Chagrin Valley Little Theatre’s ‘The Prom’ is a slice of high school life

There are usually one of two reactions when the subject of high school experiences comes up. One is an involuntary shiver as doors in the mind open to flash back to a time of cliques, indecision about what trail in life to take and will I find a date to the prom. There are even some folks who actually loved high school and thrived through the experience although I find these individuals few and far between. It boils down to the fact that some survived high school while others embraced it.

As for me it was a mixed bag of emotions. My “clique” was a bunch of misfits who did not qualify to join the jocks, shocks, goths, smarts, posh and theater weirds. We were always getting into trouble and most of us met each other outside the principle’s office. It was music that was my outlet (in particular, piano and later keyboards) that got me through the inevitable rough times. My talent allowed me to “crossover” during the many talent shows, marching band (bass drum) and pep band (muffled bass drum) performances. I could always tell when talent show season approached as all the pretty girls suddenly noticed me and invited me for lunch at their table for a look at their music sheets (all written in impossible keys).

So while I was (and still am) a straight heterosexual male I knew what it was like to be on the outside looking in, thus the Broadway show “The Prom” resonated with me. Kids can be cruel and little has changed in the history of American high school.

The show “The Prom” is actually based on a true story. In 2010, Constance McMillen was a gay senior attending Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi where she planned to wear a tuxedo and bring her girl friend to their senior prom. The school board banned her from doing so and eventually canceled the event. Constance and the ACLU sued and “won” but the judge refused to reinstate the prom. The school board eventually allowed duel proms with only seven students attending with Constance. The music group Green Day, Iron Chef Cat Cora and triple threat entertainer Lance Bass rallied on social media to sponsor a “Second Chance Prom”.

Dee Dee Allen (Nina Takacs) and Barry Clickman (Don Knepper) are aging Broadway stars who are well past their expiration date. After a disastrous opening and closing of “Eleanor!: The Eleanor Roosevelt Story” where the New York Times bashed the duo as self-absorbed narcissists they decide to flip their raps. They team up with two other washed-up actors, Trent Oliver (Jordon Matthew), a Juilliard graduate who is embarking on a non-Equity tour of Godspell, and Angie Dickinson (Jennifer Justice), a perennial “Chicago” chorus girl who has waited 20 years as an understudy for the lead roll.

This newly minted quartet is in desperate need of a “cause célébrités” which Angie unearths on Twitter. Emma Nolan (Brooke Hamilton) is a gay high school senior in Edgewater, Indiana who has been banned from her prom by the school board. Although bullied, Emma has one friend in the guise of the school principle, Mr. Hawkins (Eric Oswald) who has contacted the state attorney general. All the while, taking to the road in the Godspell touring bus, the four actors/crusaders head to Indiana to give their opinions on the subject.

As the homophobic school board and PTA meet with Emma and Mr. Hawkins to iron out their delicate differences Dee Dee, Barry, Angie and Trent barge in complete with gay apparel and protest signs. The meeting falls apart as Dee Dee informs all that she is a good person and that “It’s Not About Me.” Emma is humiliated and leaves. Later it is revealed that Emma’s proposed date is the secretly closeted Alyssa Green (Maela Mazzone) daughter of the PTA President who is steadfast against an inclusive prom.

Alyssa argues with Emma about all of the publicity being stirred up as Emma reassures her that she just wants to be with her. Meanwhile, the actors combine with the Godspell cast to perform at the halftime of a monster truck rally and are booed off the stage. In spite of this setback, the state attorney general orders a new prom as Emma thanks the actors. A star struck Mr. Hawkins invites Dee Dee to “Apples and Bees” (Applebees) for dinner and professes his love of Broadway and her performances in particular. As the students “prompose”, Emma formally invites Alyssa to the prom. She agrees to go. As Barry helps Emma prepare for the prom he laments his own prom experience that ended when he ran away from home.

All across town preparations are going forward and the big night arrives. Emma asks Barry to walk her in on to find the school gym empty. Only Mr. Hawkins is there trying to find out what has happened. He learns that the PTA lied to him and secretly moved the prom across town. Dee Dee worries that the fake prom will be bad press for her which angers Mr. Hawkins. Emma calls Alyssa asking her to join her but the shy girl refuses to come out that night. Emma runs out of the gym telling the actors to just go home.

To be honest, this show should be a sellout all the way through. The actors are spot on in their portrayals, the music is superb, the choreography is dynamite and the singing fantastic. There is great interaction between the various characters which makes for a very believable story. Although the show runs long (a bit over two and a half hours) the action moves well. Standouts include of course Nina Takacs as Dee Dee, Don Knepper as Barry, Jennifer Justice as Angie and Jordon Matthew as Trent, as well as Neil Rubin as Sheldon and Eric Oswald as Mr. Hawkins. Tom West does an exemplary job of set, sound and lighting design and Alex Petsche’s choreography is just plain great. The show is aptly directed by Pamela LaForce.

Let’s face it folks! For the most part we are still dealing with the same issues that we dealt with in high school. We all long for attention and to belong to “the right group” and this superb show gives us some guidelines on how to adapt, include and enjoy each other. Buy a ticket and see this show. Rah! Rah!

The Chagrin Valley Little Theatre production of “The Prom” will be on stage at 40 River Street, Chagrin Falls, Ohio through August 10, 2024. For more information and to order tickets go to www.cvlt.org or call (440) 247-8955.