Theater review: 'Zombie Prom': exuberant good fun Theater review: 'Zombie Prom': exuberant good fun (May 04, 2005)

By Bryan Wiggin

Almanac Theater Critic

Palo Alto Players' production of the musical "Zombie Prom," by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe, is a lot of fun. It has color, energy, lively songs, and a well-rehearsed cast with no weaknesses.

Set in Enrico Fermi High School in the 1950s, the plot is boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.

The boy is Jonny Warner, and the fact that he spells his first name without an "h" proves that he's a rebel. (It was easy to be a rebel back then.)

His sweetheart is named Toffee, and it's not long before her parents forbid her to see him. In his despair, Jonny jumps into the chimney of the local nuclear plant and is buried at sea along with some nuclear waste.

Toffee's grief is endless, lasting three whole weeks before Jonny reappears as a green-skinned nuclear zombie.

Zombies of any kind aren't well received by school principal Delilah Strict, but it's a good story for Eddie Flagrante, editor of Expose magazine.

Meanwhile, all the school kids are gearing up for the prom, which Miss Strict threatens to cancel if everyone doesn't follow "Rules, Regulations, and Respect." This is one of the best of the show's many good songs, and Julia Etzel, as the principal, is a dynamic leader of the cast, singing with character and force. She gives a dynamite performance.

Everyone in the cast is good. Lexie Lazear, as Toffee, has some taxing singing early in the show, and she doesn't disappoint. She's on pitch with a powerful delivery, and, as in "Jonny Don't Go," she can put a throb or a sob into her voice, whichever is required.

In a last-minute cast change, Erik Scanlon took the part of Jonny, and he was completely into it, with characterful singing and dancing that fit in perfectly with the rest of the cast. He's also a very good-looking young man, even with green skin after his zombie resurrection as he sings about being a "Blast From The Past."

As Eddie Flagrante, Dan Adamson may be a cynical journalist, but he's an affable one, and he and Ms. Etzel offer a highlight when they dance and sing of their fleeting love of long ago. And it's Eddie who tosses in the hand grenade of information that reveals that Jonny and Miss Strict are closer to each other than either could have guessed. Jonny is pretty close to Eddie, too.

The others in the cast are Elana Ron, Laurel Scruggs, Kristy Trujillo, Charlie Levy, Greg Lucas, and Ricky Altamirano, and they are all terrific. Playing two and three parts, they dance with energy and sing with verve and give the audience a heck of a good time.

Director Greg Schuh has done a first-rate job. His cast is very well rehearsed. They sing with well-blended vocal harmonies, and their dancing of the choreography of Mr. Schuh and Christina Lazo is crisp and tight.

Musical director Matthew Mattei has his little rock band playing with precision and drive. The settings of Ron Gasparinetti are spare but suggestive, Robert A. Horek and Cynthia Preciado provide costumes with just the right 1950s look, and there is beautiful and supportive lighting from Michael Palumbo.

As directed by Mr. Schuh, "Zombie Prom" is exuberantly entertaining. You'll enjoy it.
INFORMATION

Zombie Prom," by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe, is being presented by Palo Alto Players at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto through May 15. For information, call 329-0891 or go to www.paplayers.org.

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