Theatre Review: Zombie Prom is 'Scary Good'

By Alena Perszyk, Marquette High School

With headlines exclaiming “The Miracle of a Toxic Teen,” love reviving a dead boyfriend, and experiencing a blast from the all too recent past, who said that once you jump into a nuclear waste plant that “there ain’t no going back”? Francis Howell’s thrilling performance of Zombie Prom gave the audience a reason to be spirited.

Zombie Prom premiered in the Red Barn Theatre in Florida in 1993. In 1996, the show opened off-Broadway and had an unfortunate run of only 12 shows. Zombie Prom describes a forbidden love at Enrico Fermi High School. Toffee, the most popular girl in school, falls in love with Jonny, who is a bad apple for removing the H from his biblical name. After constant yelling from her parents and the principal, Ms. Strict, Toffee breaks off the relationship with the troubled teen, leading to his suicide. After three weeks, Toffee’s love brings Jonny back from his underwater grave, and trouble stews. Should zombies have the same rights as “normal” people?

The vibrant energy and bright facials brought the show to life. With many actors fully committing to their character, the audience was able to connect with the emotions throughout the story.

Jonny, performed by Ethan Isaac, was not dead on stage.  With cartwheels, crisp dance moves, and a bright smile, Jonny came to life. His intense emotions caused the audience to feel his pain of being a zombie teenager in love. Miss Strict, performed by Michelle Adzido, lit up the stage with her booming voice and shrieks. Perfecting her comedic timing, Miss Strict brought humor to the stage as well as a strong sense of authority.

Sheila (Secretary), performed by Kassie King, was the boisterous comic relief in the show. Although having minimal lines, her bold body movements and sassy personality caused everyone’s eyes to be on her the moment she hit the stage.

Alex Schad solely created all of the costumes. The various costumes colors looked fantastic on stage, and the diverse set of outfits, while still timely for the 1950s, were a great asset to the show.

However, a few flaws occurred during Friday’s performance. Sometimes, words were lost due to a lack of projection or mic issues. Fortunately, these were minor issues, and the audience mentally filled in the blanks for the actors. Moreover, the ensembles were not always in sync, but this was quickly overshadowed by the strong vocals within the cast. As a whole, the cast’s explosive facials created a believable atmosphere on stage.

As a whole, the show was scary good. With fiery attitudes and unforgettable dance moves, the show came to life. In Francis Howell’s Zombie Prom, the audience left with the reminder that love never dies.

About The Cappies, from its website: The Cappies is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local news outlets. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.