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Zombie Prom
John Dempsey
Zombie Prom: Atomic Edition
by John Dempsey, Hugh Murphy, Dana P. Rowe, Marc Tumminelli
Synopsis
This girl-loves-ghoul rock ’n’ roll off-Broadway musical is set in the atomic 1950s at Enrico Fermi High, where the law is laid down by a zany, tyrannical principal.
Pretty senior Toffee has fallen for the class bad boy.
Family pressure forces her to end the romance, and he charges off on his motorcycle to the nuclear waste dump.
He returns glowing and determined to reclaim Toffee’s heart.
He still wants to graduate, but most of all he wants to take Toffee to the prom.
The principal orders him to drop dead while a scandal-seeking reporter seizes on him as the freak du jour.
History comes to his rescue while a tuneful selection of original songs in the style of 50s hits keeps the action rocking across the stage.
Press Reviews
"Don’t miss it! Slicker than Grease, smoother than Rocky Horror, bigger and funnier than Little Shop of Horrors!"
— WOR
"Exhilarating! Sharp, spiffy, brighter and better crafted than both The Rocky Horror Show and Grease put together. It has musical wit and breathtakingly catchy, rich melodies."
— New York Law Journal
"Zombie Prom is a breath of freshness and vitality, an exhilarating sign of spring and renewed life in today's musical landscape of spectacles and revivals."
— Martin Gottfried, The New York Law Journal
"A feel-good, user-friendly musical comedy... witty, ribald script and clever-tuneful songs."
— The Miami Herald
"Kooky, creepy, campy fun... Packed with soupy mock-’50s sock hop tunes and more teenage turmoil than a John Waters film... The music by Dana P. Rowe and lyrics by John Dempsey are full-bore teen anthems from start to finish"
— Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| Toffee Senior; Good girl from the right side of the tracks. Hopelessly in love with Jonny. (Sweet and funny – think Gidget or Sandra Dee) |
| Candy Senior; Nervous and hyper. Always chewing her nails. (Think a young Marge Simpson) |
| Coco Senior, Coco isn’t bad, she's just drawn that way. (Think Jessica Rabbit with a dry wit) |
| Ginger Senior; Class nerd, sweet and means well but she verges on annoying. (Think Gilda Radner) |
| Jonny Warner Senior; Good kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Sincere and funny. (Think Ross from Friends) |
| Joey Senior; Class Jock. Big, handsome and dumb. (Think "duh...") |
| Josh Senior; The class geek. Aspiring journalist. (Think Pee Wee Herman without the weird voice) |
| Jake Senior; Probably voted the most popular. He's sweet and personable and is deeply in love with Candy. (Think Richie from Happy Days) |
| Eddie Flagrante Newspaper Journalist; opportunistic tabloid reporter who roots for the underdog and “justice” in the end. (Think Geraldo Rivera but with Kevin Klein’s comic appeal) |
| Ensemble Assorted Parents, Secretaries, Copy Boys, TV Floor Workers and Singers. Casting Note: The ranges, doublings and character descriptions are only suggestions based on the talent in the New York cast. Zombie Prom has been performed successfully with many different sized casts and vocal types, but was originally written for a cast of ten, in which case doubling is needed for the Prologue, I-2 and II-2. |
| Deliah Strict School Principal; icy and hard on the outside with a heart of gold. (Should have good comic timing – think Carol Burnett or Bette Midler) |
Publication
Zombie Prom: Atomic Edition is a play written by John Dempsey and published by Concord Theatricals .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
Amateur Only
Fee: Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version. If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.
Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)
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