Set in the campy, atomic-age 1950s, Tyler Junior College’s musical, “Zombie Prom,” follows the classic romantic-comedy formula – but with a radioactive twist:
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy flings himself into a nuclear reactor and returns as a glow-in-the-dark zombie.
Such is life at Enrico Fermi High School for perky senior Toffee Little, who has fallen for Jonny Warner, the class bad boy.
When Toffee’s parents force her to end the romance, Jonny speeds away on his motorcycle and into the town’s nuclear power plant. He emerges as a nuclear zombie, glowing and determined to reclaim Toffee’s heart. Jonny still wants to graduate, but most of all, he wants to take her to the prom.
The tyrannical school principal orders Jonny to drop dead while a sleazy reporter labels him as the freak du jour. History comes to his rescue while a tuneful selection of original, ’50s-style pop tunes keep the action rocking across the stage.
Music is by Dana P. Rowe, with book and lyrics by John Dempsey.
Stage direction is by Jacob L. Davis, TJC theater professor, with musical direction by Andrea Trent, TJC music professor, and choreography by Carolyn Hanna, TJC dance department chair/professor and TJC Academy of Dance director.
Show times and ticket info
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 20-23, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 23, in Jean Browne Theatre on the TJC main campus.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, students and active military. Box office hours are 1-6 p.m. weekdays. For reservations, call 903-510-2212.
TJC cast and crew
Characters, cast members and their hometowns: Toffee Little, Makenna Cook of Houston; Candy/Darla Darlington, Maddie Grace Beam of Tyler; Coco/Sheila, Macy Cowart of Tyler; Ginger/Stage Manager, Riley Patrick of Brenham; Peaches, Allie Lake of Tyler; Little Debbie/Toffee’s Mother, Holly Griffin of Mineola; Lorna Doone, Jaxon Charlebois of Winona; Miss Strict, Alondra Strawther of Crandall; Eddie Flagrante, Jared Kainer of Houston; Jonny Warner, Colton Turner of Whitehouse; Jake, Collin Skelton of Bullard; Joey/Toffee’s Father, Tyler Baker of Tyler; Josh, Aiden Wilt of New Chapel Hill; Jasper, Orion Johnson of Kaufman; Jeffrey, Giovanni Ceja Lua of Muleshoe; Jean Pierre, Josue Carrizal of Nederland.
Stage manager is Hanna Early of Joshua; assistant stage manager is Hanna Odom of Winona; and assistant director is Keirsten Culver of Forney.
For more information on upcoming events, go to TJC.edu/PerformingArts.