Review: THE PROM at Theater At St. Luke's

The words theater and church do not usually go hand in hand. Theater at St. Luke's, the theater ministry of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Orlando, located off Apopka-Vineland Road, defies any stereotype one might have about putting those two words together.

I first discovered Theater at St. Luke's four years ago. My school had just announced that we would be producing Oliver! the following spring when I happened to see an advertisement for auditions. I had not been on stage in nearly twenty years. Oliver! has always been a special show to me. It was the first musical I ever performed in at age five, and later marked my return to the stage as a teenager after a ten-year break. Returning to the same show after a twenty-year hiatus felt like fate.

Because I was not raised in a Christian denomination, I approached the experience with some apprehension. A church-sponsored theater program was not something I was familiar with, and having grown up in Alabama, where I had some negative experiences with churches, I wasn’t sure what to expect.   However, Theater at St. Luke's and St. Luke's United Methodist Church quickly proved to be exactly what they claim to be: a place where all are truly welcome. While many churches speak about inclusivity, St. Luke's actively demonstrates it. In addition to extensive community outreach efforts, the church has long been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

The performance I attended partnered with Zebra Youth, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. The organization is also working to create inclusive prom experiences where everyone is welcome.

Producing The Prom is a bold choice for any theater company, but especially for one affiliated with a church. Yet Theater at St. Luke's approached the material with dignity, compassion, and grace. The production reflects the church's commitment to inclusion and its belief that everyone deserves a place at the table.

I have seen both the film adaptation of The Prom and the national tour when it came through Orlando. While it has never been one of my favorite musicals, my issues with the show stem from the script itself, not from this production.

As a St. Luke's alumna, I can confidently say they consistently attract remarkable talent. I have performed in one of their productions, worked technical theater for The Little Mermaid, and this is now my third consecutive summer enjoying a show from the audience.

Rachel Hope Ihasz and Kendall Falana are charming as Emma Nolan and Alyssa Greene. Darren Escarcha delivers a hysterical performance as Barry Glickman, while Josh Ball, Matthew Nash-Brown, and Grace Flaherty all bring energy and charisma to their respective roles as Sheldon Saperstein, Trent Oliver, and Angie Dickinson. Lillie Eliza Thomas is particularly effective as Alyssa's controlling mother, Mrs. Greene. Audiences familiar with Thomas's previous performances as sweet-natured characters such as Miss Honey in Matilda and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors may be surprised by her convincing turn as the rigid and demanding Mrs. Greene.

As always, the cast as a whole is exceptionally talented.

For those unfamiliar with the story, The Prom follows Emma Nolan, a teenager in small-town Indiana whose high school prom is canceled when she wants to bring her girlfriend as her date. A group of struggling Broadway performers descends upon her hometown in search of positive publicity, only to find themselves genuinely invested in Emma's fight. The musical is loosely inspired by the true story of Mississippi teenager Constance McMillen, who faced a similar situation in 2010.

My biggest criticism of The Prom has nothing to do with Theater at St. Luke's. It comes down to the book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, who also wrote the lyrics.

Without revealing too much, the story hinges on an entire student body successfully keeping a secret from Emma involving the location of prom. As someone who has worked with teenagers for more than twenty years and continues to work with them today, this is where the show loses me.

The story is set in the modern era. While that plot point may have felt more believable when the real-life events occurred in 2010, social media has changed how teenagers communicate. In my experience, expecting an entire high school to maintain that kind of secret feels unrealistic. One student might keep quiet. Maybe even a handful of them. But somebody would post, tag, message, or accidentally reveal the truth. It is the one aspect of the show that I simply cannot buy into, and it remains my biggest issue with the script.

Fortunately, the score by Matthew Sklar provides many of the show's strongest moments. Songs and musical themes recur throughout the production in ways that create emotional cohesion, particularly through the recurring use of "Unruly Hearts," which serves as an anthem for acceptance and authenticity.  That, combined with other catchy tunes like “Dance With You”, “Tonight Belongs to You” and “It’s Time to Dance” almost makes me overlook this admittedly far-fetched plot point. Then again, it is musical theater, after all.  

One of the things I most admire about Theater at St. Luke's is that their commitment to inclusion extends beyond the stories they tell. When they say all are welcome, they mean it both in the pews and on the stage.

While the theater industry as a whole has made progress, particularly in conversations surrounding race and gender, discussions surrounding size, disability, age, and representation continue. St. Luke's regularly casts performers of all backgrounds, body types, ages, and abilities. Not every theater director embraces that philosophy.

One of my favorite moments in the production came from ensemble member Robert Meyers. At more than eighty years old, he appeared onstage in a rhinestone tuxedo and performed with the same enthusiasm and joy as the teenagers and young adults beside him. It was impossible not to smile.

Despite my reservations about the script, there were several moments that resonated deeply with me. One of the most moving comes when Principal Hawkins (Shonn McCloud) explains to Broadway star Dee Dee Allen (Ame Livingston) why Theater Matters. When she suggests that theater serves as a distraction, he responds, "A distraction is momentary. An escape helps you heal."

That line struck me more profoundly than I expected.

There is also a moment when Trent Oliver speaks about empathy and points out that the local high school lacks a theater program. The implication is one familiar to theater educators everywhere: theater teaches empathy. It asks us to step into someone else's shoes, understand perspectives different from our own, and connect through shared humanity.

One of the things I love most about St. Luke's is that it always seems to enter my life exactly when I need it most, and this production was no exception.

The Prom may be considered a risky choice because of its subject matter, particularly for a church-affiliated theater company. Yet beneath its LGBTQ+ storyline is a universal message about belonging, acceptance, disappointment, and resilience.

This show is for:

• The person who has been rejected by family members because of who they are.
• The teenager living under the weight of impossible expectations.
• The person who was let down by someone they admired.
• The person who never got to attend prom, for whatever reason.

As the show reminds us:

The night belongs to you.

St. Luke's consistently tells beautiful and important stories, and The Prom is no exception. Under the direction of Steve MacKinnon, with vocal direction by Bradley Roberts and orchestral direction by John R. Mason III, audiences can always expect thoughtful storytelling, strong performances, and a sense of community that extends far beyond the stage.

Theater at St. Luke's produces one major musical each summer. If you are unable to catch The Prom, make a point of seeing whatever they present next year. And if you would like to support Zebra Youth and its mission, visit zebrayouth.org.

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