Theatre review: Smart comedy and heartfelt performances help make Theatre Under the Stars' The Prom inspiring
Pastel sets and Broadway-insider jokes in a story built from a real-life American incident of queer phobia at high school grad
The Prom. Photo by Emily Cooper Photography
Theatre Under the Stars presents The Prom at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park to August 25
HIGH SCHOOL PROM is romanticized as a special milestone for kids to bid farewell to childhood and celebrate the start of a new chapter. But in reality, there are often mixed—sometimes painful—emotions associated with this symbolic coming-of-age tradition.
The Prom is a Broadway musical inspired by the real-life incident of a queer teen in Mississippi who faced a big backlash when she wanted to bring another girl as her prom date. The smart, comedic show carries an inspirational message, and Theatre Under the Stars has done a nice job of bringing it to Vancouver audiences and providing opportunities for local talent of all abilities.
In the real-life incident that the show is based on, celebrities such as Green Day and Lance Bass rallied on social media to support the ousted girl and sponsor a “Second-Chance” prom. The Prom takes an inventive, comical spin on that. In the show, two self-centred Broadway stars, Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman, suffer a huge blow when their new Broadway musical receives scathing reviews and closes on opening night. Determined to clean up their public image by advocating for a good cause, the pair team up with down-on-his-luck actor Trent Oliver, and Angie Dickinson, a long-time dancer in Chicago who’s never had the opportunity to step onstage in the leading role of Roxy Hart.
After scanning Twitter, the group finds a cause to support—the case of Emma, a teenager in Indiana whose prom has been cancelled by the parent-teacher association at her school, all because she planned to bring her girlfriend. The show-biz foursome, along with their publicist Sheldon, venture out to Indiana with the mentality that they’re going to knock some sense into the homophobic community and come out as heroes. But in the process, they learn what selflessness is really about and are impacted just as much by the incidents that occur as the community is.
This show is a great channel for empowering youth and championing inclusion, and it does so with quirkiness and flair. Add to that a ton of jokes that Broadway insiders will adore, similar to Something Rotten!, which TUTS staged last summer.
Respected Vancouver theatre veterans Caitriona Murphy and Greg Armstrong-Morris are delightful in their roles as Dee Dee and Barry, using their well-honed triple-threat talents to lead a cast of primarily young up-and-coming performers. Murphy and Armstrong-Morris hilariously nail the self-absorbed narcissist personas of their characters, including Murphy charging into the school’s parent-teacher meeting like a bulldozer with her over-the-top performance of “It’s Not About Me”. Over the course of the show, the pair experience believable character growth, with Dee Dee encountering a life-changing romance, and Barry having to revisit his own painful prom memories. Armstrong-Morris’s performance of “Barry is Going to Prom” is both entertaining and touching.
Greg Armstrong-Morris and Anna Pontin. Photo by Emily Cooper
The production introduces the wider Vancouver theatre community to the exceptional talents of Anna Pontin, who portrays Emma with credible sincerity. Amid all the chaos that surrounds her, Pontin’s Emma remains shockingly calm and mature, and her delivery of songs such as “Just Breathe” and “Unruly Heart” seem like intimate conversations with the audience. Playing Emma’s romantic interest, Alyssa, Brianna Clark is also an exciting talent, authentically portraying her character’s conflicted emotions and gifted with a beautiful voice that soars—especially in her solo, “Alyssa Greene”. She’s also a wonderfully energized dancer in the show’s finale.
The casting for this show is bang on. With her pizzazz and long showgirl legs, Amanda Lourenco makes for a fabulous Angie, her duet with Emma, “Zazz”, an entertaining highlight. And with his charming, cheeky persona, Matthew Valinho is equally fabulous at Trent—and he does an impressive standing back tuck in his big song-and-dance number “Love Thy Neighbor”.
Under the direction of Tracey Power, who also choreographs, this show glows with a heartfelt sincerity. However, it’s not as slick and polished as past TUTS productions. Some of the direction doesn’t support the performers in delivering the comedy, so at times the humour falls flat. The choreography runs hot and cold: smaller-scale numbers like “Zazz” are done with charm and the right amount of dance, and the group number “Love Thy Neighbor” allows standout hoofers like Marija Danyluk and David Longas to shine. But sometimes the choreography is too repetitive and simplistic in other numbers, including the climatic “It’s Time to Dance”, to allow the show to fully soar.
Visually, The Prom pleases, with Brian Ball’s pastel-coloured, neon-lit set, and some stylish, decidedly Gen-Z outfits by costume designer Stephanie Kong. A touch of humour I enjoyed was seeing ensemble member Colton Bamber wearing a t-shirt that reads “Chill Dad Vibes” during the parent-teacher meeting. (Since there’s not much of an age difference among the ensemble, this was a fun way of differentiating Bamber as a parent.)
Beyond the show’s positive messages, this production also provides an excellent opportunity for local talent to grow. The cast consists of primarily young performers, many of whom are in the post-secondary age range.
On opening night, ensemble member Madison Raybould subbed in for the role of Shelby, and did such a great job that, had it not been for the preshow announcement, audiences would not have realized that she’s an understudy. This production also shows that the TUTS experience is open to performers at any life stage. The bio of Kevin Khonje (who does a fine job as principal Tom Hawkins), notes this is his acting debut, and in lieu of past performance credits, he’s listed Oliver! and Legally Blonde as his favourite shows as an audience member.
So, from start to finish, and inside and out, The Prom glows with inclusiveness and inspiration. How’s that for a meaningful prom experience?
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