By JESSICA NEU
I went to the prom my junior and senior year of High School. My date and I gleefully danced amongst all of our friends to “Get Low” and “Hollaback Girl.” Were they the best nights of my life? Definitely not. But I did take for granted the opportunity to go to the prom with the date of my choice and dance together. It seemed so simple at the time. An obvious ritual or rite of passage, where the only barrier was arguing with my mother about how much I could spend on a dress.
Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel, with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Martin, The Prom examines this rite of passage from a unique perspective.
Making its Broadway debut in 2016, The Prom is loosely based on a true story of Constance McMilen from Fulton, Mississippi, who wanted to bring a fellow female student as her date to the senior prom. The school board canceled the prom that year, leading McMilen and the ACLU to sue the school for violating McMilen’s First Amendment rights.
Stage 62‘s regional premiere production of The Prom at the Greer Cabaret Theater, directed by Nik Nemec, begins in the heart of Manhattan as Broadway darlings Dee Dee Allen (Jess Whittington), and Barry Glickman (Dixie Surewood) are slammed by the New York Times for their portrayals of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the new musical, Eleanor! – The Eleanor Roosevelt Story. Critics accuse them of being self-absorbed narcissists who fail to execute their roles as the historical figures because they are too consumed with themselves. The pair team up with two other actors who are also down on their luck and decide to help a good cause to improve their images. Trent Oliver (Chad Elder) is a proud Juilliard graduate who has just been cast in a non-Equity tour of Godspell. Angie Dickinson (Tonilyn Jackson) is a lifelong chorus girl who has just left her role in Chicago after 20 years.
Via the great powers of social media, they discover Emma Nolan’s (KB Bradley) story. A teen living in the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana, Emma wants to take her girlfriend, Alyssa Greene (Alawna Mallory), to the prom. However, the PTO rejected Emma’s wish and decided to cancel that year’s prom. Emma immediately becomes the target of hate speech and death threats from her heteronormative classmates.. The four actors decide to travel to Edgewater to advocate for Emma and save the prom as well as their images. They formulate their plan in the deliciously over-the-top “Changing Lives,” which is the first of many times we see the quartet thrive together in a song-and-dance number.
Emma’s only advocate is her principal, Mr. Tom Hawkins (Steve Bruno). He fights relentlessly for his school to be able to have an inclusive prom, but is met with continuous roadblocks from the PTO and local citizens. During a contentious board meeting, the four actors swoop in like fairy godmothers to begin their advocacy work, and their entrance matches their grandiose personalities. As the actors and Mr. Hawkins support Emma’s wishes, one angry parent exclaims, “this is not America, it’s Indiana.” The actors retort that their argument is not simply a student matter, but rather one about “big government taking away our freedom of choice.” Debuting on Broadway in 2016 at the beginning of the first Trump administration, The Prom is a ubiquitous time capsule – one that represents the time in which it was written, yet has somehow become even more relevant in 2025.
Despite coming to Indiana to help their images, Dee Dee, Barry, Trent, and Angie are disruptors. They hilariously end up being the halftime performer at the local Monster Truck show, where Trent rocks an “A. Ham” hat (referencing the musical Hamilton). In “The Acceptance Song,” they champion the lyric “bigotry’s not big of me, and it’s not big of you” with infectious choreography (Chelsea Fredrickson) that complements the entire company. Whittington, Surewood, Elder, and Jackson weave flawlessly between the dramatic, entitled Broadway star, passionate disruptor, and flawed human. They all identify with Emma and have tender moments to bond with her in ways that help their egos as much as Emma’s self-esteem. Surewood shines with a child-like reverence in the endearing “Barry is Going to Prom.” At the same time, Jackson proves that she is worthy of being a leading lady instead of a chorus girl in “Zazz.” Whittington delivers the most powerful vocal of the show with the emotional and self-reflective “The Lady is Improving.”
Meanwhile, Bradley painstakingly describes her bravery in coming out to her parents at sixteen years old, only to be disowned and sent to live with her grandmother, who accepts Emma for who she is. Emma and Alyssa have been dating for a year and a half, but Alyssa has yet to come out to her parents. In the emotionally touching “Dance with You,” the young lovers articulate their simple desire to attend the prom together, but fear that their wish will not come true. Emma tries to encourage Alyssa to be honest with her family, but fear overpowers the uncertain teen. Mallory’s standout moment comes in the heart-wrenching solo “Alyssa Greene” where she details the perils in being true to herself versus fulfilling her mother’s expectations – a familiar tightrope walked by many who grapple with being true to their identity. Both Mallory and Bradley have a vacant, helpless gaze that conveys a sense of fatigue in their fight for equality, yet also a sense of tenacious hope that one day they will live in an inclusive space.
Elder brings the house down in “Love Thy Neighbor.” His performance, backed by the dynamic ensemble, paints a shiny veneer on the altruistic plotline surrounding the number, where Elder convinces the conservative teens to accept Emma as a member of the LGBTQ community with relative ease. Each big laugh and musical number generated by The Prom\ is met with an equally profound societal critique. This delicate balance creates a thought-provoking show that leaves audiences encouraged and not simply forlorn. I looked around as Bradley performed “Unruly Heart” and watched nearby as audience members wiped away tears, held hands with the person next to them, or placed their hand gently on their chest.
The Prom is hilarious, entertaining, and most importantly, moving. It highlights the ongoing cruelty in communities across the country. It highlights the ongoing barriers that minorities, specifically youth minorities, face daily.
“I just want to dance with you.” Such a simple request. One that I took for granted from the time I started going to school dances up until the most recent wedding I attended. The Prom reminds us that what is simple for one can be nearly impossible for another. May we all consider how we can contribute to being part of the solution, so we can all dance together in unison.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Stage 62’s production of The Prom at the Greer Cabaret Theater in the Cultural District runs now July 27th, 2025. For tickets visit: https://trustarts.org/production/102303/the-prom
Categories: Reviews
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