By Randi Bjornstad

It’s time for The Prom at Actors Cabaret of Eugene, and here’s maybe the best part:

  • No permission slips required
  • No hall passes required
  • No student body cards required
  • No dress code
  • No cafeteria food (but dinner will be available for purchase)

That’s because The Prom is a musical theater production, and here’s the plot, as told by ACE:

Emma, a high school student at James Madison High School, has a modest dream; she just wants to go to the prom, along with her girlfriend, Alyssa. There are a few problems however. There’s the fact that the PTA, under the leadership of Mrs. Greene, wants no such thing, and then there’s the uncomfortable reality that Alyssa’s mom is, in fact, Mrs. Greene. Awkward!

The PTA flexes its muscle and cancels the prom. Hearts are broken, feelings get hurt, folks get mad. What to do? Enter a quartet of washed-up Broadway hasbeens and wannabes looking for a cause that will get them the publicity and attention they crave. (Super Awkward!) Will the Broadway hasbeens swallow their giant egos and save the day? Will the PTA let the kids dance? And what’s gonna happen when Mrs. Greene realizes that her daughter, Alyssa, is a girl who just wants to have fun (with Emma).

None of that is an obstacle with Actors Cabaret’s The Prom. They promise that their prom is a feel-good event, that everyone is invited, and everyone will have fun at their “heart-warming, toe-tapping, good time of a show.”

The cast of 26 is directed by Joe Zingo, with choreography by Adam Kelly. Zingo also has designed the sets, costumes, and lighting for the show.

The musical was performed first in 2016 and moved to Broadway where it opened for previews in October 2018 and played for 309 performances before closing in August 2019.

The Prom was nominated for six Tony Awards in 2019 — Best Musical, Best Book (script) of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Best Director of a Musical.

It didn’t win any of those, but it did win Drama Desk’s Outstanding Musical award that year.

Not too shabby. Pretty chic.

The Prom at Actors Cabaret of Eugene

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner service) on June 14-15, 21-22, 28-29 and July 5-6; matinees at 2 p.m. on June 23 and 30 (doors open at 12:30 p.m. for brunch service)

Where: Corner of 10th and Willamette), downtown Eugene

Tickets: Dinner-and-show tickets $55-$60; brunch-and-show tickets $53-$55; show-only tickets $19/$27/$30; available online at actorscabaret.org, from the box office 10:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 541-683-4368; or at the door for most performances