Did you miss your prom? You now have a chance to attend one. Here's how.
MIDDLEBORO -- Get ready to dust off your dancing shoes and put on your party attire because the Adult Prom is coming back to town at The Alley Theatre in downtown Middleboro. On May 18, adults of all ages, across the South Coast and beyond, are invited to attend a night of music and fun.
Lorna Brunelle, the event coordinator and owner of The Alley Theatre, hosted the Adult Prom last year on the patio.
"During COVID, just because that's what we sort of needed to do to survive," Brunelle said. "Everyone loved it out there, there was about 110 people. It ended up being a blast."
The success of last year's adult prom led to another event in January, dubbed the "Winter Ball," even more packed with people, according to Brunelle. Now, back by popular demand, Adult Prom returns in May.
Proceeds benefit the Burt Wood School
Open to ages 18-plus, the adult prom is not only a night of fun and dancing, but also a way to give back to the community. Proceeds from ticket sales, which are $28 per person, will benefit The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts, a local school that provides opportunities for children and adults to experience the performing arts.
"I've been fundraising for the school since it opened, which was 29 years ago," Brunelle said, who went to the Boston Conservatory on a full scholarship herself. Since then, she has been passionate about providing opportunities for underprivileged youth to pursue their passions.
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"My mom was a single mom with three kids, the only extras I could do was stuff through church or public school or the library, which is fine, but I could never have been in a program like that," she added.
Thanks to the community's support, 40% of the school's student body is enrolled each year on full scholarship, meaning they do not have to pay for any of the classes or programs they participate in.
"So all of these efforts that we have during the year go directly into [the scholarship] so that the kids...can participate in summer camp, five shows a year and classes like piano, drums, guitar, voice, whatever they want to take," Brunelle said.
What to expect when attending 'Adult Prom'
On May 18, Brunelle expected the prom to go all night. Although she emphasizes that dressing up in formal attire is not mandatory, it is encouraged.
"Last year, in my social media marketing, I said, 'dress fancy but formal attire is not required,' and everyone came dressed to the nines," she said with a laugh. "It was a riot, like men rented tuxes and women went to shops and rented gowns. And some women were taking their original prom attire from the 80s and 90s."
The partygoers also voted for a prom king and queen.
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The event is expected to draw a diverse crowd from their early 20s to their 70s. "In fact, the guy that we crowned our king was on the more mature side of our guests that evening and the girl that we crowned queen was in her 20s," Brunelle said.
The Bartending Service of New England will be providing a full bar, and Coffee Milano Cafe will be providing food options. There will also be a designated spot for taking photos, complete with props and decorations, courtesy of What's Poppin Balloons.
It's all about having fun, and finding your inner fire
The event has even caught the attention of one New Bedford area resident who plans to use it as a reunion for her high school class.
"Because high school class reunions are getting to be way too expensive now. She's like, 'It's 28 bucks a ticket, and literally a way to come together," Brunelle said.
Brunelle hope is the event will recall a time in their lives when people were just carefree and innocent.
"We need to get back to that all around. Whether it's in your living room, in your car or outside on the patio... I think it's important to continue to feel your fire and for a lot of people that's with music community and dancing," Brunelle said.
Adult Prom information
The Adult Prom will be held outside on the patio of the Alley Theatre, 133 Center St., Middleboro on Saturday, May 18 with DJ Clayton Hill providing music. Dancing begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. Free parking is available at the town hall. Tickets are $28 per person. Proceeds benefit The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. Email burtwoodschool@aol.com for tickets.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: The Alley Theatre in Middleboro to host adult prom party May 18
