By George Basler
Four narcissistic Broadway stars, looking for a cause to revive their sagging careers, descend on a Midwestern town to help a teenage girl who simply wants to bring her girlfriend to her high school prom.
That’s the plot set up for The Prom, a brassy, Tony-nominated Broadway musical that opens Friday, Jan. 26, for a two-weekend run at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City.
The show is the latest production from SRO Productions III, a community theater group that has been staging musicals since 1984. “It’s a fun show. It’s the kind of show that makes you laugh but also has a big heart. That’s what I like about it,” said Scott Fisher, SRO’s artistic director who is directing the production.
The Prom garnered seven Tony nominations when it opened on Broadway during the 2018-19 season. New York Times critic Jesse Green called it “a joyful hoot. With its kinetic dancing, broad mugging and belty anthems, it makes you believe in musical comedy again.” The show also won praise for its message of tolerance and inclusiveness.
A national tour followed the Broadway production as did a Netflix movie featuring an all-star cast, including Meryl Streep and James Corden.
SRO is working to capture the same joyful feeling of the Broadway show. The songs are a mixture of Broadway-style numbers and pop tunes, Fisher said. Five choreographers are working with the large cast on dances that range from raise-the-roof Gospel numbers to “ones with kind of an old-school Broadway vibe,” he added.
“I think it’s a well-written script” that features inside jokes that theater fans will get a kick out of, Fisher said. At the same time, “it’s funny for everybody,” he emphasized, noting that the show has many great parts for performers of all ages.
“It’s a good-time show,” Fisher said.
IF YOU GO: SRO Productions III will present The Prom on the weekends of Jan. 26-28 and Feb. 2-4 at the Goodwill Theatre’s Schorr Family Firehouse Stage, 46 Willow St., Johnson City. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets at $28 (fees included) for adults and students and $26 (fees included) for ages 62 and over can be ordered at SRO’s website, www.sroproductionsonline.com. Tickets also will be available at the door, but reservations are suggested as some performances may sell out.
