CLEVELAND — Live theatre continues its comeback at Playhouse Square, as the 2021-2022 Keybank Broadway Series officially kicked off by launching the national tour premiere of "The Prom."
“It’s basically about two young girls who love each other and want to go to a dance together and they are sort of thwarted by the small town that they live in,” says Patrick Wetzel, who plays Barry Glickman. “Our parts in the show are these New York, narcissistic actors who come to try to help save the day. The two stories converge and create something really beautiful.”
“I think it’s going to spark a lot of conversation,” says Courtney Balan, who plays Dee Dee Allen. “I did the show in New York and there were a ton of people at the stage door being like this is my story or this is going to help me tell my parent my truth. I’m just hoping that now we’ll be able to do that all over the country.”
It’s a show and story the actors and production team haven’t been able to tell in 18 long months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Balan says, “It was a kind of crazy thing, I’ve never gone that long without working before. The joy coming back to us, after 18 months of not having it, is thrilling.”
They couldn’t think of a better place to restart the narrative than the historic theatre district of Cleveland.
“It’s a great theatre town,” says Wetzel. “This complex is incredible. It feels so good to be starting out our tour here in Cleveland where theatre is so magnetic and exciting and audiences are so hungry for it, we love it. We love, love, love it.”
"The Prom" will play at The Connor Palace through November 21st, with "Wicked" coming to town in the month of December.
For tickets and more information, click here.
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Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a previously published, related story.