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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ever ask a zombie to dance?

How does one describe a show with the evocative title of Zombie Prom? "It's like Romeo and Juliet," says director Mike Robb, "only Romeo dies at the beginning of the play and not at the end." With that in mind, and with the drama department's actual production of Romeo and Juliet on its way, Zombie Prom - this fall's major production by Tufts' student-run musical theater organization, Torn Ticket II - should prove an interesting departure from more traditional musical fare. Auditions concluded this past week.

Zombie Prom takes place in the 1950s in a small suburban town. It is the story of a typical high school girl, Toffee (Kat Mulready), who falls in love with an out-of-town bad boy, Jonny Warner (Scott Doty). Of course, neither Toffee's parents nor the rest of the town approve of their relationship. But the twist comes when something suddenly causes a high school boy to turn into a zombie.

"I discovered the play through Napster," Robb says. How? He was looking for music and simply liked the names of the songs. Despite having never seen or heard a production of the show, Robb had a vision nonetheless. "I picked it because it made me laugh. Lyrically, it is a lot wittier than most classic shows." It's a rock 'n roll musical satire, vastly different from any previous show performed by Torn Ticket II - despite such varied past productions as Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wizard of Oz, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Zombie Prom won't come to the Balch Arena Theatre until November, and there's a lot that needs to happen in the meantime. From the moment audience members enters the lobby, they will be transported into a 1950's world of preppy perfection, complete with the wide-eyed smiles of the show's characters. According to Robb, "from the second people step in they will be bombarded with sights and sounds of that era."

What kind of work actually goes into a musical production like Zombie Prom? For Robb and the cast, it means long hours, working three to five nights a week until about three weeks before the show. "That's when it pretty much becomes your only social life," he explains. "But it's worth it. The people you work with become your best friends."

Robb directed last year's orientation show, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which most musical buffs are at least familiar with. But why something as obscure and untraditional as Zombie Prom? One of the main reasons Robb chose the show - along with musical directors Yeechin Huang and Erik Moskowitz, stage manager Amanda Berkowitz, and choreographers Tali Paransky and Kalani Hawks - is exactly because most people have never heard of it. The audience enters without any expectations or ideas about what's going to happen.

Of course, such a production is a hard one to gauge - if no one knows the show, what will convince them to go? According to Robb, if not for the many talents of the performers, directors, choreographers, set designers, costumers, and many others, students should see the show because "it is unlike any musical that they have ever seen. It really is the funniest show that I can recall coming across in recent years." And after all, "who wouldn't want to see a show with a name like Zombie Prom?"

'Zombie Prom" will be performed in the Balch Arena Theatre in the Aidekman Arts Center, November 15th through 17th . Watch the Daily for further coverage as the production approaches.