Birmingham Village Players to take audiences to ‘The Prom’

BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Village Players will be performing “The Prom,” by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, May 3-19.

In “The Prom,” Emma, a small-town high school student, dreams of taking her girlfriend to senior prom, but the school’s homophobic PTA gets in the way. Her story shows up on Twitter and catches the eye of four broadway stars who see an opportunity to rehabilitate their images as celebrity activists.

Two of the Birmingham Village Players actors who play these narcissistic Broadway has-beens are Kendall Doman, in the role of Dee Dee Allen,  and Jamie Richards, in the role of Barry Glickman.

Doman said one of the things that drew her to the show was the soundtrack.

“I fell in love with the music,” Doman said. “There’s not a bad song in the show, in my opinion. Some are fast; some are slow, but they all catch you.”

Doman said she likes how the messages in the show can resonate with people. Many people can relate to wanting to be accepted and included as a teenager.

While the tone of the musical is bright and comedic, it addresses heavy topics, such as homophobia.

“It is this really hysterical comedy that also has the most beautiful message to it, and it delivers that message in a fun and funny way,” Richards said.

One of Richard’s favorite parts of the play is “Tonight Belongs to You,” which Barry performs alongside the cast as they get Emma ready for prom.

“This show is so well written. I just love saying these lines. I love saying these words and, hopefully, the audience will like Barry as much as I like Barry,” Richards said.

Richards is returning to the Birmingham Village Players after years away and shared how fun this experience has been.

“This has been very fun and enjoyable, and I am very glad that I did it,” Richards said.

This show was made possible with the support of Birmingham Village Players’ Red Carpet Sponsor of the Season Ameritax Plus of Berkley.

Performances will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights,  May 3-4, 10-11 and 17-18, and at 2 p.m. Sundays May 5, 12 and 19. Tickets can be reserved for $25, which includes the ticketing fee. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (248) 644-2075 or visit the website birminghamvillageplayers.com.