In your high school years, you may remember being grateful you survived your turbulent freshman year with your bobby sox intact as well as the glory day you received a diploma when you finally graduated. In between those two monumental events, you might rank the end of the year dance as a significant milestone stuffed with special moments. West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park is rolling back the calendar by inviting you to grab your dance card for "The Prom,” a great musical with book and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, book by Bob Martin and music by Matthew Sklar, based on an original concept by Jack Viertel, bopping in until Sunday, August 18.
Be prepared to buy a dance ticket, order a limo and corsage, purchase a lovely dress or rent a tuxedo and plan every delicious detail. But what if your date was forbidden to attend and you were not allowed to be there. Enter the medieval town of midwestern Edgewater, Indiana where one girl wanting to date another girl is out of the question.
Come meet Emma, a sweet and sincere Lucy D’Addario, who only wants to be able to go with her new love Alyssa, a shy and secretive Kendyl Grace Davis, who is not ready to declare who she is to the unwelcoming world. The school board and parents would rather cancel the prom than let Emma and her date attend, which makes Emma ostracized from her classmates and community.
Meanwhile far way in New York City a troupe of thespians is putting on a play about their heroine Eleanor Roosevelt and, on opening night, discover to their dismay, that despite their incredible acting credits they are a dismal flop. What to do to restore their celebrity status? The answer: find a good cause to champion and put their narcissistic leanings aside for a moment in time. So before you can say LGBTQ+ three times, the troupe of thespians set off to Indiana to save a lesbian…and the fun and frantic times begin.
The actors, headed by Susan Haefner’s Dee Dee Allen and Benjamin Howes’ Barry Glickman, aided by Zachary Kropp’s Trent Oliver, Carolyn Burke’s Angie Dickinson and Jordan Bunshaft’s p.r. man Sheldon, put aside their egos for a moment toenter the fray and defend Emma’s rights, win her acceptance and fight against the town’s intolerance. With songs like “Changing Lives,” “The Acceptance Song,” “Love Thy Neighbor,” “Zazz,” and “Unruly Heart,” they sing and dance energetically, thanks to Robert Mintz’s great direction and choreography and Kevin Barlowski’s spirited musical direction, hoping to change minds and prejudices. Aiding them is the school principal Cole Campbell while their opponents feature Leeanna Rubin, Julia Solecki, Riley Means, Katie Kallay, Connor Macchi and Mitchell Maguire.
Will Alyssa find the courage to stand up for her rights? Will the actors be able to actually do any good in their fight? Will a prom actually take place? Come root for the good guys to win a victory in this bittersweet battle for basic human rights.
For tickets ($45-57.50, student $15 available 15 minutes before curtain), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900. ext. 10 or online at www.PlayhouseonPark.org. Performances are Tuesday at 2 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. with talk back after.
Come see if the disco ball will magically appear to light the night.
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