Big Feelings and a Big Musical Feel at Bombshell’s ‘The Prom’

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Photo via Bombshell Theater Co. - Facebook

Bombshell Theatre's ‘The Prom’

Bombshell Theatre's ‘The Prom’

Bombshell Theater boldly shuffles a big, splashy musical into a harrowingly intimate space this month as it stylishly presents The Prom. Director Eric Welch cleverly weaves the feel of a massive, well-funded production into the cozy space built by Next Act Theatre. Charming Gen Z actress Madison Nowak plays Emma—a small-town high school girl who finds her high school prom endangered when she mentions interest in bringing her girlfriend to the dance. The town’s interest in cancelling the prom becomes major news, which catches the attention of a group of fading Broadway stars who march into the fray to inadvertently complicate things while trying to prove to the world that they aren’t self-absorbed ego fiends. 

Eric Welch and Tim Albrechtson make for a fun contrast as rival stars who slowly learn what it means to actually help people. Rae Pare makes an impressively endearing impression as an aging Fosse girl who come along for the ride and does her best to inspire confidence in Emma. It’s a fun show. Young actors pretend to be high school kids dealing with a whole lot of confusion regarding life on the verge of some major cultural revolutions that are about to take place in the early 21st century. Welch has done a remarkable job of bringing together a very big feel to the production complete with some rather dazzling dance numbers that fill the stage quite well. Choreographer Celeste DuPuis addresses the space on Next Act’s stage with a very clever understanding of just precisely what kind of motion is going to impress without totally overwhelming the audience. Bombshell continues a commitment to high-quality musical theater with another satisfying show. 

Bombshell Theatre Company’s production of The Prom runs through Aug. 18 at 255 S. Water St. For ticket reservations and more, visit bombshelltheatre.org/theprom.