Student Voices and Changing Lives: The Prom Does Exactly What Its Opening Number Promises at Royal West

By Alice Myers

Student Reporter 

Photo Credits Marrone Films

The second night of Royal West Academy’s The Prom (lyrics by Chad Beguelin and book by Bob Martin and Beguelin) was a deliciously flamboyant affair, full of personality, heart, and humour. Following four Broadway stars on their search for good publicity (their charity case being a  17 year-old lesbian from Indiana), the production packs every possible emotion into its two-hour runtime. The audience is sure to find themselves crying (Melody Marrone’s Emma Nolan is left heartbroken and alone at her prom), laughing (Brad Coleman’s Trent Oliver performs a jazzy Bible-themed anthem of acceptance titled “Love Thy Neighbor”), and swooning (Marrone and Gaby Pomerleau [Alyssa Greene] sing a dreamy duet called “Dance With You”) – and sometimes doing all three at the same time. 

While each actor was strong in their portrayals of their characters, it was Jane Raimbert (playing a Dee Dee Allen with an air of Blair Waldorf-meets-Glinda about her) who stole the show time and time again. With just the right balance of wittiness, charm, and glamour, she was impossible to look away from. From her voice (traced with a hint of an Old Hollywood, transatlantic accent) to her comedy (her rendition of “It’s Not About Me” had the audience in tears of laughter), Raimbert made the perfect Dee Dee: conceited, to be sure, but delightful and lovable from start to finish. Her acting talent paired with a stunning singing voice (her “The Lady’s Improving” dropped several jaws), she was unstoppable. She portrayed her character’s growth with skill and grace, and despite having all eyes on her whenever she stepped on stage, she excelled not only individually, but also during group scenes.

Ben Atlas (Tom Hawkins), was brilliant as Raimbert’s love interest and the school’s awkward but caring principal. Dry yet kindhearted, he was unexpectedly hilarious and had the audience guffawing on several occasions. His character was clearly well thought-out; his voice had a tone and cadence that had the audience fully convinced that they were watching a forty-year-old man who had lived a long and tiring life rather than a high school student. The chemistry between Mr. Hawkins and Dee Dee was notable, and Raimbert and Atlas were unbeatable as scene partners.

The dynamics between the four Broadway stars – Ruven Barrell’s Barry Glickman, Charlie Wylie’s Angie Dickinson, Dee Dee, and Trent – were outstanding. The four of them played off each other exquisitely well, bantering and bickering with remarkable ease. Each one had a unique, defined, and multidimensional personality, and the manner in which they were written avoided tired stereotypes and clichés. Barrell’s humour and flair brought Barry to life as he grew from a narcissistic egotist to someone full of compassion, fully winning over the audience during his solo, “Barry is Going to Prom,” a sweet, heartwarming, and upbeat number that had everyone in the room grinning from ear to ear. Wylie, meanwhile, played a wonderfully quirky Angie with terrific stage presence and contagious energy (“Zazz” was an entertaining and spirited number). Coleman’s Trent, magnificently extravagant, was a riot (his delivery of “We’re liberals from Broadway!” while holding a sign reading, “We are all lesbians” was truly peak comedy). 

Shifting from the adult cast of characters to the teenage roles, Marrone played a beautiful Emma and had a good portion of the audience in tears by the end of Act One, where she is abandoned at prom. Her extraordinary singing voice shone during numbers like “Just Breathe” and “Unruly Heart,” where she had the whole room under a spell. Captivating and funny, she had the audience deeply invested in her character and her journey. Meanwhile, Pomerleau glowed during her self-titled solo ballad, “Alyssa Greene.”

The costumes featured in the show were well-chosen, revealing aspects of each character’s personality. Dee Dee, for example, was draped in various sparkly ensembles. In contrast, Mr. Hawkins wore beige, and Angie was dressed in classy, smart black. One of the most accurate costumes was that of Mrs. Greene – her dresses screamed “emotionally detached PTA mother,” and the recognizable clack of her heels warned the audience of her presence.

The musical numbers enhanced the quality of the show, which would likely not be anywhere near as entertaining if it were a straight play. While there were several mishaps in terms of the sound quality – many a microphone crackled with static; some were much too loud and others so quiet they may as well have been off – the actors dealt with the issues well, refusing to pause or repeat themselves, not even wincing at the sharp feedback squealing from the speakers.

The audience, ranging from toddlers to grandparents, was entirely captivated by the story by the end of Act One, rising shakily from their seats at intermission to work through the intense emotions conjured up by the show. After the cast took their bows, there was nary a dry eye in the house, the audience’s tears stemming from both laughter and heartbreak. The message of acceptance shone through the show loud and clear, every scene infused with moral value transmitted in an entertaining fashion. I loved the musical and was impressed with its level of professionalism and the clear amount of hard work that went into its production.