For the most part, the TWPI’s performance of “Zombie Prom” was quite entertaining. The production had sort of an “Annie-esque” feel to it: youthful and fun, but with pinches of seriousness thrown in every now and again. This was largely due to the play’s adolescent actors, diverse soundtrack, skilled background musicians, and uniquely outrageous story line: “What’s a girl to do when her dead ex-boyfriend asks her to prom?” asks Toffee, the musical’s leading lady.
And speaking of leading ladies, the casting directors’ judgment in choosing lead actors was nothing less than commendable. The lineup went as follows: Doyi Lee of Saipan Southern High School as sweet-as-honey Toffee; Matthew Lopez of Marianas High School as Toffee’s lover-turned-zombie, Jonny Warner; Anna Rose Deleon Guerrero of SSHS as Delilah Strict, Toffee’s dictator of a school principal; and John Darag of MHS as Eddie Flagrante, the saucy reporter who covers the story of the zombie, and — interestingly enough — serves as Ms. Strict’s guilty pleasure. All the lead actors managed to capture the over-the-top personalities of their respective characters while successfully filling the room with harmonies pleasing to the ear. Doyi Lee was probably the most impressive; what Lee lacked in height, she made up for with high-reaching vocals. Add Lee’s voice to the hopelessly romantic sound of Matthew Lopez, and the result is a Grease-like puppy love worthy of the stage. As for Darag and Deleon Guerrero — who portray a more caustic and mature couple — served as the well-needed balance to “Zombie Prom’s” lovey-dovey plot. Altogether, the two couples gave laudable, applause-worthy performances.
As talented as “Zombie Prom’s” leading actors were, however, the performance was not without its faults. For instance, the set was lacking in terms of creativity: a brick wall made of what appears to be plywood and some tables and chairs were all that were used to “recreate” the 1950s setting. Perhaps not much could have been done about that because of the choice of venue, yet another element of “Zombie Prom” that kept it from achieving perfection. Charley’s Cabaret is the ideal location for small seminars and low-key shindigs. But widely advertised musical productions that require large stage areas and fully-functioning microphones? Maybe not.
The production’s biggest downfall, however, has to be the strength of its back-up singers. When singing sans main characters, the back-up singers sounded slightly off-key and a bit exasperated, marginally diminishing the upbeat feel of the play. One could attribute their less-than-perfect performance to their exhaustion from all the hours of rehearsing. Yet considering the fact that the lead singers underwent the same extensive training and managed to stay en pointe throughout the entire weekend, exhaustion cannot be considered an excuse.
So that’s “Zombie Prom” in a nutshell — great music, amazing leads, not-so-amazing back-up. The verdict? 3.5 out of 5 stars, 4 when considering the free muffins served during intermission. Overall, “Zombie Prom” was not exactly perfect — heck, no one is! — but it was definitely a worthwhile watch. Encore, anyone?
