Woodstock’s Theatre 121 musical ‘The Prom’ promotes acceptance

June is Pride Month. Not coincidentally, it’s also the month that Theatre 121 of Woodstock is producing “The Prom,” a musical that tells – in an entertaining, fun and sincere way – the fact-based story of a high school girl whose desire to take her closeted girlfriend to prom will result in the cancellation of the dance for everyone. In the show, which received seven Tony Award nominations in 2019 – including Best Musical – the fictional intervention of Broadway stars seeking a cause to support sparks even more of an uproar in a small Indiana town.

As “The Prom” begins, we’re introduced to two Broadway stars, Barry Glickman (Steven Meerdink) and Dee Dee Allen (Kate Curtin), who initially are celebrating at a reception after the opening-night performance of a new musical about Eleanor Roosevelt, complete with an “amazing hip-hop ending,” as a projected marquee informs us. Barry and Dee Dee are narcissistic enough to think they’re “Changing Lives” (the opening number in “The Prom”) until a horrendous New York Times review appears online – a critique bad enough to make their opening night their closing night. With the help of a PR agent (Sheldon, played by Kyle Fiorelli), an actress tired of only being in the chorus of “Chicago” for 20 years (Angie, played by Theresa Voge Kaman) and a Juilliard-trained actor who’s between gigs (Trent, played by Justin Charles), they stumble upon the lesbian teen’s story and decide to head for the Midwest to be activists for her.

In Edgewater, Indiana, Emma Nolan (Sienna Hughes) is bullied by fellow students who are upset over the prom cancellation (“Unlike your social life, this is not over!”), and the solo “Just Breathe” gives us insight into Emma’s distress (“Who knew asking out a girl to the prom would go over just like an atom bomb, and make things much worse with your dad and mom. And who’d have ever thought that could be possible?”). Much later in the show, we learn that Alyssa Greene (Morgan Tolentino-Siazon), the girl Emma secretly is seeing, has her own stresses, including a mom who expects nonstop perfection. It doesn’t help that Alyssa’s mother (Amy Hopp) is the one who objects most to a lesbian couple attending the prom.

Emma’s principal, Tom Hawkins (Jeff Harding), is an ally for Emma, willing to help her in any way he can, including outreach to the state’s attorney. When the Broadway contingent arrives in town full of righteous indignation and a bit of ignorance (one of Dee Dee’s lyrics: “Stealing the rights of a girl who is an LGBQ-Teen – I’ve been far too angry to Google what those letters mean”), the chances of a resolution to the conflict decrease.

The message of “The Prom” is clear: acceptance. Dee Dee, Barry, Trent and the other visitors from New York are determined to help Emma and their own public image, but not necessarily in that order. One of the best numbers in the show – one that ends up making a difference in the hearts and minds of the high school’s students – is “Love Thy Neighbor,” in which Trent points out that parts of the Bible could condemn all of them due to certain aspects of their lives (tattoos, divorce, sex), whereas the teaching of “love thy neighbor” should trump all the other rules/teachings.

Under the direction of Jorge Bermudez, the cast does an excellent job portraying characters that change for the better. Hughes and Tolentino-Siazon give very real, sensitive performances as people who deserve the chance to be together. Emma’s transition from a shy “out” teen to one willing to take risks is sensitively portrayed by Hughes. Meerdink, as an actor who declares he’s as “gay as a bucket of wigs,” isn’t playing a flamboyant stereotype; Barry becomes a good friend to Emma, one she and the audience can trust and appreciate. Charles and Kaman have their own moments to shine, inspiring Emma and others through their musical numbers. And “We Look to You,” a number sweetly performed for Dee Dee by her #1 fan, Tom, shows that plays and musicals can indeed change lives.

Praise is also well-deserved for: the varied outfits from costume designer Mary Torkelson, the talented band under the direction of John Gelasi (although there are a few rare moments where it’s still difficult to hear softer dialogue/lyrics onstage) and the impressive dancing throughout, thanks to choreographer Karen Shuman. Projections on the video wall at the back of the stage are also effective – nicely done, Vaughn McMillan – but please correct the spelling of the word “Spelling” in one sign about a school spelling bee, if you can, unless the irony is intentional.

To sum it all up: at a time when divisiveness has become a way of life for many, “The Prom” is a show every teen and adult should attend to see the value of our differences and to understand the power of loving EVERY neighbor.

• Paul Lockwood is a communications consultant at Health Care Service Corporation in Chicago, as well as a local theater actor (Woodstock Shakespeare Players, McHenry County College, The Murder Mystery Co.), singer, Grace Lutheran Church (Woodstock) and Toastmasters member, columnist, former podcaster and past president of TownSquare Players. He’s lived in Woodstock for more than 24 years.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: “The Prom”

• WHERE: Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock

• WHEN: June 27, 28, 29

• INFORMATION: 815-338-5300, Etix at tinyurl.com/mu9kf86b