TheatreWorks presents ‘Zombie Prom’ July 14

NEW MILFORD » TheatreWorks New Milford will open “Zombie Prom” on July 14, a musical by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe. The show runs through Aug. 14.

Set in the halls of Enrico Fermi High School during the nuclear 1950s, “Zombie Prom”tells the tale of a teenage boy that is brought back to life by the love of his high-school sweetheart.

Senior Toffee has fallen for the class bad boy, Jonny. Family pressure forces her to end the romance, and Jonny charges off on his motorcycle to the nuclear waste dump. He returns glowing and determined to reclaim Toffee’s heart. He still wants to graduate, but most of all he wants to take Toffee to the prom. The tyrannical principal, Delilah Strict tries to stop him, while a scandal reporter seizes on him as the freak du jour. History comes to his rescue while a tuneful selection of original songs in the style of 50’s hits keeps the action rocking across the stage.

“Zombie Prom” is “Grease” meets “Bye Bye Birdie” meets “The Rocky Horror Show” meets “Little Shop of Horrors” in a rocking musical the New York Times called, “A gentle send up of the teenage romance films...given a radioactive glow of novelty.”

Zombie Prom was first produced at the Red Barn Theatre, Key West, Florida in 1993 with Kristin Chenoweth and opened offBroadway in New York City at the Variety Arts Theatre in 1996.

This production is under the direction of Matt Austin of New Milford with musical direction by Anna DeMasi and choreography by Jenny Schuck and features ten local actors including Tommy Ovitt as Jonny, Lexi Tobin as Toffee, Jody Bayer as Miss Strict, Stephen Dirocco as Eddie Flagrante as well as Sydney Coelho, Dana Wilton, Erin Shaunessey, Karl Hinger, Dominick Ventrella and Richard Frey.

“Zombie Prom” runs Fridays and Saturdays from Friday July 14 through Saturday August 5. Curtain time is 8:00 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee on July 30. Tickets for all shows are $28 for reserved seating. Students and Military personnel with ID will be admitted for $23.

On Thursday, July 13, senior citizens are invited to a free dress rehearsal at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 2 at 8 p.m. is TheatreWorks’ PayWhat-You-Want night. At this performance, guests name the price for a ticket.

Reservations can be made online at theatreworks.us or by calling the box office at 860-350-6863.

TheatreWorks is an award-winning, non-Equity theatre company, named Best Community Theater in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine. TheatreWorks is located at 5 Brookside Avenue, just off Route 202 (next to the CVS), in New Milford, CT. Parking is located behind the Catherine E. Lillis Administration Building at 50 East Street, New Milford.