On Tuesday, February 22, the National Tour of The Prom comes to Nashville’s TPAC for an eight-performance run through Sunday, February 27. From director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw, who’s Mean Girls just wrapped their Music City tour stop, The Prom is a Drama Desk Award winner for Best Musical and multiple Tony-nominated show that tells the tale of a Broadway Diva and friends who descend upon small-town Edgewater, Indiana to help a high school girl who’s small-minded town has banned her from bringing her girlfriend to prom. Think of it as a modern day Footloose, except instead of being opposed to dancing, the town is seemingly opposed to love.
As the company prepares to bring the show to TPAC, I had the chance to chat with two of the show’s stars, Courtney Balan and Sinclair Mitchell. Balan plays Dee Dee Allen, the aforementioned Broadway Diva, while Mitchell plays Mr. Hawkins, the high school’s principal, who actually opposes the ban and just so happens to be a big fan of the Broadway star.
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RAPID FIRE 20Q WITH THE PROM’s COURTNEY BALAN and SINCLAIR MITCHELL
RAPID FIRE WITH COURTNEY BALAN, DEE DEE ALLEN IN THE PROM
JHPENTERTAINMENT: As Dee Dee Allen, you play a two-time Tony-winning Broadway Diva. What more is there to Dee Dee that audiences should know?
COURTNEY BALAN: It’s not easy to put the powerhouse, force of nature that is Dee Dee Allen into words. She is everything I wish I could be when it comes to confidence and success. She is a Broadway diva with dozens of starring roles on her resume and a couple of Tony awards. Her incredible success as a performer makes her a bit narrow minded when it comes to the rest of the world and to healthy relationships. As she is getting older and her career isn’t what it used to be, her life as she knows it is challenged. That’s where we meet her in the first scene of THE PROM.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While researching to chat with you, I learned that you made your Broadway debut in Joseph Brooks’ In My Life. That show lives on in the hearts of theatre nerd everywhere. What was it like to be a part of that show?
COURTNEY BALAN: It was a totally bizarre show that took place both on earth and in heaven. We dressed as pirates, danced with skeletons and sang pop music jingles. It was so much fun and such a fabulous first Broadway experience. The cast and crew were full of the greatest, most unique and interesting people. We bonded quickly over the insanity of the experience and despite the challenges of being in a show that was universally mocked, we had a genuine blast every night for the four months we ran on Broadway. It was never boring! And, I understudied the lead role and went on in the second and third previews which was a total thrill. So many amazing and beautifully bizarre memories!
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Also in the ensemble of In My Life was our mutual friend Kilty Reidy. I just adore him. To that end, can you speak on the importance of forging friendships with fellow members of a company’s ensemble?
COURTNEY BALAN: I just adore him too!! The friendships I’ve made throughout my career have been monumental. What I missed most during the recent theatre shutdown and the months of isolating at home was a sense of community; of creating and surrounding myself with people. The vulnerability and sheer amount of time required to do a show can create a family and deep friendships unlike any other business.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Ok, I can’t not ask about Hatchet Face, the role you played on Broadway in Cry Baby, based on the John Waters film. What was the most fun aspect of that role?
COURTNEY BALAN: The most fun aspect of playing the gloriously grotesque and raunchy Hatchet Face was the freedom. There were no limits or restrictions because she was totally unfiltered and unabashed.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Back to The Prom. You were part of the show’s Broadway company cast as Olivia Keating, the Broadway Mania reporter who’s seen at the beginning for the opening of Eleanor. You also understudied Dee Dee. When did you first take to the stage in the role of Dee Dee and what do you remember about that night?
COURTNEY BALAN: That’s right. I was in the “adult ensemble” in The Prom on Broadway and understudied Dee Dee and Mrs. Greene. I made my debut as Dee Dee on Broadway in March 2019 after we were running for a few months. The night I went on for the first time, a Thursday, I actually had a scheduled night off to see my husband’s opening night of The Drowsy Chaperone at the high school where he is the head of Theatre. I got a call from Glynn Turner, The Prom stage manager at about three in the afternoon and he said, can you come in?
The whole night was a blur, but I did go on for the majority of the weekend and that was such a gift. The more I did it, the more I found my rhythm and I had a ridiculous amount of fun. The joy and laughter coming from the audience was palpable. And getting to work with the principal cast on Broadway was beyond my wildest dreams.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Dee Dee’s song, It’s Not About Me is one of my favorite moments in the show. What’s yours?
COURTNEY BALAN: I really love any moment when I am onstage with the entire company. It’s Not About Me is one of those moments! Playing with all the cast members and getting that supportive energy from them is wonderful. The opening number, Changing Lives, into the first scene is also one of my favorites. Since The Prom is a completely original musical, it’s fun to feel the audience, most of whom don’t know the story, see the plot unfold.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: As I prepped these questions, I began thinking back to my own Proms. Truth be told, they measured somewhere between disaster and abysmal. Did you attend yours? If so, did you fare any better than me?
COURTNEY BALAN: Ugh! I’m sorry to hear that!! Mine was….fine. Pretty standard. Went with friends, danced, spent the weekend down the shore (that’s what you do in Jersey!) I loved my dress which was totally chic and fabulous, but I was and always will be a theatre nerd. Days later I was performing as a clown at a fair, so….. That’s my high school realness.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Having understudied Dee Dee, and now making the role your own in the National Tour, do you still find yourself finding new ways to bring her to life night after night?
COURTNEY BALAN: I have understudied many, many times. Dee Dee was my fifth Broadway understudy gig. So, at that point, I had figured out how to find a nice balance between what the primary actor had created and who I am, and what I bring to the role. Luckily, in each experience, I’ve always had a creative team that fully supports that notion. The Prom was no exception. Now, in this case, the role is based on the actress who played her on Broadway, Beth Leavel, so that was a unique experience. I always say that I take the elements that best suit me as a starting point and go from there. As an understudy, it’s your job to make the other actors and company feel as if their show isn’t compromised and that the version of the story they created is in tact. So, when I was on for Dee Dee on Broadway, I definitely leaned into Beth’s version for that reason. The most challenging part, to be honest, was dropping those habits and creating the role for myself on the tour after understudying. It was a process to start a new discovery into who my version is without any restrictions. Now that I am in the fifth month of playing the role consistently, I can say that yes, I am definitely finding new things all the time. That’s the beauty of live theatre. It’s constantly evolving.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: I love that Dee Dee keeps her two Tonys in her purse. What’s the most interesting thing you keep in yours?
COURTNEY BALAN: I’m not sure if I have anything interesting… but I can say that these days you won’t find me without a mask and hand sanitizer.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: You share many scenes with your co-stars Patrick Wetzel as Barry Glickman, Emily Borromeo as Angie Dickinson, Bud Weber as Trent Oliver and Sinclair Mitchell as Tom Hawkins. How much fun is life on the road with this cast?
COURTNEY BALAN: This group is a dream. A DREAM!!!! From the principal cast that I get the honor of playing with onstage everyday to the ensemble who are so full of life, humor and talent. That sense of community that I yearn for is so fulfilled in this group both onstage and off.
RAPID FIRE WITH SINCLAIR MITCHELL, MR. HAWKINS IN THE PROM
JHPENTERTAINMENT: While chatting with your co-star, Courtney Balan, I asked her about life on the road with you and the other main adult cast, so turnabout is fair play. What’s Courtney like as a scene partner?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: Courtney is extremely talented, consistent and giving. She is a true professional in every sense of the word. This is extremely important as a scene partner to feed off of, making each scene honest and true.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: I also asked Courtney about her own prom experiences after admitting mine weren’t exactly memorable. Did you attend your proms as a high schooler and if so, how’d that work out for you?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: I only had one prom at my High School and I attended it with not one but two classmates! They didn’t have dates and neither did I…it wasn’t romantic but it was a lot of fun.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: If memory serves, you were part of the National Tour of School of Rock, which played Nashville’s TPAC September of 2018. Something that wasn’t around then, but has recently opened is the National Museum of African American Music, so you gotta check it out. Is there anything else you hope to see or do while the tour is in Music City?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: The National Museum of African American Music is definitely on my list. Obviously the Grand Ole Opry…and I must find the best place to get Nashville’s world famous hot chicken, suggestions welcome! IG: @sinclairdmitchell
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Since you mentioned it, you gotta check out Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. After all, it’s the OG Hot Chicken. While there, ask a member of the family how hot chicken came to be. It’s THE BEST origin story ever. Speaking of sightseeing while on tour, a quick stalk of…er..um..uh…I mean peek at your insta revealed you recently had the chance to visit the Smithsonian Museum of African American History where you posted about Muhammad Ali’s Olympic torch. In the post you mentioned high school memories of running the torch. Can you tell me more about that?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: Running the Olympic Torch for the Atlanta Games was definitely a highlight in my life, an experience I will never forget. Running through Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY and passing off the torch in front of my High School, duPont Manual/YPAS, with all the students, faculty, staff, and my family cheering me on was a momentous occasion.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Ok, so you were in high school in 1996, back to the subject of The Prom. I gotta know, did your prom fashion sense reflected that mid-90s oversized vibe? Or were you more of a traditional black tux/white shirt kinda guy?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: Baggy clothes was never my look so I definitely was a form fitting black tux/white shirt/patent leather shoes kinda guy.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: If you could play another role in The Prom, regardless of whether you’re ‘right of the part’, what would it be and why?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: Mrs. Green, who is played by my dear friend Ashanti J’Aria, who is fantastic in the role. The reason being she’s the show’s antagonist but she’s not a villain. I feel audience members can relate to this character in one way or another. She loves her daughter Alyssa and wants nothing but the best for her despite Alyssa’s need to be open about who she truly is. Watching Mrs. Greene resist evolving until she is faced with the possibility of losing her daughter is a life lesson for the audience to not make those same mistakes.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: The character you portray in The Prom seems the main voice of reason and equality. How important is that message to you as you bring Mr. Hawkins to life each night?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: As a true Christian and knowing no one’s perfect, I feel a certain responsibility to preach love, teach understanding, and to have those morals shine as a beacon of light to others in my own life. To have a role like Mr. Hawkins teaching the community, his students, and a Broadway star to be more inclusive and understanding of others, is a responsibility and honor to play onstage each night.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Among your theatrical credits, you were part of the Broadway company of The Lion King. The current tour was just here last month and among the creatives, my friend Geoffrey Myers, the tour’s Dance Supervisor. Which brings to mind the subject of choreography. As Mr. Hawkins, do we get so see some of your dance moves?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: Casey Nicholaw’s choreography is fantastic with high energy and intricate steps. Luckily for me, I get to show off my dancing prowess in the finale and curtain call!
JHPENTERTAINMENT: The main plot of The Prom centers around a young female student who just wants the equal opportunity to enjoy her high school prom with her girlfriend. As a Black man, you’ve no doubt experienced prejudices yourself. Was that part of why you chose to audition for this role?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: Discrimination and bullying against anyone is something I will always have fault with. I pride myself in standing up for others who don’t have a voice. Also because of Covid and not being able to perform in almost two years, I jumped at the chance to do what I love to do while sharing this important message.
JHPENTERTAINMENT: Not exactly a spoiler alert, but those familiar with the show know that Mr. Hawkins falls for Courtney’s Dee Dee, flaws and all. As their attraction grows, Dee Dee seems to become more enlightened and willing to change from her self-centered origin to truly caring about others. To your way of thinking, is that a main message of the show?
SINCLAIR MITCHELL: That is definitely a huge part of the main message, but this piece believe it or not is more than that. The Prom is also about looking outside the box, evolving, and accepting one another’s truth. It’s about being a good person, no matter what differences we have.
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Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel with direction and choreo by Casey Nicholaw, book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin (the latter who also wrote the show’s lyrics) and music by Matthew Sklar, The Prom plays Nashville’s TPAC February 22-27. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.
Not in Nashville but hoping to see The Prom during its National Tour? Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for more information and to check out the tour’s remaining cities and dates.
Next up for TPAC as they continue their current Broadway Season and Special Presentations is Dear Evan Hansen onstage March 2-6. The season then continues with Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, March 22-27, What the Constitution Means to Me, March 29-April 3, Come From Away, April 19-24, Oklahoma!, May 3-8 and the debut presentation of May We All: A New Country Musical, June 7- July 17. Be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following: TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.
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