Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 05/11/2023
PHOTO BY JOHN POSADA(DEAL PARK, NJ) -- Now everyone can afford to go to The Prom! See this six-time Tony-nominated musical at Axelrod Performing Arts Center for as low as $35, now through May 21. Or you can bring Mom on Sunday, May 14 for only $1. It doesn’t get any better!
WAIT! It does get better! For the first time ever, the Axelrod Performing Arts Center is offering same-day student rush tickets for only $15. This deal is available in-person only with a student ID.
Take advantage of their BOGO (buy one, get one free) ticket offer for all Wednesday and Thursday performances with code BOGOPROM.
The Axelrod PAC will hold a special Pride Night cocktail reception on Friday, May 12, in conjunction with Garden State Equality. Use special checkout code “PRIDE” and save $23 off your tickets for Pride Night. Limit is 4 tickets. The reception begins at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7:30pm.
On Saturday, May 20 after the 8:00pm performance, there will be a talkback with composer Matthew Sklar, who wrote the music for The Prom, Elf the Musical and The Wedding Singer.
The Prom traces the adventures of a quartet of Broadway has-beens who hop on a tour bus to infiltrate a small-town in Indiana with their New York City values. There, they meet high school student Emma Nolan, who has been banned from the school dance for wanting to attend with her girlfriend. The show stars Vicki Lewis (NBC’s NewsRadio and Broadway’s Chicago and Damn Yankees) and John Scherer (Broadway’s By Jeeves and Sunset Boulevard).
“I’ve been around a lot of people like Dee Dee and Barry, who lose complete touch with reality when the roles suddenly stop coming,” said Lewis. “They’re desperate and trying to keep appearances up.”
Lewis, who was recently nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for her role in the Off-Broadway musical Between the Lines, jumped at the chance to work with Scherer. The two have starred together in many shows, including “Gypsy,” “Anything Goes” and “Young Frankenstein.”
“John is one of my best friends,” said Lewis. “He makes me laugh harder than anyone. He’s astoundingly talented. He was born to play this part.”
The Prom also features an ensemble of local talent including Quincy Southerland of Eatontown, Sealth Grover of Atlantic Highlands, Matt Walsh of Freehold, Jillian Ann Lee of Avon, Laura Renee Mehl of North Middletown, Markos Eugenis of Ocean Township and Christie Dabreau of Farmingdale.
Frequently compared to "Hairspray" for its fun, upbeat score and life-affirming message, The Prom was a New York Times Critic’s Pick in 2018 when its theater reviewer proclaimed that the show “makes you believe in musical comedy again.”
As the only professional company on the Shore dedicated exclusively to musical theater, the Axelrod Performing Arts Center brings together Broadway professionals and top New Jersey talent. This new production of The Prom is the must-see event of the season!
The Axelrod Performing Arts Center is located at 100 Grant Ave., Deal Park, just five minutes from downtown Asbury Park, with plenty of free parking. Tickets are available at 732-531-9106 or online at www.axelrodartscenter.com.
EVENT PREVIEWS
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(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Maplewood Strollers present a Broadway Karaoke Party on Friday, June 12, 2026 at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the theater company, begins at 7:30pm.
Mile Square Theatre presents "An Evening in the Woods: Musical Selections from Into the Woods" on June 13th
(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Mile Square Theatre will hold its first-ever Education Program Fundraiser, An Evening in the Woods: Musical Selections from Into the Woods in Concert, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7:00pm, with a preshow reception beginning at 6:00pm.
The Growing Stage presents round 2 of the 2026 New Play Reading Festival on June 13th
(NETCONG, NJ) -- The Growing Stage presents round 2 of the 2026 New Play Reading Festival on Friday, June 13, 2026 at 4:00pm. The plays include Snapped, The Wind in the Wildflowers, Timmon and the Magic Shoes, and My Tree.
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "American Folktales" on Saturday
(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) presents American Folktales, the next installment in the Theatre's popular Classics for Kids! series, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 11:00am at the F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre. The performance is appropriate for all ages.
Players Guild of Leonia presents The Marshall Playwright Showcase from June 12-14
(LEONIA, NJ) -- The Players Guild of Leonia presents The Marshall Playwrights Showcase from June 12-14, 2026. Named in honor of their long-time PGL member, Helene Marhsall, the showcase includes five original one-acts making for an unforgettable night! Works are by Keith Whalen, Conor Casey, Michael Gage Costa, and Chris Widney.
Studio Players' Reading Series presents "The Laramie Project 10 Years Later" on June 14th
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Studio Players' Reading Series presents a Staged Reading of "The Laramie Project 10 Years Later" on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 7:00pm. Written by Moises Kaufman and Leigh Fondakowski, this is a powerful and deeply moving epilogue to the groundbreaking original. The reading is directed by Thomas J. Donohoe II.
The Company Theatre Group presents a Staged Reading of "Final Day, the Musical" on June 16th
(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- The Company Theatre Group presents a Staged Reading of Final Day, the Musical in the Ruth Bauer Neustadter Gallery at Hackensack Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 3:00pm & 7:00pm. Set on the final day of World War II in Germany, Final Day follows prisoners awaiting liberation as they confront a camp commandant under orders to execute them all.
interACT Theatre Productions presents "Psycho Beach Party"
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- interACT Theatre Productions presents Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch presented as part of OUT IN MAPSO PRIDE 2026 with two performances June 19-20 at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts.
Magnolia Productions presents "The Vagina Monologues"
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Magnolia Productions presents "The Vagina Monologues" across two weekends from June 12-20, 2026 at the Navesink Library. A whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning play features personal monologues from women of various ages, races and sexualities.
Wharton Community Players present "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
(BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ) -- The Wharton Community Players invite audiences to step into a world of magic, romance, and mischief with their upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Wharton Performing Arts School faculty member Lilli Markey. Performances take place across two weekends from June 12-21, 2026.
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