CT Presents The Prom

Award-winning and celebrated musical comes to the local stage

The Cumberland Theatre continues their 35th Main Stage Season with the Tony-nominated musical THE PROM, which will run May 4th – 21st. The show is being sponsored by Dawn's Family Practice, Gonzaga Health, Fore Axes, MIXX Boutique and the Queen City Creamery.

Based on a true story, The Prom features music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Martin and Beguelin. It made its stage debut in Atlanta and premiered on Broadway in 2018 where it went on to be nominated for seven Tony Awards. A film version produced by Ryan Murphy and starring Meryl Streep and James Corden debuted on Netflix in 2020.

The plot revolves around four eccentric Broadway stars who are in desperate need of a new stage. When they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student – a down-to-earth girl named Emma just wants to bring her girlfriend Alyssa to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, The Prom features the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with a message that resonates with audiences now more than ever.

Heading the cast as Emma will be local actor Kathryn Zimmerman who is making her Cumberland Theatre debut. Also making appearing at CT for the first time will be Tiffany Beckford as Alyssa. Beckford is originally from Pine Bush, NY and holds degrees in both musical and technical theatre from Rider University.

The cast of quirky New Yorkers is comprised of local actors Joel Hoover, Nicole Halmos, Kimberli Rowley, and Jordan Kline. Hoover was last seen as the Prince in Cinderella and is a member of the theatre’s Board of Directors. Halmos was last seen in August: Osage County, Rowley last appeared as Margo Crane in The Wisdom of Eve and is CT’s current Artistic Director. Kline was featured as Stacey Jaxx in last summer’s Rock of Ages.

Also featured in supporting roles are visiting actors Sean Besecker, Ashley Snow and Zye Reid. Besecker was last seen in Elf the Musical, Snow recently played Karen Roberts in The Wisdom of Eve. Reid holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Miami is making his CT debut.

A large ensemble includes Kassidy Andris, Joshua Bellamy, Maria Cabral, Jace Courrier, Justice Courrier, Emily Haworth, Cameron Hicks, Brian Records, and Emily Snyder.

The show's creative team includes Danny Durr (director/choreographer), Mikayla Dodge (music director), Rhett Wolford (scenic & lighting designer), Mattea Harrison (costume designer), and Eric Ringler (props designer). The run crew is comprised of Hayden Kline (stage manager), Elizabeth Mudge (assistant stage manager), and Kiersten Gasemy (dance captain).

The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8:00 pm and Sunday performances at 2:00 pm. There will be a complimentary wine and cheese reception following the official opening on May 5th. Tickets may be purchased online at cumberlandtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.

CT Stars of Tomorrow presents The SpongeBob Musical

Popular show based on animated series features youth actors

The Cumberland Theatre Stars of Tomorrow will present The SpongeBob Musical at the theatre April 13th – 16th. The show will play for five performances. The musical is based on the Nickelodeon animated cartoon of the same name and brings all the beloved characters to life on stage.

When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world!

The show features an unforgettable score with original songs by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Flaming Lips, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley.

The show features Bella McConnell as SpongeBob SquarePants, Lily Jackson as Sandy Cheeks, John McConnell as Patrick Star, Jace Courrier as Plankton, Ariadine Witmer as Karen the Computer and Kyle Wolford as Squidward. Also appearing in supporting roles will be Ellie Knieriem as Perch Perkins, Max Linn as Mr. Krabs, Charlotte Gaumer as Pearl Krabs, Madelyn Hook as Patchy the Pirate and Alice Wecker as the Mayor.

The large ensemble cast includes Emmit Berhow, Monroe Campbell, Layla Carey, Mackenzie Dunaway, Savannah Gaumer, Beatrice Nau, Lincoln VanMeter, Loralei Weisenmiller and Olive Wolford portraying a variety of well-known characters from the cartoon series as well as various sea creatures.

The CT Stars of Tomorrow was started in 2019 with a generous grant from the Halmos Foundation of the Community Trust Fund. The program offers young actors 5 – 20 years old the opportunity to produce a full-length Broadway-style musical in a professional setting lead by a professional production staff. It is intended to give them a full picture of working on a main stage show in a regional theatre both on stage and behind the scenes.

This year’s creative team includes Marty Jellison (director), Mikayla Dodge (music director), Kimberli Rowley (choreographer), Rhett Wolford (scenic and lighting designer), Elizabeth Mudge (costume coordinator), and Tyler Gilks (stage manager).

Tickets are available online at cumberlandtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.

Cumberland Theatre Offers Free Play Readings

The Cumberland Theatre will once again hold a New Play Reading Series throughout the season. The series will feature original plays that have not yet been formally produced. Submissions are accepted from all over the country; however, a special emphasis is placed on playwrights who reside in the state of Maryland. The series kicks off on March 22nd.

The plays submitted are read and evaluated by a selection committee. Selected plays receive an informal reading held at the theatre for a live audience. The playwright may attend to hear audience feedback or the session will be recorded for their use as they adapt and refine their work.

This year, three plays were chosen for a reading: Waiting for Fair by F.J. Hartland, Women of a Certain Age by Steve Duprey and Poolside by Chad Marriott. This year’s play selection committee consisted of Steve Cairns, Heather Wallen and Barry Weinberg.

The first reading will be held this Wednesday, March 22nd and will feature Waiting for Fair by F.J. Hartland. The play skids along on the cusp of farce, two couples and a single man and woman trade rapid-fire dialogue and staccato phrases that clearly define their relationships and similar viewpoints while ostensibly focusing on whether the single friends, whom one of the others set up, will or won’t have sex, and then what happens to the pair and among the group after they do.

“At first it seems that clever is all the play will be,” said committee member Weinberg. “But soon we realize that those early scenes are effective set-ups for everything that comes later as the characters, in differing pairings and settings, get fleshed-out, and the humor develops into huge laughs that had my wife alarmed."

The theatre began the reading series in 2019 with the play Good Morning, Miss America which went on to have an Off-Broadway production and is currently being developed into a feature film. “It is exciting to be a small part of the process of developing a new work,” said Artistic Director Kimberli Rowley. “Every theatrical journey starts somewhere and we are excited to see where these plays end up and how they evolve, knowing that CT was a stop along the way.”

The reading is free for the public to attend and will begin promptly at 7:00 pm. The lobby bar will be open for refreshment. All readings are held at the theatre at 101 North Johnson Street. For more information on the reading series, selection process and dates, please visit cumberlandtheatre.com.