Zombie Prom
Encyclopedia
Zombie Prom is an Off-Broadway
musical
, also adapted into a short film. It was first produced at the Red Barn Theatre, Key West
, Florida
in 1993. It opened off-Broadway in New York City
at the Variety Arts Theatre in 1996. It opens November 2009 in London with a UK Premiere at the off-west end Landor Theatre
.
Zombie Prom opens at Enrico Fermi
High School. The students go through their daily routine ("Enrico Fermi High") and the audience meets Jonny, a rebel who spells his name without the traditional 'H.' We also meet Miss Strict, the principal of Enrico Fermi High School, in addition to Toffee. The song is ended abruptly by an air raid siren, where everyone ducks under tables, and Jonny and Toffee fall in love ("Ain't No Goin' Back"). They begin dating, and end up going out for several months before Toffee's parents forbid her from seeing Jonny on the grounds that he is a bad person. She breaks up with him, and Jonny commits suicide by hurling himself into the Francis Gary Powers nuclear power plant
. He is buried at sea in international waters with the rest of the nuclear waste.
Three weeks pass, and Toffee's flying ponies in the sky begin to notice that she's been upset and is unable to focus on her baton twirling ("Jonny Don't Go"). She expresses her sadness over Jonny's death, and retells the night of Jonny's death from her point of view. Meanwhile, the rest of the school gets itself ready for the senior prom
, which is rapidly approaching. Toffee continues to wear black clothing in mourning for Jonny ("Good As It Gets"). Her friends insist that she should go to Prom, and get over Jonny's death, since it's been "three whole weeks!"
Toffee begins to hear Jonny's voice on occasion ("The C Word"). Her friends tell her, yet again, to move on from Jonny, but Toffee insists "he's dead, but he ain't gone." She gets frustrated and states that "life's a trap of the same old crap." 'Crap,' however, is a taboo word at Enrico Fermi High, and Miss Strict begins to discuss the philosophy of the school ("Rules, Regulations, and Respect").
Much to her surprise, at school, Toffee begins hearing Jonny's voice loudly from her locker ("Blast From The Past"). Jonny begs to be let free, and he bursts from the locker, shocking the other students. His reappearance is not well-received, and the students are scared and disgusted by Jonny's deteriorating appearance.
Not to miss out on a story, reporter Eddie Flagrante picks up on the story from Josh, a cub reporter from Enrico Fermi High ("That's the Beat For Me"). He begins to sing about his job, and his goal in journalism: "Tamer than Playboy
but bigger than Life
."
Trying to cope with Jonny's unexpected reappearance, Toffee talks with him about what brought him back ("The Voice in the Ocean"). As it turns out, a voice he heard, saying "Jonny, I love you so" brought him back. It's revealed that the voice was Toffee. Inspired to come back to school, Jonny returns ready to graduate high school ("It's Alive"). Miss Strict, however, has different plans. She does not approve of zombies and refuses to let him return to school. Jonny has had a change of heart and appreciates the wisdom of what Miss Strict teaches. Even so, she refuses to let him return.
Toffee is not certain what to do ("Where Do We Go From Here?"). She confers with her friends, who believe that she should not have to take Jonny back. Jonny's friends, on the other hand, believe that if she still loves Jonny, she should take him back. Toffee ends up rejecting Jonny. Josh points out Jonny to Eddie, who recognizes Miss Strict. They proceed to argue over Jonny's rights ("Case Closed") and end up in a stalemate. Flagrante believes Jonny should return, while Miss Strict believes the school rule on zombies should be enforced: "Rule Number 7, Subsection 9, of the handbook of student life, says: No zombies, no zombies!"
Act II
The students at Enrico Fermi High school have begun to believe Jonny should be let back into school ("Then Came Jonny"). Some students put up posters and fliers, and Miss Strict elects to cancel the pep squad, to the dismay of the students. Not slowed by her tactics, the students continue to protest and begin to disobey the dress code. Miss Strict dismantles the baseball team. Even so, the students go on, and make a petition to reinstate Jonny as a student. Strict puts all seniors on probation, and threatens to cancel all after-school events. She also promises that at the next sign of rebellion, she will cancel the senior prom.
Eddie has continued with the Jonny Warner story ("Come Join Us"). During a commercial break, Eddie Flagrante asks for the number to Our Lady of Divine Matrony, a Catholic Orphanage. The reason is unknown. He interviews Jonny about what he plans to do. Jonny goes on to explain that he cannot give up love because it is what brought him back ("How Can I Say Good-Bye?").
Meanwhile, Toffee can't keep focused on her schoolwork ("Easy to Say"). She debates with herself if she should take back Jonny. Her friends, Candy, Coco, and Ginger, call on a party line and talk with her about her situation. None of them missed Jonny's TV appearance, which was broadcast on "all three channels." In the end, Toffee chooses to take Jonny back.
Flagrante tracks down Miss Strict and begins flirting with her ("Exposé"). It is revealed that they were lovers in high school, and had a very physical relationship. The last time they were together, as Miss Strict says, was in the back seat of Eddie's father's Studebaker. They discuss their relationships in art class, Glee Club, and French class. At the end of the song, they both sing how the other had left them, but no specifics are revealed.
Prom night arrives ("Isn't It?"). The students marvel at how the school has been decorated for the prom. Toffee approaches Jonny, and tells him that she'll always be with him. They dance ("Forbidden Love"). They continue to discuss their love for each other.
Jonny's appearance at prom did not go unnoticed by Miss Strict ("The Lid's Been Blown"). She halts the music and the prom when she calls him out for being there. Eddie appears in order to confront Miss Strict with her secrets. Being questioned on why she hates Jonny Warner, she replies, "No comment." The prom is canceled. Pushed by Flagrante, Miss Strict tells the students her past ("Delilah's Confession"). As it turns out, she and Eddie conceived a child on the night of their senior prom, but it was taken away as soon as it was born, and she never knew who it was. Eddie, who had done some digging, reveals that Jonny is her long-lost son. Overjoyed at the discovery, Miss Strict allows the prom to continue, and Toffee and Jonny get to do one more dance before the curtain drops ("Zombie Prom").
Eddie Flagrante – Richard Muenz
Delilah Strict – Karen Murphey
Jonny Warner – Richard Roland
Toffee – Jessica-Snow Wilson
Coco – Cathy Trien
Ginger – Natalie Toro
Candy – Rebecca Rich
Joey – Marc Lovci
Jake – Stephen Bienskie
Josh – Jeff Skowron
Swings – Ronit Mitzner, DJ Salisbury
s, receiving 4-star reviewshttp://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=8940 and awards including Best Short Film at the Palm Beach International Film Festival
. The cast was mostly unknown, but featured drag queen RuPaul
as Principal Strict. The film was directed by Vince Marcello.
In part the production is a pastiche
of 1950's musicals and films, with the stereotypical plot of a rebellious bad-boy and the good-girl who loves him turned on its ear.
There has been no theatrical or DVD release of the film announced as of May 2008 (however it was available on iTunes for 1 month as a free download to anyone residing in the United States during the Fall of 2007).
The Cast includes:
Darren Robertson as Jonny Warner
Candice Nicole as Toffee
David Engel as Eddie Flagrante
RuPaul
as Delilah Strict
Katy Mixon
as Coco
April Malina as Ginger
Katherine Von Till as Candy
Dominic Nolfi as Joey
Brendan R. Murphy as Jake
Russel Taylor as Josh
Set designed by Ben Upton.
Lighting designed by Tim Deiling.
Choreography by Grace Harrington.
Musical Direction by George Dyer.
Directed by Ian McFarlane (who wrote the hit off-west end musical Betwixt!).
CAST:
Miss Strict – Sally Bankes
Eddie Flagrante – Simon Cole
Jonny – Jonathan Vickers
Toffe – Sophie Issacs
Ginger – Lucy May Barker
Jake – Ben Baker
Joey – Ross Aldred
Josh – Darren John
Coco – Katie Lowe
Candy – Tiffany Jones
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, also adapted into a short film. It was first produced at the Red Barn Theatre, Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1993. It opened off-Broadway in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the Variety Arts Theatre in 1996. It opens November 2009 in London with a UK Premiere at the off-west end Landor Theatre
Landor Theatre
The Landor Theatre is a pub theatre in Clapham, South London.Originally the Cage Theatre upon its opening in 1994, the Landor became "Upstairs at the Landor" in 1995 and finally the Landor Theatre in 1998, following a refit of the building....
.
Story
Act IZombie Prom opens at Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
High School. The students go through their daily routine ("Enrico Fermi High") and the audience meets Jonny, a rebel who spells his name without the traditional 'H.' We also meet Miss Strict, the principal of Enrico Fermi High School, in addition to Toffee. The song is ended abruptly by an air raid siren, where everyone ducks under tables, and Jonny and Toffee fall in love ("Ain't No Goin' Back"). They begin dating, and end up going out for several months before Toffee's parents forbid her from seeing Jonny on the grounds that he is a bad person. She breaks up with him, and Jonny commits suicide by hurling himself into the Francis Gary Powers nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
. He is buried at sea in international waters with the rest of the nuclear waste.
Three weeks pass, and Toffee's flying ponies in the sky begin to notice that she's been upset and is unable to focus on her baton twirling ("Jonny Don't Go"). She expresses her sadness over Jonny's death, and retells the night of Jonny's death from her point of view. Meanwhile, the rest of the school gets itself ready for the senior prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
, which is rapidly approaching. Toffee continues to wear black clothing in mourning for Jonny ("Good As It Gets"). Her friends insist that she should go to Prom, and get over Jonny's death, since it's been "three whole weeks!"
Toffee begins to hear Jonny's voice on occasion ("The C Word"). Her friends tell her, yet again, to move on from Jonny, but Toffee insists "he's dead, but he ain't gone." She gets frustrated and states that "life's a trap of the same old crap." 'Crap,' however, is a taboo word at Enrico Fermi High, and Miss Strict begins to discuss the philosophy of the school ("Rules, Regulations, and Respect").
Much to her surprise, at school, Toffee begins hearing Jonny's voice loudly from her locker ("Blast From The Past"). Jonny begs to be let free, and he bursts from the locker, shocking the other students. His reappearance is not well-received, and the students are scared and disgusted by Jonny's deteriorating appearance.
Not to miss out on a story, reporter Eddie Flagrante picks up on the story from Josh, a cub reporter from Enrico Fermi High ("That's the Beat For Me"). He begins to sing about his job, and his goal in journalism: "Tamer than Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
but bigger than Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
."
Trying to cope with Jonny's unexpected reappearance, Toffee talks with him about what brought him back ("The Voice in the Ocean"). As it turns out, a voice he heard, saying "Jonny, I love you so" brought him back. It's revealed that the voice was Toffee. Inspired to come back to school, Jonny returns ready to graduate high school ("It's Alive"). Miss Strict, however, has different plans. She does not approve of zombies and refuses to let him return to school. Jonny has had a change of heart and appreciates the wisdom of what Miss Strict teaches. Even so, she refuses to let him return.
Toffee is not certain what to do ("Where Do We Go From Here?"). She confers with her friends, who believe that she should not have to take Jonny back. Jonny's friends, on the other hand, believe that if she still loves Jonny, she should take him back. Toffee ends up rejecting Jonny. Josh points out Jonny to Eddie, who recognizes Miss Strict. They proceed to argue over Jonny's rights ("Case Closed") and end up in a stalemate. Flagrante believes Jonny should return, while Miss Strict believes the school rule on zombies should be enforced: "Rule Number 7, Subsection 9, of the handbook of student life, says: No zombies, no zombies!"
Act II
The students at Enrico Fermi High school have begun to believe Jonny should be let back into school ("Then Came Jonny"). Some students put up posters and fliers, and Miss Strict elects to cancel the pep squad, to the dismay of the students. Not slowed by her tactics, the students continue to protest and begin to disobey the dress code. Miss Strict dismantles the baseball team. Even so, the students go on, and make a petition to reinstate Jonny as a student. Strict puts all seniors on probation, and threatens to cancel all after-school events. She also promises that at the next sign of rebellion, she will cancel the senior prom.
Eddie has continued with the Jonny Warner story ("Come Join Us"). During a commercial break, Eddie Flagrante asks for the number to Our Lady of Divine Matrony, a Catholic Orphanage. The reason is unknown. He interviews Jonny about what he plans to do. Jonny goes on to explain that he cannot give up love because it is what brought him back ("How Can I Say Good-Bye?").
Meanwhile, Toffee can't keep focused on her schoolwork ("Easy to Say"). She debates with herself if she should take back Jonny. Her friends, Candy, Coco, and Ginger, call on a party line and talk with her about her situation. None of them missed Jonny's TV appearance, which was broadcast on "all three channels." In the end, Toffee chooses to take Jonny back.
Flagrante tracks down Miss Strict and begins flirting with her ("Exposé"). It is revealed that they were lovers in high school, and had a very physical relationship. The last time they were together, as Miss Strict says, was in the back seat of Eddie's father's Studebaker. They discuss their relationships in art class, Glee Club, and French class. At the end of the song, they both sing how the other had left them, but no specifics are revealed.
Prom night arrives ("Isn't It?"). The students marvel at how the school has been decorated for the prom. Toffee approaches Jonny, and tells him that she'll always be with him. They dance ("Forbidden Love"). They continue to discuss their love for each other.
Jonny's appearance at prom did not go unnoticed by Miss Strict ("The Lid's Been Blown"). She halts the music and the prom when she calls him out for being there. Eddie appears in order to confront Miss Strict with her secrets. Being questioned on why she hates Jonny Warner, she replies, "No comment." The prom is canceled. Pushed by Flagrante, Miss Strict tells the students her past ("Delilah's Confession"). As it turns out, she and Eddie conceived a child on the night of their senior prom, but it was taken away as soon as it was born, and she never knew who it was. Eddie, who had done some digging, reveals that Jonny is her long-lost son. Overjoyed at the discovery, Miss Strict allows the prom to continue, and Toffee and Jonny get to do one more dance before the curtain drops ("Zombie Prom").
1996 Off-Broadway Cast
The cast of the 1996 Off-Broadway Production was as follows:Eddie Flagrante – Richard Muenz
Richard Muenz
Richard Muenz is an American actor and baritone who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Muenz has frequently performed in musicals and in concerts. He has also periodically acted on television.-Biography:...
Delilah Strict – Karen Murphey
Jonny Warner – Richard Roland
Toffee – Jessica-Snow Wilson
Coco – Cathy Trien
Ginger – Natalie Toro
Candy – Rebecca Rich
Joey – Marc Lovci
Jake – Stephen Bienskie
Josh – Jeff Skowron
Swings – Ronit Mitzner, DJ Salisbury
Zombie Prom (2006 Short Film)
The film adaptation of Zombie Prom (with a running time of only 36 minutes) played in 2006 at a number of film festivalFilm festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s, receiving 4-star reviewshttp://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=8940 and awards including Best Short Film at the Palm Beach International Film Festival
Palm Beach International Film Festival
The Palm Beach International Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Palm Beach, Florida which showcases over 120 films annually in April for over 20,000 attendees...
. The cast was mostly unknown, but featured drag queen RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
as Principal Strict. The film was directed by Vince Marcello.
In part the production is a pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of 1950's musicals and films, with the stereotypical plot of a rebellious bad-boy and the good-girl who loves him turned on its ear.
There has been no theatrical or DVD release of the film announced as of May 2008 (however it was available on iTunes for 1 month as a free download to anyone residing in the United States during the Fall of 2007).
The Cast includes:
Darren Robertson as Jonny Warner
Candice Nicole as Toffee
David Engel as Eddie Flagrante
RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
as Delilah Strict
Katy Mixon
Katy Mixon
Katy Elizabeth Mixon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as April Buchanon on HBO's Eastbound & Down and Victoria Flynn on the CBS television series Mike and Molly.-Life and career:...
as Coco
April Malina as Ginger
Katherine Von Till as Candy
Dominic Nolfi as Joey
Brendan R. Murphy as Jake
Russel Taylor as Josh
London Production 2009
Christopher D. Clegg Presents the UK Premiere of Zombie Prom from Tues 20th October – Sat 14th November 2009 at the Landor Theatre.Set designed by Ben Upton.
Lighting designed by Tim Deiling.
Choreography by Grace Harrington.
Musical Direction by George Dyer.
Directed by Ian McFarlane (who wrote the hit off-west end musical Betwixt!).
CAST:
Miss Strict – Sally Bankes
Eddie Flagrante – Simon Cole
Jonny – Jonathan Vickers
Toffe – Sophie Issacs
Ginger – Lucy May Barker
Lucy May Barker
Lucy May Barker is a British stage and screen actress. She was born and brought up in Lincoln, Lincolnshire.-Career:Most notably, Lucy played Ilse in the original London cast of the four-time Olivier Award-winning Spring Awakening which opened in February 2009 at the Lyric Hammersmith...
Jake – Ben Baker
Joey – Ross Aldred
Josh – Darren John
Coco – Katie Lowe
Candy – Tiffany Jones