Lyric Arts production of the 2019 multiple Tony nominated musical
The Prom (only the second in #TCTheater) is so joyous and big-hearted, so funny and inspiring, that it deserves to sell out every performance, like
their recent production of Mamma Mia! did. Despite being about the seemingly radical idea of two teenage girls in small-town America going to the prom together (
inspired by a real-life event),
The Prom really is a good old-fashioned musical comedy. It's hilarious, chock full of musical theater references, and full of big musical numbers. Lyric Arts has assembled a fantastic cast and creative team and put together a show that will make you laugh and make you cry, sometimes at the same time! Do your heart a favor and
get a ticket to this Prom, whether you have a date or not, and experience the joy.
Two very different groups of people come together in The Prom - Broadway actors down on their luck who are looking for a cause to improve their image, and residents of the small town of Edgewater, Indiana. These groups collide when the Broadway stars hear about a teenage girl named Emma who wants to go to the prom with her girlfriend, which terrifies the conservative PTA, who shut the prom down. The actors burst into town, all jazz hands and big belts and dance moves, not really thinking too far beyond their own selfish motives. But they soon connect with Emma and begin to learn about what generosity really means. Despite their good intentions, their plan to help Emma fails, and she comes up with a plan of her own to not only get what she wants and deserves, but create a prom that's a true celebration of individuality, where everyone is welcome. If only it were that easy; if only intolerance and bigotry could be solved with a song and a dance. But maybe it's a place to start.*
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Emma (Imani Harris) and Alyssa
(Sydney Lin, photo by Molly Jay) |
Amanda White directs the musical, and brings out all of the joy and humor, the silliness and poignancy of the script, making it nearly impossible not to love this show. The fab four Broadway actors are played by four fab #TCTheater actors - Dorian Brooke as high-kicking dancer Angie stuck in the chorus line of
Chicago for way too long (I caught that clever aside about the "
Mormon Wife"), Emily Grodzik totally owning the role of diva Dee Dee, Erik Haering as the pretentious Julliard-trained (and won't let you forget it) Trent, and Andrew Newman with so much heart and humor as Barry, who really connects with Emma. Speaking of, relative newcomer to the #TCTheater scene Imani Harris is an absolute gem as Emma, with a lovely voice and full expression of the range of emotions Emma goes through. Another relative newcomer Sydney Lin is also great as Emma's girlfriend Alyssa; the two make a sweet pair. Other highlights in the cast include Parker David Payne as the beleaguered publicist Sheldon trying to keep the four actors in line, Colin Perucco as the principal trying to do his best for all his students, and Sheena Janson in the thankless role of the angry bigoted mom, somehow making her human despite her prejudices.
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the fab four: Andrew Newman, Dorian Brooke,
Emily Grodzik, and Erik Haering (photo by Molly Jay) |
I love this score more every time I hear it, especially Emma's song "Unruly Heart" and the rousing finale that declares "build a prom for everyone!" It sounds great as sung by this large and talented ensemble and played by the ten-piece band led by music director Wesley Frye. The choreography is so playful and infectious it'll make you want to get up and join in (but please don't), joyfully performed by the ensemble (choreography by Lauri Kraft and Michael Terrell Brown).
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| photo by Molly Jay |
The versatile set very cleverly transitions between many diverse locations, with multiple pieces of metal scaffolding rolled smoothly on and off stage by the cast, housing doors or lockers or other set pieces, on a mostly bare stage. A bank of lights against the back wall helps create the prom party feel, and from my Row B seat I could admire the beautifully painted floor with rainbows, prom tickets, and more. Characters are dressed like chic teenagers, from athletic wear to fancy prom attire. And I'm a little bit obsessed with the fab four's charmingly DIY mismatched denim jackets with the rainbow PRIDE decor on the back! It totally looks like something they did on-the-spot for their performance at a monster truck rally, in the best way. (Scenic design by Michael Lochen, lighting design by Shannon Elliott, costume design by Eleanor Schanilec.)
The Prom shines a bright light on the very real issue of intolerance, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, but does so in a non-threatening and non-judgmental way, with plenty of humor. It hopefully lets all of see the ways in which we've been closed minded or ungenerous, and shows us ways to be better. While there are some small-town America jokes, there are also plenty of jabs at "celebrities," with the New York actors who think they know it all also learning a thing or two about what it means to be a good human. We all have our varying beliefs, but as the song says, "love thy neighbor trumps them all!"*
The Prom continues at Lyric Arts in Anoka through August 9.
*Some text summary borrowed from previous reviews.
