Foothill Music Theatre will stage its spring musical, “The Prom,” Feb. 28 through March 16 at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills.
Based on a true story, this Drama Desk Award-winning musical follows the story of a small-town Indiana girl as she tries to bring her girlfriend to her high school prom.
“We have two juxtaposing worlds: The root of the show is this young woman, Emma Nolan, who wants to go to prom with her girlfriend, and the town PTA says, ‘Uh, no,’” director Milissa Carey said. “Meanwhile, comedic relief comes from Broadway actors whose careers are on the decline and become celebrity activists to help Emma’s cause.”
The show’s 27-person cast includes Foothill students and local amateur and professional actors. Samantha Rich, a San Francisco native and recent college graduate, stars as Emma.
“Emma practically doesn’t leave the stage – she has a lot of singing and the emotional arc is very intense,” Rich said. “She’s a bit awkward and maintains the awkwardness throughout, but she grows from insecurity to eventually being completely secure in who she is and what she wants.”
Madelyn Davis-Haddad plays Alyssa, Emma’s girlfriend. While Emma experiences the hardships of expressing queerness in a conservative town, at the same time, a troupe of four Broadway stars – who were bullied out of big show business by media critics – arrive in town with hopes of rekindling their careers with charity work.
“We think we’re just going to shake up some cow-tipping dumb-dumbs in the middle of the country,” said John Mannion, who plays Sheldon, the PR manager of the Broadway performers. “There’s a line where we say, ‘We’re liberal Democrats from Broadway,’ and we think that’s a great badge. Instead, the townspeople are just like, ‘Oh, God, you guys are idiots.’”
Also outcast, they join forces with Emma and fight together for her chance to attend the prom.
“It’s remarkable – the emotional ride of the girls who are forced to bury their relationship and the strangers who support them – and in the end, it’s really heartwarming,” Mannion said.
For Mannion, the story of “The Prom” also reflects current issues affecting the nation.
“The premise that a girl can’t bring her girlfriend to the prom seems a little ridiculous and almost dated, yet in the U.S. that we live in today, it’s hard to draw any guardrails around what’s not under threat,” Mannion said.
Rich echoed those sentiments.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to step into Emma’s shoes and to tell this story because it’s super relevant to everything going on in the world today,” Rich said. “This show is a reminder that not everyone everywhere is so accepting as they are in the Bay Area, but if we keep educating people on being more open, being more accepting, we can change that.”
With just a few more technical rehearsals and run-throughs remaining before opening night, Carey looks forward to sharing her and the cast’s work behind “The Prom” with audiences.
“We work really hard to make a show, but the last thing we need is an audience because it’s a shared deal,” Carey said. “You’re in the room with the actors, and you’re up close; you’re in the story. It has wonderful music, it’s heartfelt, it’s got a strong and important message and it’s funny. What’s not to love?”
“The Prom” opens at 8 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Lohman Theatre at Foothill, 12345 S. El Monte Road. Future shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursdays (starting March 6), 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.
For times, tickets ($22-$48) and more information, visit foothill.edu/theatre/The_Prom.html.
