THE PROM Begins Performances This Month At Kelsey Theatre

Four fading Broadway stars, desperate for the spotlight, insert themselves into a controversy surrounding a small-town prom-with hilarious results-in the musical comedy "The Prom," Feb. 13-22, at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College's West Windsor Campus.

While the has-been, self-absorbed thespians struggle to make themselves relevant, the town's parents want to keep the high school dance low-key-made increasingly difficult when one student wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, thrusting the small Midwestern town into the national spotlight. "The Prom" balances satire and sincerity, providing an opportunity to engage in conversations about empathy, identity, and social justice.

"The Prom" debuted on Broadway in 2018, closing after 24 previews and 310 regular performances. The show was nominated for numerous awards, including seven Tony Awards, and won the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.

The cast features Tori Cavallo of Jackson, N.J., as Emma Nolan; Michael Zweig of Philadelphia, Pa., as Barry Glickman; Christina Parke of Hamilton Township, N.J., as Dee Dee Allen; Edgar K. Mariano, also of Hamilton Township, as Trent Oliver; Jina Choi of East Windsor, N.J., as Angie Dickinson; Meah Jones of Bordentown, N.J., as Emma's girlfriend, Alyssa Greene; Mark Applegate of Hamilton Township, N.J., as Mr. Hawkins; Ed Liu of Brooklyn, N.Y., as Sheldon Saperstein; and Alexandra Haas of Willingboro, N.J., as Mrs. Greene.

The ensemble features Kaleigh Coyle, Karina Godovany, Kelsey Schreibersdorf, and Johnnie Bryant of Lawrence Township, N.J.; Travis Weaver and Steven Smolka of Hamilton Township, N.J.; Natalie Maldonado of East Windsor, N.J.; Jaide Fisher of Townsend, Del.; Trevor McCutchen of Orange County, Calif.; Aileen Lutz of King of Prussia, Pa.; Kheil Canono of Ewing, N.J.; Rielle Lewis of Chesterfield, N.J.; Leah Panuccio of Princeton, N.J.; Micah Goldschmidt of West Windsor, N.J.; and Fred Ezell of Mount Holly, N.J.

"The Prom" is produced by Beverly Kuo-Hamilton and Evan Paine is assistant producer. Director is Laurie Gougher, François Suhr is music director, and choreographers are Sheilla Kraft and Simon Hamilton. Dance captain is Kaleigh Coyle; assistant stage manager is Cyrus Nasib; intimacy coordinator is Kate Sillitti. Lighting design is by Jackson Siegel, sound design by Noah Schwartz, artistic director is Andrew Devlin, set carpenter is Jeff Cantor, costumer is Darrell J. Watts, and props are by Miranda Williams.

Dates and showtimes for "The Prom" are Fridays, Feb. 13 and Feb. 20, and Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday, Feb. 21 and Sundays, Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. Performances are at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

There will be an opening night reception following the performance on Feb. 13, and a "Post-Prom" reception following the Feb. 14 show which will include food, music, games and magic. Audience members are encouraged to dress up and join in the fun.

In addition, Thank You 5 Productions will be collecting gently used, clean prom attire for donation for Operation Prom National Network throughout the show's run, and will collaborate with the Rainbow Alliance to raise funds for HiTOPS, a non-profit organization that supports young people of all identities by providing inclusive and youth-informed sex education and LGBTQ+ support for young people throughout New Jersey.

Tickets are $26 for adults and $24 for for seniors and students and may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.org or by calling the Kelsey Box Office Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, at (609) 570-3333.