Foothill Music Theatre’s newest production kicked off its run of The Prom on February 28th, with showtimes on Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm until March 16th. Get tickets here!
The Prom premiered in 2016 in Atlanta, before moving up to Broadway in 2018, and eventually being adapted into a Netflix Original Film in 2020. The musical, originally produced with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Marton and Beguelin, is based on a true story.
The Prom, as described by Foothill Music Theatre, “Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage upon which to shine once more. So, when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves. Local girl, Emma Nolan, wants to take her girlfriend to prom, but the Parent Teacher Association are on a mission to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow. The entire town has a date with destiny when Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl to kick-ball-change the world. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical and a hit Netflix film, everyone’s invited to this joyous Broadway show with a message of love that resonates now more than ever.”
This Foothill production is led by Director Milissa Carey, Music Director Deb Lambert, and with Choreography by Sarah Bylsma. Preparation for the show has been in action for months, ever since Carey secured the rights to the play. Stage production, lighting direction, choreography, and more are all being done simultaneously, culminating in evening rehearsals where all departments come together to prepare for the upcoming shows.
Much of the rehearsals, as well as rehearsal reports (which involve detailing everything that took place across all departments), are handled by stage manager Majo Alvarez. Alvarez is a second-year student at Foothill, and has worked her way up from an usher, where all crew members begin. That rise in the ranks has culminated in taking on an incredible amount of responsibility as the Stage Manager, a role not often entrusted to a student.
As per the spirit of the theatre and ensembles, the power of the crew is nothing without the sum of its parts. Alvarez is working in tandem with her Assistant Stage Managers: Q Chang, Alyssa Hebrio, and Alvina Xu. Alvarez is open about the partnership she has with her team, stating: “Without a team, I couldn’t do any of this.”
A unique aspect that sets Foothill’s Theatre Department apart from other college departments is its operation being similar to that of a community theatre. While Foothill does utilize and rely on many students for this production, both on the crew and in the cast, the department brings in community members to be part of their shows, both on and off the stage.
The spectrum of participants ranging from young students, just starting out in the theatre, to seasoned veterans, who have been involved in theatre and production for years, offers a fruitful balance that provides an exciting experience for all. This production offers a common ground ensuring that, regardless of experience, everyone has the same opportunities to contribute. This collaboration gives Foothill productions a different feel than your standard “student-run” show, tackling things in different ways and with a unique breadth of experience.
A few Foothill Script members were lucky enough to attend the opening show on Friday, February 28th, and were treated with a professional, vibrant, and heartwarming display of success from a cast and crew that has worked so hard to get this production up and running.
While the entire ensemble stunned the crowd with their musicality and versatility, harmonizing spectacularly and seamlessly executing their many quick changes, a few members of the cast were able to uniquely command the stage every time they stepped onto it. To start, Samantha Rich embodied the character of Emma Nolan spectacularly. Conveying the angst and awkwardness of teenage life, while also juggling the struggles of being chastised for her differences, and simply wanting to love who she loved. Another incredibly multifaceted performance came from Andrew Ross in his performance of Barry Glickman. His ability to land the biggest laughs of the night, while also bringing the audience to tears and so subtly portraying that inner conflict that Barry was dealing with, was astonishing to see. When mentioning spectacular performances you cannot forget about Annmarie Macry playing the star-powered role of Dee Dee Allen. The ability to take charge of every scene she was in and belt out songs like it was easy is a talent befitting of such a character. While this could go on and on speaking on the greatness of each and every cast member, there are a few more folks who can’t go unnoticed. Mark Kanazawa’s dancing skills were unbelievable to witness, John Mannion’s delivery was spot-on, delivering laughs with every line, and Rachel Rivera gave each ensemble role her all, from a comedically-perfect delivery as a motel clerk to an enthusiastic Godspell actor, her performances were so much fun to watch.
Technically, the play shined in its deft combination of expert lighting and pinpoint choreography, as well as musical cohesion and smooth production. While mentioning the impressive musicality of the actors, we would be remiss to forget about the live band performing the instrumentals for the production. This 6-person ensemble sits behind the stage and performs live backing tracks to every song sung throughout the 2-hour and 25-minute performance. This type of accompaniment isn’t common anymore, but hearing a live band makes all the difference for the audience, and their performance was extraordinary.
Anyone who enjoys entertaining and heartfelt stories would have an amazing time seeing Foothill Music Theatre’s production of The Prom. Shows will be running until March 16th, with showtimes on Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm until March 16th. Get tickets here to secure your seat and bear witness to this labor of love from students and community members alike.
