"The Prom" - by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar - Theatre at the Mount (Gardner, MA.) - PREVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the hit musical, "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 18, 2024. Photo Credits Ryan Maloney and Angela Tremblay)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“And nobody out there ever gets to define the life I'm meant to lead with this unruly heart of mine."
- ("Emma") / Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar
Special METRMag Preview:
Theatre at the Mount
Presents the Broadway Smash Musical
"THE PROM"
Music and Lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel
Directed by Craig Cormier
Music Director Katrina Baer
Choreographer Kaden Scopelliti
Cast Includes: Mark Peterson as “Barry,” Julie Bouchard as “Dee Dee,” Timmy Chase as “Trent,” Dawn Ross as “Angie,” Joel LeBlanc as “Sheldon,” Gianna Doherty as “Emma,” Abby Waterhouse as “Alyssa,” Michael Celularo as “Hawkins,” Carrie Mae Holiman as “Mrs. Greene,” Xavier Cormier as “Kevin,” Lily McEvoy as “Shelby,” Thomas Paine as “Nick,” Adelynn Esposito as “Kaylee,” Adult Ensemble: Michael Audet, Hayley Blackmer, Luke Esposito, Mikhael Gelineau, Amanda Lawton, John McAuliffe, Molly Moffatt, Chay Tower, Rachel Twiss, Jillian Whitney; Teen Ensemble: Luci Adams, Emily Baldwin, Sam Burak, James Cannon, Amelia Cormier, Isabel Coviello, Jonny Currie, Julia Feeley, Kaya Hidanovic, Miles Lundstedt, Ryan Rollo, Blake Ross, Connor Shear, Ruby Tower-Hughes, Jovan Tremblay, Kylan Tremblay.
Additional Creative Team:
Producing Director – Gail Steele; Technical Director/Set Designer – Joshua Patino; Lighting Designer – Sam Gagnon; Sound Designer – Sean Kyle; Costumers – Ryan Maloney, Gail Steele; Stage Manager – Mike Ross; Assistant Stage Manager – Sara Fischer; Box Office Manager – Paul Caouette; Graphic Designer – Stephanie England; Signage/Graphics – Lori Adams; Lobby/Prom Decorations – Tara Cormier and Lisa Adams; Running Crew – Loren Bennington, Ashley LaBarre, Michael Babineau, Rebecca Whitten-Fischer.
Performances:
August 9, 2024 through August 18, 2024
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
Mount Wachusett Community College, 44 Green Street, Room 182, Gardner, MA.
TICKETS:
Tickets are available online at mwcc.universitytickets.com or by phone at 978-630-9388.
BUY TICKETS
For additional information contact Professor Gail Steele at 978 630-9162 or g_steele@mwcc.mass.edu
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
“Prom season” hits either a little late or extremely early this summer courtesy of the smash hit musical "THE PROM" now playing at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner from the good folks of Theatre at the Mount.
"THE PROM" is a musical jaunt with music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, a book by Bob Martin and Beguelin and based on an original concept by Jack Viertel.
"THE PROM" is pure escapism with a unifying message which cannot be ignored.
(Photo: The CAST of the hit musical, "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 18, 2024. Photo Credits Ryan Maloney and Angela Tremblay)
The original Broadway run of "THE PROM" received seven Tony Award nominations in 2019 and was winner of the Drama Desk Award in 2019 for “Outstanding Musical.”
The Mount production is staged by director Craig Cormier with choreography by Kaden Scopelliti and music direction by Katrina Baer.
As a musical, "THE PROM" continues to prove itself as a welcoming, inclusive celebration of young people – of ALL people - no matter what path they are on.
The story is about a small band of narcissistic Broadway “has been” performers with an outlandish plan to revive their sagging fame.
Actors Dee Dee (Julie Bouchard) and Barry (Mark Peterson) come off a disastrous Broadway premiere and are mourning their opening/closing night performance with their publicist, Sheldon (Joel LeBlanc), Trent (Timmy Chase), a Juilliard graduate working as a waiter in between gigs, and Angie (Dawn Ross), a career chorus girl from the musical "Chicago."
(Photo: The CAST of the hit musical, "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 18, 2024. Photo Credits Ryan Maloney and Angela Tremblay)
As the story progresses, the above quintet make the laughs come fast and furious over the course of the nearly two-and-a-half hour musical.
To show themselves as LESS "narcissistic," both Dee Dee and Barry together decide to take up a noble cause - one that will prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the duo is not as shallow as history (and reality) have already proven.
Learning the story of an Indiana lesbian student, Emma (Gianna Doherty), who has been banned from bringing her closeted girlfriend, Alyssa (Abby Waterhouse), to their high school prom, the troupe travels to the regressive Bible belt town of Edgewater to “lend their support” to the student.
Of course, the massive favorable publicity won’t hurt their respective careers, either. A song showcasing the struggles of Emma among her fellow classmates is the melancholy "Just Breathe."
Emma and Alyssa, whose love and relationship is kept both secretive and denied, are fearful of being ostracized by the more unenlightened residents of Edgewater, especially those within their own high school.
(Photo: The CAST of the hit musical, "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 18, 2024. Photo Credits Ryan Maloney and Angela Tremblay)
The overwhelming message of "THE PROM" continues to be one of "inclusivity" and "inclu-civility" - that is, using civility and diversity together to help form an innovative, all-embracing culture focused on love, compassion, tolerance and acceptance.
Acceptance, in this case, would be of Emma and her "unexpected allies" from New York by the citizens of Edgewater.
That may be how the musical starts but it soon shifts to a harmonic story of acceptance by the quintet as they unexpectedly realize how these Edgewater citizens they encounter impact their lives.
Dance numbers include the first act's "The Acceptance Song" and second act's “Love Thy Neighbor” and the show's finale, "It's Time to Dance."
(Photo: The CAST of the hit musical, "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar playing at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, MA. through August 18, 2024. Photo Credits Ryan Maloney and Angela Tremblay)
Members of the New York quintet are given individual moments to shine, especially in Act Two.
Ross as Angie is given the inspired "Fosse-esque" number, "Zazz" to perform and Timmy Chase performs in the spirited, "Love Thy Neighbor."
There are moments where a "Godspell Chorus" is added to "Love Thy Neighbor," which seems appropriate as the entire number has a strong "We Beseech Thee" vibe to it.
"Barry is Going to Prom," is performed by Mark Peterson, a fun song which also provides us with an intimate, personal look at the character of Barry.
During "The Lady's Improving," sung by Bouchard as Dee Dee, the actress maker her moves on Emma's only adult ally in Edgewater, Hawkins (Michael Celularo), the high school principal.
In all the above connecting plots and subplots in "THE PROM" by Sklar, Beguelin and Bob Martin, there are scenes that are incredibly funny yet also there are moments of great poignancy leading to a stellar conclusion.
"THE PROM," playing in Gardner until August 18th, is a musical celebration of love ("is love is love is love") and it is a party just waiting for YOU to arrive.
Mount Wachusett Community College, 44 Green Street, Room 182, Gardner, MA. Tickets are available online at mwcc.universitytickets.com or by phone at 978-630-9388.
BUY TICKETS
For additional information contact Professor Gail Steele at 978 630-9162 or g_steele@mwcc.mass.edu
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Emma didn’t want to be a newspaper headline or the face of a movement.
She just wanted to take her girlfriend Alyssa to their high school prom.
But just when it seems like she might persuade the hesitant PTA, four bumbling Broadway has-beens in search of relevance barge into Edgewater, Indiana to put a spotlight on the issue — and themselves.
As the worlds of Broadway and Main Street hilariously collide, the courage of one girl reminds us all of the power of love to bring us together.
With non-stop laughs and show-stopping dance numbers, "THE PROM" is a feel-good musical with a message that is even more relevant today!
Mount Wachusett Community College
444 Green Street
Gardner, MA 01440
