“The Prom” runs from July 17 through July 27 at the Greer Cabaret Theater, 622 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Tap here for tickets and additional information.
When a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi, was forbidden to bring her girlfriend to the prom, celebrities such as Cat Cora, Lance Bass, and band members from Green Day rallied together via social media to show their support. The news story went viral, and the idea germinated. Jack Viertel took the original concept to Matthew Sklar (music), Chad Beguelin (Lyrics), and Bob Martin (book), and “The Prom” musical was born.
The musical made its Broadway debut in 2018, and by 2020, it had been adapted by Ryan Murphy into a Netflix film starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, and more.
In the Stage 62 version of the musical, fictional celebrities, Dee Dee Allen (Jess Whittington), Barry Glickman (Dixie Surewood), and Trent Oliver (Chad Elder), take up the cause célèbre and fly off to Indiana to meet with Emma (KB Bradley), a lesbian teen who wants to go to the prom with her girlfriend. Hijinks ensue.
Nik Nemec, who worked for Stage 62 as a stage manager on the “Rocky Horror Show” and ‘Assassins,” directed “Rent” last year. He said, “I knew when I learned that Stage 62 was going to be doing ‘The Prom,’ I knew I had to direct.”
Nemec is no stranger to controversy. In 2018, Matt and Michelle Belliston, founders of The Palisade Playhouse, canceled their production of “Big Fish” when Nemec, who was directing the show, had two male background actors kiss during a song. Later that same year, a preview performance of “The Prom” featured a same-sex kiss on television during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It gave Nemec a sense of peace. He said, “I knew then that I had to direct that show. I had to tell this story here in Pittsburgh.”
Due to COVID-19, the national tour of “The Prom” was canceled, and the show never came to Pittsburgh until now. Nemec said, “CAPA did the show before the pandemic, but this will be the first semi-professional premiere of the show.”
Nemec is excited to show the audience “The Prom.” “It feels like an old-school musical for new audiences. It celebrates queerness. It’s special. It’s even a little bit rebellious.”
KB Bradley, who plays Emma, said, “This role is deeply personal to me. I don’t often get to play a character whose identity or struggles align closely with my own, so it means a great deal to be a queer voice helping to tell this story.”
While bragging about his cast, Nemec said, “Wait ’til you see Dixie Surewood.”
Surewood, a local drag artist, is no stranger to the stage. “Growing up, I was in the choir and a lot of theater, and then I took a break. A few years ago, a company [Split Stage Productions at the Lamp Theatre] was doing ‘Kinky Boots’ out in Irwin, PA, and I had to audition. I got cast in the show, and the acting bug bit me again.” She added, “All drag is theater!”
She has high praise for Nemec. “Nik is a great director. He gets it. He understands the bit and knows how to get the most out of a joke. He lets us play on the stage, but he also knows how to get to the deeper emotions organically,” said Surewood.
Because the regular venue is under repair, the show is relocating from its home at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie to the Greer Cabaret in Downtown Pittsburgh. Surewood said, “Any chance I get to work with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, I’ll take it. The Greer is gorgeous!”
Nemec added, “We are grateful to the Trust and Joanna Obuzor for lending us the Greer.”
Surewood said, “The music is wonderful. There are high-energy songs and poppy showtunes. Not to spoil anything, but I love the finale. It’s a culmination of everything. It’s joyous!”
“The Prom” runs from July 17 until July 27 at the Greer Cabaret Theater, 622 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
