Every year, MomMomOnTheGo and crew head down to the absolutely beautiful Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC and over to Malkin Bowl to take in the Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) performances. This year the two performances are Matilda and The Prom.
We soaked up the performance of The Prom on a beautiful July summer night and loved every minute of it.
The stage was spectacular to see on entry and I knew from that moment that the show was going to be great. Add to the stage background the setting within Stanley Park, under the night skies, and it was an evening to remember.
The Prom is a musical and classified as a comedy and it will have you enjoying the musical performances and chuckling as you go.
Four down-on-their-luck Broadway actors are desperate to improve their public image. A trending tweet introduces them to Emma: a small-town teen whose prom has been cancelled because she planned to attend with her girlfriend.
Under the guise of social activism, the larger-than-life foursome decide to take up Emma’s cause. But their scheming quickly goes sideways, and they ultimately come to learn what everyone is searching for… a place to belong.
A spirited smash hit, The Prom masterfully balances unabashed hopefulness, heartfelt vulnerability, and hard-hitting hilarity!
Quote from: TUTS.ca
The Prom has a number of great characters and the performers did a spectacular job in depicting them. There is no doubt that Caitriona Murphy and Greg Armstrong-Morris nail the narcissistic, self-absorbed characters of Dee Dee and Barry. They get the audience laughing with their depictions of Dee Dee and Barry. My favorite character, that I feel just swept the audience off of their feet, was Emma, played by Anna Pontin.
Pontin’s performance of Emma left me feeling like she really understood the character that she was portraying. It was delightful to see Emma successfully portrayed as someone who knew not only who she is, but also brave enough to stick up for herself. What a wonderful message for the audience and so successfully spoken, by Pontin, through her portrayal of Emma.
The Prom runs for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 15-minutes intermission. For us, it seemed like a blink of the eye and we were at intermission. When this happens, you know that it is a spectacular performance and story that has you fully engaged and wanting to know…what happens next.
TUTS does have an Audience Guidance for The Prom: This performance contains difficult subject matter and mature themes that could be triggering to some people. This includes religious and political commentary, suggestive language, and some use of profanity
At the end of the performance, there was a lot of energy and chatter from the audience. You could see from people’s faces that they thoroughly enjoyed the performance that they just watch. During the performance, in looking around the audience, I saw an audience engaged in the story.
Overall, for The Prom, the set was spectacular, the performers on spot, and the musical portions thoroughly enjoyable. The Prom is a complete hit.
A few things to know about to ensure your TUTS experience is at is best are the following…
Parking is onsite in Stanley Park close to Malkin Bowl. Make sure to purchase your ticket until the allowed 11 pm.
There is the Garden Café at Theatre Under the Stars that has savoury items as well as snacks and drinks. If you are looking to have dinner right before the performance, Stanley’s Bar & Grill is steps away but keep in mind that it closes at 7 pm.
At the show, you might want to consider getting a seat cushion and program. These items are available by donation. If you want a seat cushion, there are limited quantities, so I recommend showing up by 730 pm when seating is permitted. Doors do open at 7 pm. The donations for these items can be provided in cash or debit/credit.
Although the performances happen in summer, the evenings get cool. I quickly found myself in a sweatshirt and covered in a blanket. So dress in layers and I do recommend bringing a blanket. If you forget these items, they are available for purchase at the onsite TUTS memorabilia stand.
There are porta potties onsite but they are closed during the performance. No worries though as there are full washroom facilities just steps away at the Stanley Park Pavilion.
I recommend going and seeing The Prom. It was a energetic, hilarious, and delightful performance in the best setting, Stanley Park.
To find out more about Theatre Under the Stars, make sure to visit them here…
ABOUT TUTS
Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is a not for profit society that entertains families through popular musical theatre shows while providing a vibrant outlet and training ground to develop amateur performers and technicians both young and old. TUTS values an atmosphere of inclusion and mentorship in order to build strong character and to promote positive values.
In 1940, Theatre Under the Stars started when a group of local theatre people formed to produce professional quality musicals during the summer. Since then, TUTS has been a Lower Mainland tradition, delighting generations of locals and tourists alike under the stars in the pastoral outdoor setting of historic Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. TUTS provides performers and technical staff an opportunity to work in a real world theatrical venue alongside seasoned professionals.
Our productions are delivered by over 200 volunteers drawn from the community, requiring a broad variety of skills from board members to ushers to technical crew to cast and musicians.
Theatre Under the Stars acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional and unceded lands of the Coast Salish First Nations, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Quoted from: TUTS.ca
Disclosure: MomMomOnTheGo is often provided product, tickets, or compensation for the purpose of conducting reviews. As always, MomMomOnTheGo only supports companies, products, and services that she loves.
- Audio CD – Audiobook
- 12/18/2020 (Publication Date) – Masterworks (Publisher)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Mitchell, Saundra (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 239 Pages – 09/10/2019 (Publication Date) – Viking Books for Young Readers (Publisher)
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