THE PROM


There aren’t enough superlatives in the book to describe Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center’s stand-up-and-cheer regional premiere of The Prom, my absolute favorite Broadway musical of the past five years.

Imagine what might happen if a gaggle of liberal-minded Broadway narcissists suddenly descended on a conservative Indiana town to lend public (and publicity-friendly) support to an out-and-proud lesbian teen who just wants to dance in public with the girl she loves.

That’s precisely what happens in the multiple-Tony-nominated musical The Prom when Broadway diva Dee Dee Allen (Michele McRae) and frequent costar Barry Glickman (Philip McBride) find themselves gobsmacked by the most disastrous flop of their professional lives in Eleanor!: The Eleanor Roosevelt Story.

Savaged by the critics for their narcissism and inability to empathize, Dee Dee and Barry make up their minds to resuscitate their now floundering careers by joining forces with former TV sitcom star (and proud Julliard grad) Trent Oliver (Brent Ramirez), longtime Chicago The Musical chorus girl Angie Dickinson (Réanna Morris), and publicist Sheldon Saperstein (Aaron Ellis) and heading off to the Hoosier State on a mission.

Meanwhile over in Edgewater, Indiana, local PTA head Mrs. Greene (understudy Madison Bales) has made it her latest mission to prevent local high school senior Emma Nolan (Tommi Jo Mongold) from attending this year’s prom with a same-sex partner, unaware that the girl Emma has been seeing for the past year and a half is none other than Mrs. Greene’s high-achieving daughter Alyssa (Haley Wolff).

The ensuing East Coast-meets-Middle America culture clash adds up to two-and-a-half hours of unadulterated musical theater bliss thanks to Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin’s sparkling book, Beguelin’s clever lyrics, above all to composer Matthew Sklar (of The Wedding Singer and Elf The Musical fame), who probably couldn’t write an unhummable melody if you paid him.

From the hilariously self-serving “Changing Lives” and “It’s Not About Me,” to the achingly exquisite “Just Breathe,” “Dance With You,” and “Unruly Heart,” to the infectiously snappy “Zazz” and “Love Thy Neighbor,” to the rousing anthem that is “The Acceptance Song,” to the joyously ebullient “It’s Time To Dance,” there isn’t a weak song in the bunch.

And that’s just the start of what makes The Prom such a crowd-pleasing winner.

There’s also the juxtaposition of the glamour and glitz (and godawful showbiz egos) of Broadway’s Dee Dee and company vs. Edgewater’s tradition-bound Mrs. Greene and some similarly narrow-minded high school students, and caught in the crossfire to heartrending effect, two lovestruck teenagers, one proudly out, one deeply closeted.

All of this adds up to something quite magical indeed, and with directors Keenon Hooks and Fred Helsel and choreographers Hooks and Tori Cusack doing all-around bang-up work, SVCAC’s The Prom had me every bit as moved and entranced as the musical’s far bigger budgeted Equity National Tour did a year ago at the Ahmanson.

As on Broadway, where Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, and Caitlin Kinnunen scored Tony nominations for their star turns as Dee Dee, Barry, and Emma, local talents McRae, McBride, and Mongold deliver the Simi Valley production’s most show-stopping performances as a couple of scene-stealing egomaniacs and a smalltown teen in serious need of an ego boost.

Not only that, but McRae’s divalicious Dee Dee, McBride’s fabulousness-blessed Barry, and Mangold’s achingly real Emma (all three gifted with Broadway-caliber pipes) aren’t the only standouts on the Simi Valley stage.

Morris is a Roxie Hart-ready stunner as Angie, Ramirez’s leading man looks and charm make him the perfect Trent, and Ellis’s Sheldon completes the quintet of out-of-town visitors to engaging effect.

Wolff’s Alyssa is so girl-next-door lovely that it’s no wonder Emma is bewitched, Dantona adds all-around mensch Tom to his long list of Simi Valley winners, and Bales steps ably into Ariella Salinas Fiore’s shoes as the most hissable of PTA moms.

Jake Noren, Maddie Ragsdale, assistant choreographer/dance captain Luke Smith, and Rachel Yoffe nail their roles as “not the nicest kids in town,” and (along with song-and-dance ensemble members Erin Brownett, Amber Florin, Lauren Josephs, Jack Levi, Olivia Leyva, Vincent Macias, Julie Ouellette, Xavier F. Reynoso, Kyle Sanderson, and Jillian Stern) execute Hooks and Cusak’s challenging, high-energy dance steps and vocal director Jan Roper’s pitch-perfect harmonies to cheer-worthy effect.

With costume designer Samantha Jo Jaffray giving the cast a colorful array of small town and big city outfits to wear and Seth Kamenow lighting the stage to vibrant effect, about the only aspects of SCVAC’s The Prom that falls short of a major regional production are its spare scenic design (not that Kamenow and Nick Caisse aren’t doing a laudable job given limited means) and its canned instrumental tracks (capably amped and mixed by sound designer Ethan Strubbe save some occasional microphone pops) in place of a live orchestra.

Helsel is executive producer and McBride is associate produder. Luis Ramirez is wig master. Fiore is intimacy director. Meghan Ripchik is production stage manager and Caitlyn Rose Massey is assistant stage manager. Nico Fisher and Dawn Michelle are understudies. Amber Florin and Massey are swings.

Since live theater began its return to Southern California two years ago, I’ve seen more than a few terrific new musicals, The Band’s Visit, Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge, Tootsie, and Hadestown among them, but there’s not a single one I’ve fallen as head over heels for as I have fallen for The Prom.

Check out its all-around fabulous Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center regional premiere and you’ll see why I’m more smitten than ever.

Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley.
www.simi-arts.org

–Steven Stanley
September 3, 2023
Photos: Samantha Jo Bogart

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