As the winter season comes to a close, a crew of incredibly talented dancers and singers prepared to take the stage for the production of “The Prom”. “The Prom” is a heartwarming and comedic musical that follows four Broadway actors who travel to a small Indiana town to help a high school student, Emma, after she is banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom. The four’s entertaining and over-the-top awareness of justice ultimately leads to a touching conclusion that spreads the true meaning behind love and acceptance.
“This musical deals with the major themes of justice and love,” Michael Driscoll, Director of Theater, said. Intending to remind people to look at the world from different perspectives and to love each other, Driscoll and the rest of the production team presented the Lake Forest Academy community with the winter musical.
Unlike the fall play, the winter musical was a heavily dance-focused production, and it was challenging for many actors to memorize all the choreography with the music and the lines for a two-and-a-half-hour show, even with the rehearsal time they had. With the help of student leaders such as Dance Captain Dayla Rosen ‘25, actors could adapt to the parts of the musical they weren’t familiar with more smoothly.
Actors also developed their own character from these challenges. According to Driscoll, “It is always enjoyable seeing students having their ‘ah ha’ moment.” In those moments, students were able to find their connection with their characters.
In preparation for the recent production, student actors also experienced intense rehearsals that polished their performance. According to Samuel Hendricks ‘26, Driscoll brought a professional atmosphere to the musical, and he was able to answer questions and help students with details when acting.
Performing alongside the cast and production team was the pit orchestra conducted by Sally Stephenson. Through tireless hours of rehearsal every day, the pit orchestra was able to perfect its craft, focusing on making music and matching with the singers and scene changes. Despite the challenge of constantly changing key and time signatures, the orchestra was able to pull off a remarkable performance alongside the musical cast. Stephenson shared, “I feel so proud of what we have accomplished. It’s really awesome to see how far we have come in reading super-advanced music.”
With all the efforts of our student actors, production team and Chance team, the show opened on February 19 with great success. The eye-catching costume and the elaborate stage design took the performance to the next level. Sitting in the audience seat, many were surrounded by laughter and music. Although the show contained some heavy topics, the atmosphere was balanced with lighthearted dialogues.
“The Prom” marked another excellent production at the Cressy Theater. The Arts Department has already begun discussing what the play and musical will be for future productions, and there will be more opportunities for student actors to showcase their talent on the stage.
