Life's a dance: Albuquerque Little Theatre's 'The Prom' is a 'big show with a big message'

“The Prom” is a celebration of finding your voice and being true to self.

The award-winning production comes to Albuquerque Little Theatre on Friday, Jan. 24, through Feb. 9.

“The story is about these four Broadway stars who are very narcissistic and a bit out of touch with reality,” said Devon Frieder, producer. “They learn about this girl in Indiana who asked her girlfriend to prom and is denied. And as a result, they cancel prom, and the celebrities use this as a way to, ‘Oh, we’re going to go to that town and wreak havoc, and this will get us some great press.’”

The celebrities want to be part of the controversy for their own self-absorbed intentions, and lessons are learned along the way. The production is based on a true story about a girl who had asked her girlfriend to prom in Mississippi in 2010, according to Frieder. The prom was canceled and the incident made headlines.

“They ended up holding a prom for her and ended up holding a secret one for all the rest of the students,” Frieder said. “A bunch of actual celebrities were tweeting about it and sharing it. So it’s kind of based on that, but it is just hilarious, and just kind of really gives us a way to look at how so much has changed, and yet, so much hasn’t.”

“The Prom” features a diverse cast from different generations.

“We all come from different time periods in terms of how different social issues were dealt with and accepted or still learning to be accepted,” Frieder said. “I think everyone in this show kind of comes from a different perspective, and yet they all really relate to it. It’s just such an uplifting show, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry when you’re least expecting it, because it’s just good. It’s so funny. The music is so upbeat. The dancing is so energetic. It’s just so much fun. And then, when you’re least expecting it, it tugs at your heart strings as well.”

ALT’s executive director, Rob Armstrong Martin, plays the principal of the high school where the prom is held.

“We work really hard over the holidays, when most people are kind of relaxing, but it’s so rewarding to have this level of quality in a show that you’re doing, and it’s just great,” he said. “I don’t do all the dancing that some of the younger people do, but I do some, and it’s just really fun to have the kind of joy on the stage that you’ll see in ‘The Prom.’”

Frieder, who grew up in Santa Fe, pursued theater professionally in New York City, where she works as an actor, director and choreographer.

“We really like working with her, because her level of professionalism and certainly the polish she puts into her shows and the work ethic really raises the level of our volunteers, who are in our shows, our talent, are all volunteers, and so they get a much more upgraded experience in working with a professional director from out-of-town,” Martin said. “We love that because we try to see ourselves as more than a community theater, as being almost a preprofessional theater experience for our talent, actors, and many of them will go on to careers.”

It is Frieder’s second year being involved in an ALT production.

“It’s a true collaboration,” Frieder said. “I’m very lucky that I get the artistic vision and an artistic say over everything. ALT has provided me with just an incredible production team and we’re working together to make this an incredible show. The set is going to be huge and just amazing, the costumes, it’s a giant show. It’s going to be quite a spectacle and just something really special, a big show with a big message.”