Review: THE PROM sparkles at Providence Performing Arts Center

Down-on-their luck Broadway stars swoop down on an Indiana town to take up the cause of a high-school student who can't take her girlfriend to the prom. A promising premise, and this first national tour of the award-winning show, The Prom, delivers all the laughs and spectacle with a knowing wink, while never losing sight of the poignant human story.

Powered by a delightfully wry, self-aware book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, the score, with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Beguelin, perfectly complements the tone, with a tasty mix of self-referential Broadway "showtunes" and touching character songs. Fair warning: there are a handful of earworms that will likely send you looking for the cast album.

We meet our Broadway "stars" first, at the opening night party for the musical Eleanor! The self-absorbed diva Dee Dee Allen (played with exuberant, scenery-chewing zest by Courtney Balan, whose brassy musical-theater vocal stylings are a delight) and deeply needy fading star Barry Glickman (Patrick Wetzel in role that could easily descend to self-parody, but not in his sure comedic hands) wait for their reviews as FDR and First Lady. And the critics are savage. "It's not the show, it's you," their long-suffering press agent Sheldon Saperstein (Shavey Brown) tells them. "Nobody likes a narcissist."

Joining the commiseration at their (now) closing party are Trent Oliver, waiter and Julliard graduate (Bud Weber, whose overheated theatrical braggadocio is spot-on) and Angie Dickinson (Emily Borromeo), who quit Chicago after spending 20 years in the chorus only to see Tina Louise from Gilligan's Island tapped to play Roxie Hart. Borromeo shines in the role with heart and flawless comedic timing, which she demonstrates while scrolling through Twitter to find a cause célèbre that might rescue them all from their failures.

They find it in Edgewater, Indiana, where the PTA has cancelled the prom rather than allow Emma (Kaden Kearney) to take her same-sex date. Kearney is utterly compelling in the role, as they take us on a journey from fearful uncertainty through heartbreaking sadness, to vindication. Both their acting and vocal performances are stellar, anchored by the romantic "Dance With You" sung to her date Alyssa Greene (Kalyn West) in Act I and the powerful call-to-action number, "Unruly Heart" in Act II.

While Emma's principal, Mr. Hawkins (played with charm and heart by Sinclair Mitchell) is sympathetic, PTA president Mrs. Greene (yes, that's Alyssa's mom. She doesn't know -- yet) stands up for local values. "This is not America," she tells folx assembled at the PTA meeting, "This is Indiana." Ashanti J'Aria does a superb job in this difficult role, striking just the right tone to let us see her concern for Alyssa and the town while still enabling us to condemn her homophobic bigotry.

And that bigotry is on display as the two worlds collide, with the Broadway stars busting into the PTA meeting with a big production number announcing their arrival to save the day. "Don't worry Emma, you're not alone," Barry emotes dramatically. "I'm as gay as a bucket of wigs!" Dee Dee blasts in, sequins blazing, in a pitch-perfect parody of Broadway standards, "It's Not About Me," which includes delightful lines like, "I know all about furious townsfolk/I did 'Beauty and the Beast'."

What happens then -- well, that's the play. Suffice it to say that there's a developing love interest (turns out Mr. Hawkins is a big fan of Dee Dee), angst and intrigue among the locals as the state requires the school to run an "inclusive" prom, and moments of crisis and heartbreak for Emma and Alyssa that -- being that it's a musical -- end at least nominally happily.

Directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, the action never sags, the jokes always land, and the stage constantly bustles with action throughout the clever, engaging two-hour-and-change runtime. The entire cast gets the chance to shine, providing all the leads with big songs and offering dazzling ensemble dance numbers. A couple of standout examples of Nicholaw's vision: The duet with Borromeo coaching Emma near the top of Act II ("Zazz") showcases sly nods to Bob Fosse's choreography that will make fans of the genre smile in recognition. And the "Acceptance Song," performed by Trent and the cast of Godspell at a monster truck rally is a beautifully self-referential gem of a set piece that is sidesplittingly funny.

In Providence, two of the cast with local connections, Emily Borromeo (Brown University grad) and Olivia Cece (who grew up in Rhode Island) sat down with BroadwayWorld. "I'm pinching myself," said Cece, asked about playing in a national tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center, arguably the state's premier venue, "I remember being a kid here and having those dreams."

Cece, in addition to her outstanding dance work in the ensemble, also plays Kaylee, one of Edgewater's home-grown mean girls, and her nuanced performance as she comes to recognize Emma's plight is deeply authentic. "It's very much reflective of the audience going on that journey with us," she said.

Borromeo echoes that sentiment, noting that as she looks out into the world today, "We're like our characters. We're different from each other. We're divided sometimes. And I think it's all about finding where we can continue to build connections and get to know people so that we can build a better world for everybody."

It's a message that could not be more timely. And while it may seem cliched to suggest that this is a show for everybody, The Prom genuinely is. If you're a long-time fan of musical theatre, you'll get an extra knowing laugh out of some things, and if you're a newcomer to the genre and miss a few of the in-jokes, well, you'll have a smashing good time anyway. If you like a little social conscience with your music, this will work for you; if you don't, you can just relax and enjoy the delightfully realized production. This is a great show for anyone: kids, families, and caring humans of all ages. Highly recommended.

The entire ensemble is uniformly excellent. They bring fantastic dance performances and total commitment to every scene and all deserve to be mentioned by name: Jordan Alexander, Gabrielle Beckford, Ashley Bruce, Olivia Rose Cece, Maurice Dawkins, Jordan De Leon, James Caleb Grice, Megan Grosso, Marie Gutierrez, Chloe Rae Kehm, Braden Allen King, Brandon J. Large, Christopher McCrewell, Adriana Negron, Lexie Plath, Brittany Nicole Williams, Thad Turner Wilson and Josh Zacher.

The Prom, directed by Casey Nicholaw at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Performances Thurs-Friday March 10-11, 7:30 pm; Saturday March 12 at 2 and 8 pm; and Sunday March 13 at 1 and 6:30 pm. Tickets $20-90 at the PPAC box office, 220 Weybosset St. Providence, online at ppacri.org and by phone at 401.421.ARTS (2787). Box office hours M-F, 10am - 5pm; Saturday, 10am - 2pm and two hours prior to curtain on performance days. Masks required, regardless of vaccination status, except while actively eating or drinking.

Photo by Dean van Meer

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