Staging a 'Prom'

A Mahoning Valley native plays the role of head cheerleader.
By LISA TOLIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- If you've seen a John Hughes movie -- or been to high school, for that matter -- you already know the characters in "The Awesome 80s Prom."
You probably know much of the dialogue, too. A few of the lines are ripped straight from "The Breakfast Club" and "Revenge of the Nerds."
But you don't go back in time if you want to see something new. So if you've been dying to dust off those parachute pants and Members Only jackets and party like it's 1989, you'll get your chance at "Prom," a new interactive show at the Webster Hall nightclub on Friday and Saturday evenings.
In a format reminiscent of "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" or the disco-glam "The Donkey Show," the audience mingles with actors, this time under the streamers of Wanaget High's senior prom.
The usual suspects are all there: the arrogant football captain, the ditzy cheerleader, the fumbling nerd, the excitable Asian exchange student. And the soundtrack is well-worn, from the mandatory slow-dance power ballads to "Karma Chameleon" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
There's not much in the way of plot -- essentially, 10 students are competing for prom king and queen in the production conceived and directed by Ken Davenport. But the action stays lively as the characters take to the stage to campaign, flirt and scheme.
Interaction
The audience is free to roam around the dance floor -- there are few tables -- grab a drink from the bar and vote for their favorite. Half the fun comes between scenes, when the audience can join a break dance circle as the actors make the rounds in character.
The scolding principal (Fletcher Young) may warn you not to repeat your locker room antics. The rebel (Brian Peterson) may offer you pot -- at one point, he grabbed this reviewer's notebook, coolly threw it on the floor and walked away. The closeted drama queen (Stephen Guarino) may tell you he doesn't judge you because you're pregnant.
As they gamely improvise, the cast members hit the mark.
Peterson has mastered the in-your-face glare as the rebellious clone of Judd Nelson in "The Breakfast Club." Nicole Cicchella is sweetly dorky as the cheerful head of the prom committee. Jenna Pace (daughter of Mahoning Valley auto dealer Jim Pace) smolders as the vampy head cheerleader. Jeff Hiller makes a toothy class president, promising to bring a "big star" to the prom (he does, and the "star" lends the show some of the best moves of the night). And Kathy Searle and Noah Weisberg give the show some heart as the nerds.
The able actors don't have much to work with; while audience members seemed to enjoy the long dance breaks, it meant little stage time for the cast. Still, there was enough to keep the people in the audience practicing their own Molly Ringwald moves, making the "Prom" a lighthearted date.
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