“The Prom” begins in a way that could easily come off as satire: four self-absorbed Broadway actors, eager to improve their public images, decide to support a small-town Indiana teenager who has been barred from bringing her girlfriend to prom. Many see the “charitable mission” as their most important performance yet.
For me, the production of “The Prom” at Lyric Arts in Anoka was especially meaningful. After watching the movie adaptation on Netflix during the pandemic, I hoped this local theater’s performance would bring back the magic of the important message I felt the movie lacked. It is a premise built for jokes about celebrity narcissism, and Lyric Arts’ production, directed by Amanda White with assistant direction from Braylon Lane, delivers plenty of those. However, what makes this staging work is how carefully it holds onto the story underneath the glitter.
This glitzy reflection on performative charity is as timely today as it was a decade ago. Influencers looking for clout through charitable philanthropy for the camera are ever-present on my social media feeds, but “The Prom” feeds into my hope that when we fake it until we make it, something ultimately good comes forth.
As a gay man who wished he could have taken his same-sex crush to his high school formal, I found myself returning again and again to moments that felt less like theater and more like memory watching this show unfold on the Main Street Stage. “The Prom” understands that the fight for belonging can rarely be loud. It can be as simple as a lesbian singing a song of hope on the internet.
Musically, the show is sharp and infectious, backed by music direction from Wesley Frye and choreography from Lauri Kraft and Michael Terrell Brown that gives the big ensemble numbers real snap without losing sight of the story’s quieter moments. Michaela Lochen’s scenic design and Shannon Elliott’s lighting work together to shift the show smoothly between small-town Indiana and Broadway fantasy, while Eleanor Schanilec’s costumes do a lot of quiet character work of their own.
For me and my theater-going companion, Abbie Wells, Erik Haering’s take on Trent Oliver and Andrew Newman’s take on Barry Glickman stole the show. Their commitment to character and over-the-top bravado captured every scene they were in. Emily Grodzik as Dee Dee Allen fell flat for me personally initially in the kickoff scene introducing the Broadway Bunch, but within two minutes, she became the starlet she was written to be. Her singing was top-tier. Dorian Brooke’s Angie Dickinson brought comedic relief to some heavy scenes while delivering moving moments of her own.
Lyric Arts’ background performances during main dialogue add real depth to the experience. I often forget I’m sitting in a cramped former movie theater enjoying local culture.
Our two lovers, Emma and Alyssa, played by Imani Harris and Sydney Lin, brought such emotion and gravitas that when Indiana nearly tore them apart, I felt a punch to the gut. My stomach dropped when Emma walked into that empty gym. A deep sigh escaped me as I recalled my own harrowing experiences. Harris has star potential, especially if she keeps capturing the stage as she does in “The Prom.”
By the final scene, when acceptance finally, unmistakably wins, albeit not perfectly, the show does not ask the audience to simply feel good. It asks them to recognize how hard-won that ending actually is, and for anyone who has lived any version of this story, that recognition hits hard. I was moved to tears, and I do not think I was alone in that theater.
“‘The Prom’ is a lovely nod to musical theatre,” said director Amanda White. “It has glitter and jazz hands and great production numbers but it also delivers a powerful and clear message about standing up for who you are and who you love.”
The balance of glitter on the surface and genuine substance underneath is what makes this production worthwhile.
My only complaint is the audio in the theater. Even with a live orchestra, I felt like the music sounded more like a recording than a live performance. Additionally, some dialogue was difficult to understand. This has been a consistent issue for me with Lyric Arts, and I hope it will be addressed in the future.
The cast of “The Prom” features the talents of Dorian Brooke (“A Chorus Line”), Ethan Crank (Lyric Arts debut), Caitlin Featherstone (“Mamma Mia!”), Emily Grodzik (“9 to 5: The Musical”), Erik Haering (“Ride the Cyclone”), Elizabeth Florence Hale (“The Savannah Sipping Society”), Imani Harris (“Ride the Cyclone”), Sheena Janson (Lyric Arts debut), Lexi Johnson (“Ride the Cyclone”), George Kleven (Lyric Arts debut), Sydney Lin (Lyric Arts debut), Catherine Maki (“Big Fish”), Xan Mattek (Lyric Arts debut), Andrew Newman (“The Music Man”), Parker David Payne (“The Music Man”), Colin Perucco (Lyric Arts debut), Drew Reynhout (“And Then There Were None”), Kate Spence (Lyric Arts debut), Quinn Wambeke (“Mamma Mia!”) and Sophia Rose White (Lyric Arts debut).
The artistic team for “The Prom” includes Amanda White, director; Braylon Lane, assistant director; Wesley Frye, music director; Lauri Kraft and Michael Terrell Brown, co-choreographers; Michaela Lochen, scenic designer; Eleanor Schanilec, costume designer; Shannon Elliott, lighting designer; Nick Mrozek, sound designer; Ashley Pupo, props designer; and Emily Ludewig, stage manager.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misidentified two members of the cast. The Daily Planet has fixed the errors.
