When running for Vice President of the United States, Indiana’s Mike Pence was accused of supporting gay conversion therapy. Sometimes described as a pseudoscientific practice, this particular treatment uses psychology or spiritual interventions to make young people heterosexual instead of gay. Of course the “medical community” is at odds over the effectiveness or morality of such treatment, much like they were last century with lobotomies and electric shock therapy. As a so-called intelligent species, however, we all apparently cannot grasp and learn from our historical idiocities and retreat into familiar dogma and cringe-worthy, uninformed religious fervor. Enter The Prom, a light in the loafers new musical comedy in which a lesbian wants to go to the big dance in her hometown of Edgewater, Indiana.
Rather than create a heavy handed manifesto with this material, the creative team have appropriated #realnews headlines to create a fluffy, good intentioned, often hilarious tale meant to entertain, inspire, teach (a little) and send the crowd home happy. I enjoyed this very old-fashioned musical safely ensconced in the liberal world of Broadway. I would definitely pay to see this show on stage in Indiana. As presented here, the Hoosiers (and Midwesterners in general) are predictably satirized as backward thinkers. Nicely balancing this nuttiness are the lessons also learned by the well-meaning, self-absorbed gay activists who flock to this conservative small town to plant rainbow flags.
Happily, the do-gooder narcissists are theater people. Two time Tony winner Dee Dee Allen (Beth Leavel) and the prancing Barry Glickman (Brook Ashmanskas) open The Prom as stars of a new show about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The reviews are terrible and the show closes. Along with their stage pals, they concoct a plan to revive their besmirched reputations as self-absorbed divas. There’s a high school age lesbian who wants to go to her prom but the PTA feels otherwise. With a Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney vibe, the thespians hop a bus to save the day (or maybe it’s “save the gay”). Broad caricatures, chewed scenery, insider jokes and big Broadway swagger are proudly and loudly in full bloom throughout this musical.
Ms. Leavel’s Dee Dee is a grossly exaggerated homage to Ms. Leavel’s career as a big personality Broadway star, notably her phenomenal turn as Beatrice Stockwell in The Drowsy Chaperone. Her anthems, particularly “The Lady’s Improving,” are spotlight-grabbing, full-throttle belting showstoppers. Even better is Mr. Ashmanskas as the gayer than gay Barry. If you saw him in Something Rotten, his prancing effeminate buffoonery will not be new. Fortunately, he dials twinkle toes up to MAX and the result is more than a slice of ordinary ham, it’s comic prosciutto. Unearthing his heart of gold amidst the non-stop strutting elevates the whole show considerably.
Around these two supernovas are a cluster of talented veterans, most notably Angie Schworer who teaches our young lesbian how to add some “Zazz” to her repertoire in a cleverly staged, leggy duet. Thankfully for this show, the young lady at the center of the controversy is played by Caitlin Kinnunen. She’s lovable, grounded and completely believable in a beautifully realized characterization.
Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, The Prom is a very fun show hovering a few ticks below greatness. The outstanding choreography of the finale hints at what could have been throughout. Much of the book and score (Bob Martin, Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar) is very funny. I guffawed aplenty watching this inspired goofiness. The tunes are pretty good if not Grade A memorable. If you are in the mood for a musical comedy, The Prom might be a dance worth attending. If you are from Indiana, have a martini first and laugh with the rest of us. If you are homophobic, perhaps prayer will be a preferable option. I doubt it will be as much fun.