“hilarious, flamboyant, heartwarming – and jam packed with fantastic performances”
Alethea Mouhtouris
5 standing ovations
Teatro at the Italian Forum
Until 19 April
The Prom is hilarious, flamboyant, heartwarming – and jam packed with fantastic performances. There is so much to love about this production, from the overwhelming talent to the glittering sequin clad set and costumes, music, and excellent choreography.
Most of all, the cast’s joy is palpable – they shine whether they’re leading or in the background – and it creates a wonderful sense of connection and community. And lord knows we need connection and community more than ever.
Loosely based on a true story, the show focuses on Indiana high school student Emma Norton (Sophie Montague) who is banned from taking her girlfriend Alyssa Greene (Paige Fallu) to prom. Washed up New York City based performers Dee Dee Allen (Caroline O’Connor) and Barry Glickman (Brendan Monger) are looking to reignite their careers, and with their manager Sheldon Saperstein (Brad Green) as well as friends Angie Dickerson (Bella McSporran) and Trent Oliver (Thern Reynolds) dash to the small town to ‘rescue’ Emma and raise holy hell.
There’s a heavy dose of poking fun at the narcissistic nature of celebrities and actors, in their desire to do something only for the benefit it will bring them. “Oh, so talking about yourself suddenly makes you a narcissist?”
Shows are often carried by a single performer, usually someone who is well-known, but in this production, it’s hard to pinpoint a single standout among the leads. One would think that O’Connor would dominate each scene – given her stellar career history and presence, it would have been easy for her to have taken over – but she generously steps back, and the other leads are free to match her at each turn. It’s ironic given the narcissistic nature of the character O’Connor plays.
Having said that, O’Connor is pure fabulousness. Ever the star, her distinctive throaty voice is powerful, and her performance is flamboyant and funny. As Glickman, Monger channels the fabulous stage and screen star Nathan Lane in mannerism and speech, and this works brilliantly because it creates a space for him alongside the force that is O’Connor. Thern Reynolds is a joy as the Juilliard graduate, and his rendition of Love Thy Neighbour is magic.
But the night undoubtedly belongs to Montague. Their voice is superb, pure, and powerful. It raises goosebumps, and brings to life the pathos and heartbreak in a way that a lesser performer could never have achieved. Fallu is also superb. She has a voice that beautifully offsets Montague’s tone, and exhibits the conflict and fear she feels about speaking out against her scary tiger mother, Mrs Greene (played by Erin Bruce). These youngsters have extremely bright futures. For her part, Bruce is extremely believable as the uptight PTA bully mother who refuses to “see” her daughter. And Scott Irwin plays principal Mr Hawkins with gentle kindness and integrity, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one wishing there were more men like this in the world.
I wish I could listen to a recording of this production over and over, not only because of the great soundtrack but because I want to be swept back to the way I felt watching this excellent group of performers. For those of us who are unable to be our full and authentic
selves due to cultural, social, or religious mores, this story strikes hard. Deep-seated fear of change means that those who are resistant to moving forward try their hardest to stop others doing so, which causes genuine harm.
While it’s easy to think that today things are different, the reality is that in regional parts of Australia, let alone elsewhere in the world, the stigma remains. This is why these stories are so critical; they help break down barriers bit by bit. Will The Prom banish hatred and
homophobia overnight? No. Could it help a young person feel seen? Feel good to be themselves? Feel part of a broader community? Yes, and that matters more than anything.
At the show this reviewer attended, the audience members laughed, cheered, and leapt up to applaud.
The set and costumes are illuminous and effervescent, always sparkling. The choreography was top tier and tight. Small stage/large cast usually means chaos, but every inch of the stage was used effectively and meaningfully.
By the way, if you’ve seen the film version, banish it to the darkest recesses of your mind. And if you haven’t seen it, don’t make the mistake I made. Having been told by my theatre-loving son that the movie was an abomination, I started to watch it before recoiling in horror and turning it off.
The other important factor is the venue, Teatro. On Your Feet Australia co-founders Nathan M. Wright and Andrew Bevis have taken the bold step of investing in this performance space to showcase the strength of today’s talent as well as nurturing the next generation.
Definitely don’t miss it.
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
