MACON, Ga. — A musical that has graced both stage and screen is coming to Theatre Macon next week.
The Prom is the story of a teenage girl who just wants to take her girlfriend to prom. When her school's PTA says no, some Broadway stars come from New York City to help her change their minds. It's a story about acceptance and, of course, love.
"It's such a poignant piece of theatre. It actually has its roots in Atlanta before it moved to Broadway which is really exciting that it has the Georgia connection. But at its heart, it's just about kids and love," Artistic Director Richard Frazier said.
Tickets to see it in Macon went on sale this week. The actors are from Theatre Macon's youth company with ages ranging from 13 to 18-years-old. There are also members from their mainstage productions in the show.
"Theatre is so much more than just putting on a show. The purpose of our youth artists company is not to create the next Broadway star, it's to create empathetic individuals who understand and value the importance of collaboration and teamwork and understand how to work together," Frazier said.
He says it's exciting to see young actors take the skills they learned in theatre and use them to do great things in the world.
The musical was adapted for the screen by Netflix in 2020. The film features James Cordon, Andrew Rannells, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and more.
Frazier says the young actors love getting to put on a show they can sink their teeth into.
"There's a ton of dance numbers, musical numbers, it's so funny and lighthearted and deals with this tricky content in a really eloquent way," he said.
Frazier says lessons about teamwork and community building can begin with theatre. So, it's important to give young actors opportunities to be on stage.
"The younger we can get kids involved and get them on stage the more of a lucrative and collaborative society we're going to have as time furthers," Frazier said.
He said the show is great for their young actors because it's one they can relate to with a good message.
"It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter how you think, that love is love is love and that's what the message of this show is. It's just about love," Frazier said.
The Prom premieres at Theatre Macon on January 19. You can get tickets to the show on their website.