Review: THE PROM at Orpheum Theatre

The National Tour of The Prom is here in Minneapolis this week from April 12th to April 17th at the Orpheum Theatre. The Prom won the 2019 Drama Desk Award Winner for Outstanding musical.

The tour stars Kaden Kearney (they/them) as Emma who is a out and proud LGBTQ high school student who is banned from the Prom. Kalyn West (she/her) plays Alyssa Greene, who is her secret girlfriend and is head of student council. A group of Broadway performers who are reminicing on their Broadway days travel to the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana where Emma and Alyssa live to help them go to the prom. Courtney Balan (she/her) as "Tony Award Winner Dee Dee Allen," Patrick Wetzel (he/him) as "Drama Desk Award Winner Barry Glickman (he/him)," Emily Borromeo (she/her) as "Angie Dickinson, Broadway Chorine," Bud Weber (he/him) as "Trent Oliver, Esteemed Julliard Graduate/Cater Waiter," Sinclair Mitchell (he/him) as "Mr. Hawkins, High School Principal," Ashanti J'Aria (she/her) as "Mrs. Greene, President of the PTA" and Shavey Brown (he/him) as "Sheldon Saperstein, Broadway's Press Agent with a Plan."

Rounding out the ensemble are Jordan Alexander (he/him), Gabrielle Beckford (she/her), Ashley Bruce (she/her), Olivia Rose (she/her) Cece, Maurice Dawkins (he/him), Jordan De Leon (he/him), Shawn Alynda Fisher (she/her), James Caleb Grice (he/him), Megan Grosso (she/her), Chloe Rae Kehm (she/her), Braden Allen King (he/him), Brandon J. Large (he/him), Christopher McCrewell (he/him), Adriana Negron (she/her), Lexie Plath (she/her), Brittany Nicole Williams (she/her), Thad Turner Wilson (he/him) and Josh Zacher (he/him).

I have been looking forward to seeing this musical as I really enjoyed the film version on Netflix and the music on the soundtrack and just the whole story over all. I am glad that after a few years of the pandemic that it toured through Minneapolis.

What I really enjoyed seeing, is in the playbill, the cast has their pronouns listed next to their names. I personally feel that we need to see more of this in theatre as we strive to be more diverse and inclusive.

Seeing it live on stage is a different experience than watching it on Netflix. Both are good but I could just feel the euphoric energy in the room during the lighting, set changes, costumes, and choreography, etc. I felt all of the cast members fit their role well and the chemistry between Emma and Alyssa was spot on.

The Prom is such a fun show and I feel that it is the story that we need today. I would've loved to have had this story back in my younger years. I feel this story will reach out and touch anyone especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. I would highly recommend seeing it while it is in Minneapolis.

For more information on the Prom tour, click here

Photo by Deen Van Meer

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