Melissa Anderson Clar, Tim Dominicus, Daniel Williams, Shana Kulhavy, and Luke Vermeire in Quad City Music Guild's “The Prom" at the Prospect Park Auditorium -- July 11 through 20.
Friday, July 11, through Sunday, July 20
Prospect Park Auditorium, 1584 34th Avenue, Moline IL
Nominated for seven 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the basis for 2020's popular Netflix film starring Meryl Streep, the Broadway hit The Prom enjoys a Quad City Music Guild staging at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium July 11 through 20, this hilarious and touching show inspiring the New York Times to rave, "With its kinetic dancing, broad mugging, and belty anthems, it makes you believe in musical comedy again."
With its music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, and its book by Beguelin and The Drowsy Chaperone Tony winner Bob Martin, The Prom finds four eccentric Broadway stars (and not-quite-stars) in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue ... and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow – but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, The Prom expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with a message that resonates with audiences now more than ever.
Directing and set designing The Prom for Quad City Music Guild is Mike Turczynski, a longtime company veteran whose previous directorial offerings at Prospect Park include Jesus Christ Superstar, Young Frankenstein, and Catch Me If You Can. Vea Vavrosky serves as assistant director and Bailey Connors as music director, with additional members of the creative team including: stage manager Rebecca McNamar; choreographer Tori Hofer; assistant set designer Alyssa Ogrodry; costume designer Halley Price; lighting designer Miranda Croll; sound designer Kayla Sierra-Lee; props designer Natalie Hansen; makeup designer Sue Cates; and producer Mitch Carter.
Portraying the prom-date hopefuls are Addison Jorgensen and Shay Schehl, with the musical's quartet of well-meaning egoists played by Music Guild favorites Tim Dominicus (Rent), Shana Kulhavy (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Melissa Anderson Clark (Pippin), and Daniel Williams (Irving Berlin's White Christmas). Additional members of Turczynski's gifted cast include: Michael Van Belle; Luke Vermeire; Julia Hummel; Rayeln Bjorkman; Mia Ward; Eli Swailes; Chase Coussens; and Myka Walljasper. And more than a dozen local talents compose The Prom's ensemble: Mackenzie Volkert; Brittany Anderson; Willow Eberhardt; Michele Lefler; Kassandra Miller; Paulla Houston; Sophie Seamer; Xander Sharp; Izzy Dudek; Rishem Bhogal; Ella Hansen; Tatum Kilburg; Drew DeKeyrel; Alex Pappas; and Kaden Micklos.
A full 14 area musicians, meanwhile, will perform as part of the musical's live pit orchestra: Xin-Yan Chen and Joe Miller (keyboards); Rehea Reece and Bob Manasco (reeds); Ben McKay (trumpet); Joseph Pitard (trombone); Mei Lin McDermott and Fletcher Dupree (violins); Kimberly Jackson (violin and viola); Jocelyn Bock (cello); Matt Reece (guitar); Brandi Duncan (electric bass); Peter Philhower (drums); and Hunter Morrow (percussion).
Quad City Music Guild's presentation of The Prom runs at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium July 11 through 20, with performances Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $15-20, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-6610 and visiting QCMusicGuild.com.
