Review: THE PROM at Pioneer Theatre Company Will Lift Your Spirits

Pioneer Theatre Company's new professional production of THE PROM is a visually appealing show that's sure to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face.

THE PROM (book and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, book by Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar, based on an original concept by Jack Viertel) received six Tony nominations in 2019, including Best Musical, and was adapted to a Netflix film in 2020. It follows Broadway star Dee Dee Allen and her fellow performers, who have been criticized for being self-centered. When they decide they need a good cause to bring them positive publicity, they resolve to help Indiana teen Emma Nolan, who is not allowed to bring her girlfriend to prom.

Celeste Rose as Emma Nolan brings powerhouse pipes and emotional vulnerability, leading the audience along with her on every step of her character's journey.

Anne Tolpegin is the tour-de-force performer the role of Dee Dee Allen requires, striking just the right balance of egotism and likeability.

Additional enjoyable spotlighted actors include Branch Woodman as Barry Glickman, Josh Adamson as Trent Oliver, Wendy Waring as Angie Dickinson, Bernard Dotson as Mr. Hawkins, Mia Cherise Hall as Alyssa Greene, and Erin Wilson as Mrs. Greene.

The youthful ensemble, comprised of both Equity and local performers, including a number of students, is pretty dang great.

Directed and choreographed by Karen Azenberg with empathy and pizazz, the intimate scenes and exhilarating ensemble numbers are equally successful.

The scenic design by Jo Winiarski is a pleasing blend of realism and theatricality, from a true-to-life high school hallway to a gymnasium with bleachers that reveal new sets behind them each time they rotate. The lighting design by David Neville tastefully and joyfully brightens the stage with matching colors glowing from the gym windows and illuminated proscenium.

The vivid costumes are designed by Patrick Holt, who is also known as Tempest DuJour, a featured contestant on season seven of RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE. Each scene introduces a new coordinated palette, and the finale is an electrifying explosion of color.

THE PROM plays through May 27, 2023. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Photo Credit: BW Productions

To post a comment, you must register and login.