago” at none other than the Broadway Theatre of Pitman.
“When I was given the opportunity to choreograph on a much larger stage, it was such a game-changer for me,” she says. “It was a huge undertaking, and it was absolutely amazing. I loved every second of it.”
Grasso’s work on “Chicago” marked her as an essential player in the theatre’s success, and in summer 2019, she took on her role of producing artistic director.
Initially, she was a bit hesitant to take on the role, as she is a full-time, award-winning realtor with RE/MAX across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. But she makes her busy schedule work by overseeing only the theater’s mainstage productions, made up of six shows and a holiday production each season.
She still manages to choreograph and direct, though. Fittingly, she choreographed and directed “Legally Blonde” last summer (even her dog was cast!) and she choreographed “Cats” last fall.
Grasso is excited for the 100th anniversary showcase and the nostalgic homecoming it will be for anyone who’s ever been part of a show here. Above all, she is grateful to play a significant part in the story of the Broadway Theatre of Pitman.
“It’s really a genuine honor to be involved in a hundred years of history with this beautiful place,” she says. “It’s just cool to be part of the gears that make all of this operate.”
