Musical 'The Prom' opens at Croswell Opera House

ADRIAN — Directing a show that will be unfamiliar to most theatergoers, as opposed to something everyone knows and loves, is something of “a double-edged sword” to Matthew D. Bowland, who directs the Croswell Opera House’s upcoming production of “The Prom.”

“It’s been a really, really long time since I’ve gotten to direct something in an unbiased way, to do something that doesn’t need to be representative of what people already know,” he said.

But, Bowland added, of course the other side of having basically a blank slate to work with is presenting a show audience members will want to take a chance on even if it’s unfamiliar to them. And he thinks this production has what it takes.

“We’ve got so many talented actors, across a huge spectrum” of ages and hometowns, he said, and he thinks the show itself is hugely enjoyable for all sorts of reasons.

“It has a lot of great music. The tunes get stuck in your head. And the book is so funny. Plus, the throughline of the story is something we can all relate to.”

The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15. Additional performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24.

Tickets are $44/$33/$22 for adults and $25/$20/$15 for students, and can be ordered online at croswell.org or by calling 517-264-7469.

“The Prom” was written by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar. It premiered in Atlanta in 2016, opened on Broadway in 2018, and although its run was relatively short-lived it won both critical acclaim and the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.

Based on a true incident, it’s the story of what happens when an Indiana high schooler, Emma, wants to bring her girlfriend, Alyssa, to the prom.

In the musical — which was turned into a 2020 Netflix film — two completely narcissistic Broadway actors who’ve performed in a show that bombed on opening night decide they need to repair their images by getting involved in a cause. They hear about the situation in Indiana and descend on the small town with their friends to help the girls out.

In other words, the plot features self-centered people trying to prove they’re not self-centered by doing something to draw attention to themselves. But “from the moment it starts, you’re totally on board with it,” Bowland said, laughing.

The production’s cast includes Elise Brown as Emma Nolan, Kylie Scarpace as Alyssa, Tallie Carter as Dee Dee, James Norman as Barry, Chris Stack as Trent, Kirsten Hinshaw as Angie, Alex Britton as Hawkins, Beth Giller as Mrs. Greene, Xavier Sarabia as Sheldon, Aubrie Lauren as Shelby, Lily Gechter as Kaylee, Oden Berthelsen as Nick, Skye Rodriguez as Kevin, and Bennice C. Byles as the Motel Clerk.

The ensemble consists of Chance Adkins, Madelyn Bowman, Lydia Carroll, Kaitlyn Cross, Ashley Gatesy, Anna Giller, Bitty Higgins, Alexandra June, Chloe Parks, Alex Pizaña, Reed Schwieterman and Astrid Thomas.

Alyssa Brutlag is the show’s choreographer, with Leah Fox serving as the music director and Chelsie Cree as the vocal director.

A number of the cast members are new to the Croswell stage, although even some of the newcomers bring considerable performing experience to this show. Norman, for example, is the co-artistic director of the Toledo Opera, while Hinshaw has performed in national tours of “Grease” and “Fame.”

When it came to casting, Bowland thinks he was very fortunate with the people who came to auditions. “The show looks for some specific archetypes, and I don’t know what happened, but the stars aligned,” he said.

“It’s the most talented cast I’ve ever worked with."

Bowland, for his part, is a longtime Croswell performer and director who last directed at the historic theater with summer 2019’s “Sister Act.” He was supposed to direct another Croswell show more recently, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and “the world shut down,” he said.

Although he’s acted in a wealth of shows both at the Croswell and elsewhere, directing is much more to his liking. “I like bringing people together for a common purpose,” he said.

And when he was asked to direct “The Prom,” “I was like, ‘No brainer, yes!’”

The main plotline aside, Bowland thinks the story’s underlying elements are part of people’s lived experience, and as such will resonate with audience members. “Isolation, fear, being scapegoated, feeling vulnerable — I think these are things everyone can relate to,” he said.

Plus, he said, “this show is just fun. You’ll watch it, and you’ll say, ‘Wow, that was fun.’”

If you go

WHAT: “The Prom”

WHERE: Croswell Opera House, 129 E. Maumee St., Adrian

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24

TICKETS: $44/$33/$22 adults; $25/$20/$15 students

HOW TO ORDER: Online at croswell.org or by calling 517-264-7469

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Preview: Musical 'The Prom' opens Sept. 15 at Croswell Opera House