"The Prom" - by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin & Matthew Sklar - Theatre Of Northeastern Connecticut, Inc. at the Bradley Playhouse (Putnam, CT) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, now playing at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. through August 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Bob Emerson)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“Make people see how the world could one day be, It might come true if we take a chance…”
- ("It's Time to Dance") / Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar
Theatre Of Northeastern Connecticut, Inc.
at the Bradley Playhouse
Presents the Broadway Smash Musical
"THE PROM"
Music and Lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel
Directed by John K. McElroy II
Music Director Brittany Dyer Pittman
Choreographer Kat MacInnes
Cast Includes: Arden Allen as “Emma Nolan,” Melanie Kane as “Dee Dee Allen,” Christopher Currier as “Barry Glickman,” Dan Pickar as “Trent Oliver,” Hanna Van Meter as “Angie Dickinson,” Leilany Ventura as “Alyssa Greene,” Jack Ferdman as “Tom Hawkins,” Anthony Francis DeRose as “Sheldon Saperstein,” Amy Stoelzel as “Mrs. Greene/Ensemble,” Angelina Manfredi as “Shelby/Ensemble,” Sophia McClay as “Kaylee/Ensemble,” Massimo Papa as “Kevin/Ensemble,” Nathan Conrow as “Nick/Ensemble.”
Ensemble: Alaina Belsito, Mitch Bertolino, Erica Day, Sarah Dickey, Caleigh Ducharme, Emelie Gallow, Meghan Harrington, Jordan A. Miller, Cade Pizano, Sophia Pontbriand, Imma Santerre, Casey Stoelzel, Catie Verostick, Cillian Young.
Additional Creative Team:
Dance Captain - Sophia Pointbriand; Technical Director – Carl R. Mercier; Stage Manager – Brian McElroy; Artistic Committee Liaison – Greg Brock; Production Manager – Jeanne Foley; Production Coordinator – Kathleen Atwood; Costume Designer – Carol Webb; Associate Costumers – Sharon Bishop, Caleigh Ducharme; Costume Advisor – Teal Griswold; Hair and Makeup – Rebecca Theriaque; Set Design – Andrew Lugo, Carl R. Mercier; Set Artists – Diana Lee, Greg Brock, Kerrissa Cobb, Maira Bessette, Amanda Bessette, Sandy Lazarou, Jasmine Gervais; Mascot Logo – Paul Gray; Props – Bonnie Theriault, Melinda Collelo; Lighting Design and Operator – Graham Pelligra; Sound Design and Operator – Aidan Horrigan; Tech Crew – Kerrissa Cobb, Colin Bragdon, Anthony Archambault, Kaylee St. Pierre; Andrew Lugo; Kat MacInnes, Jordan A. Miller, Ollia Harrison; Set Construction – Carl R. Mercier, Andrew Lugo, Rachel Terceira, Kerrissa Cobb, David Abbamonte, Jordan A. Miller, Nora Miller, Amy Stoelzel, Casey Stoelzel.
Performances:
July 25, 2025 through August 9, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
THE BRADLEY PLAYHOUSE, 30 Front Street (Route 44) in Putnam, CT. 06260-1942
TICKETS:
All seats reserved. Reservations may be made with a major credit card online at www.thebradleyplayhouse.org or by calling # 860-928-7887.
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
It may be the middle of summer, but it is currently full on “prom season” in Putnam, CT. with the hit musical "THE PROM" courtesy of the good folks at Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut (TNECT) at the Bradley Playhouse.
"THE PROM" is pure escapism with a unifying message which cannot be ignored.
The production is a fusion of dazzling lighting, an inspired set design, effective costuming and, above all, a terrific score executed by a superb orchestra and spirited ensemble.
"THE PROM" is a musical jaunt with music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, a book by Bob Martin and Beguelin and based on an original concept by Jack Viertel.
The original Broadway run of "THE PROM" received seven Tony Award nominations in 2019 and was winner of the Drama Desk Award in 2019 for “Outstanding Musical.”
The TNECT production is under the overall supervision of stage director John K. McElroy II with choreography by Kat MacInnes and music direction by Brittany Dyer Pittman.
As a musical, "THE PROM" continues to prove itself as a welcoming, inclusive celebration of young people – of ALL people - no matter what path they are on.
(Photo: Christopher Currier as “Barry Glickman,” Hanna Van Meter as “Angie Dickinson,” Melanie Kane as “Dee Dee Allen” and Dan Pickar as “Trent Oliver” in a moment from the musical "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, now playing at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. through August 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Bob Emerson)
The story is about a small band of narcissistic Broadway “has been” performers with an outlandish plan to revive their sagging fame.
Actors Dee Dee (Melanie Kane) and Barry (Christopher Currier) come off a disastrous Broadway premiere and are mourning their opening/closing night performance with their publicist, Sheldon (Anthony Francis DeRose), Trent (Dan Pickar), a Juilliard graduate working as a waiter in between gigs, and Angie (Hannah Van Meter), a career chorus girl from the musical "Chicago."
The above quintet (plus one – more on that later) make the laughs come fast and furious over the course of the nearly two-and-a-half hour musical.
To show themselves as LESS "narcissistic," both Dee Dee and Barry together decide to take up a noble cause - one that will prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the duo is not as shallow as history (and reality) have already proven.
Learning the story of an Indiana lesbian student, Emma (Arden Allen), who has been banned from bringing her closeted girlfriend, Alyssa (Leilany Ventura), to their high school prom, the troupe travels to the regressive Bible belt town of Edgewater to “lend their support” to the student.
Of course, the massive favorable publicity won’t hurt their respective careers, either.
A song showcasing the struggles of Emma among her fellow classmates is the melancholy "Just Breathe."
Emma and Alyssa, whose love and relationship is kept both secretive and denied, are fearful of being ostracized by the more unenlightened residents of Edgewater, especially those within their own high school.
Allen gives a tender and compelling performance as the beleaguered Emma, as does Ventura as the petrified Alyssa, who is afraid to come out to her conservative mother (Amy Stoelzel as “Mrs. Greene") who is leading the PTA in their effort to ostracize young Emma.
(Photo: Arden Allen as “Emma Nolan” in a heartwarming moment from the musical "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, now playing at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. through August 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Bob Emerson)
MacInnes’ choreography works quite well, especially in the larger ensemble numbers.
Dance numbers in the TNECT show include the first act's "The Acceptance Song" and second act's “Love Thy Neighbor” and the show's finale, "It's Time to Dance."
There are some curious choices of staging for the TNECT first act number, “The Acceptance Song” taking place at a monster truck rally (held at a venue that apparently comes equipped with trap doors built into the ground).
Musical numbers featuring minimal choreographed moves with the principals appear to expose their individual struggles with some relatively basic moves.
Musically, converse to the above, the principals are fine vocalists, and Kane absolutely nails Dee Dee’s second act number "The Lady's Improving," as Dee Dee makes moves on Emma's only adult ally in Edgewater, Hawkins (Jack Ferdman), the high school principal.
Ferdman gives probably the best supporting performance of the show with exceptional line delivery as the agitated school principal who is also an adoring fan of Dee Dee.
(Photo: Christopher Currier as “Barry Glickman,” Melanie Kane as “Dee Dee Allen” and Dan Pickar as “Trent Oliver” in a moment from the musical "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, now playing at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. through August 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Bob Emerson)
The remaining members of the New York quintet (accompanied by one inexplicably added assistant to Sheldon…the assistant) are given individual moments to shine, especially in Act Two.
Van Meter as Angie performs the musical number, "Zazz" with Allen, aided by several added "Fosse-esque" backup dancers who absolutely elevate the number.
Dan Pickar performs in the spirited, "Love Thy Neighbor."
Speaking of the above:
There are moments in the "PROM"” score where a "Godspell Chorus" is added, which seems appropriate as the entire number has a strong "We Beseech Thee" vibe to it.
The addition of this ensemble elevates all numbers in which they appear, doubling in several areas as students, adults and as young people resonating with the message conveyed by Emma in the Act Two number “Unruly Heart.”
"Barry is Going to Prom," sung by Christopher Currier, is a fun song which also provides us with an intimate, personal look at the character of Barry.
Currier is a pleasure to watch throughout the show and just when you think Barry couldn’t be any funnier, Barry gets funnier thanks to Currier’s performance.
(Photo: Leilany Ventura as “Alyssa Greene” with Arden Allen as “Emma Nolan” in a scene from the musical "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, now playing at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. through August 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Bob Emerson)
TNECT costuming is colorful and perfectly aligned with the various and contrasting character factions.
The ingenious TNECT set design allows for mostly smooth transitions (although moving the “Applesandbees” platform did cause a minor incident at the July 25th opening night performance).
All set changes are (otherwise) handled in an expeditious manner allowing for seamless transitions.
The TNECT orchestra, situated above the stage, is quite impressive, although with music director Brittany Dyer Pittman playing piano from that vicinity, some of the cast on stage (again at the opening night performance) appeared to come in late on some songs.
In all the connecting plots and subplots in "THE PROM" by Sklar, Beguelin and Bob Martin, there are scenes that are incredibly funny yet also there are moments of great poignancy leading to a satisfying conclusion.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE PROM" by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar, now playing at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. through August 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Bob Emerson)
Some might question a few of the creative choices taken, but the prevailing theme of "THE PROM" never falters and the entire cast and creative team deserve high praise indeed for championing that theme and doing so with enthusiasm.
Thanks to astute guidance by director McElroy, the overwhelming message of "THE PROM" is one of "inclusivity" and "inclu-civility" - that is, using civility and diversity together to help form an innovative, all-embracing culture focused on love, compassion, tolerance and acceptance.
Acceptance, in this case, would be of Emma and her "unexpected allies" from New York by the citizens of Edgewater.
That may be how the musical starts but it soon shifts to a harmonic story of acceptance by the quintet (plus one) as they unexpectedly realize how these Edgewater citizens they encounter impact their lives.
"THE PROM" continues at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, CT. until August 9th, 2025 and is a wonderful party where everyone is welcome.
Coming up next from TNECT at the Bradley Playhouse will be Ken Ludwig's adaptation of Agatha Christie's immortal mystery thriller “MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS" beginning October 3rd and running through October 19th, 2025.
For tickets and more information, visit www.thebradleyplayhouse.org or call # 860-928-7887.
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours, 30 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Emma didn’t want to be a newspaper headline or the face of a movement.
She just wanted to take her girlfriend Alyssa to their high school prom.
But just when it seems like she might persuade the hesitant PTA, four bumbling Broadway has-beens in search of relevance barge into Edgewater, Indiana to put a spotlight on the issue — and themselves.
As the worlds of Broadway and Main Street hilariously collide, the courage of one girl reminds us all of the power of love to bring us together.
With non-stop laughs and show-stopping dance numbers, "THE PROM" is a feel-good musical with a message that is even more relevant today!
ABOUT THE BRADLEY PLAYHOUSE
THE BRADLEY PLAYHOUSE is a 117 year-old vaudeville theatre in the heart of the Putnam antiques and restaurant district in the “Quiet Corner” of Northeastern Connecticut. Since 1991, THE BRADLEY PLAYHOUSE has been managed by the volunteers of The Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut, Inc. (TNECT).
ABOUT THEATRE OF NORTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT (TNECT)
TNECT produces eight main season shows per year and a number of special fundraising events for The Bradley Playhouse Restoration Fund. TNECT’s mission is to produce and sponsor quality theatre and entertainment for the residents of Northeastern Connecticut and the surrounding areas, to encourage the development of creativity through the support of local artists, and to support education and hands-on experience in the creation, direction, and production of theatre and the performing arts.
30 Front Street
P.O. Box # 71
Putnam, CT. 06260-1942
