A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Zombie Prom

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  5w, 5m plus ensemble

Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey
Music by Dana P. Rowe
Adapted by Mac Tumminelli
Based on a story by John Dempsey and Hugh M. Murphy

“A gentle sendup of the teenage romance films... given a radioactive glow of novelty.” – New York Times

Also available: A school version perfect for young performers!

Zombie Prom

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 5m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Zombie Prom
Also Available
Zombie Prom: Atomic Edition

Details

Summary

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 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.

History

Zombie Prom was first produced at The Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida in February, 1993. On March 26, 1996, the show premiered off-Broadway at the Variety Arts Theatre. Directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, the off-Broadway production featured Richard Roland, Jessica-Snow Wilson, Richard Muenz and Karen Murphy.

Keywords
Performing Groups

DELILAH STRICT: Female, 35-50 (Range: Mezzo Soprano Belt, G33-A5)
School Principal; icy and hard on the outside with a heart of gold. Should have good comic timing - think Carol Burnett or Bette Midler.

TOFFEE: Female, HS Senior (Range: Soprano Belt, F3-E5)
Good girl from the right side of the tracks. Hopelessly in love with Jonny. Sweet and funny - think Gidget or Sandra Dee.

CANDY: Female, HS Senior (Range: Mezzo Belt, F3-G5)
Nervous and hyper. Always chewing her nails. Think a young Marge Simpson. Can double as Mother's Voice, Secretary, Make-Up Lady.

COCO: Female, HS Senior (Range: Soprano Belt,  F3-G5)
Coco isn't bad, she's just drawn that way. Think Jessica Rabbit with a dry wit. Can double Secretary (Sheila), Stage Manager.

GINGER: Female HS Senior (Range: Soprano Belt, F3-G5)
Class nerd, sweet and means well but she verges on annoying. Think Gilda Radner. Can double Secretary, Ramona Merengue.

JONNY WARNER: Male, HS Senior (Range: Rock Tenor, C3-C5)
Good kid from the wrong side of the tracks.  Sincere and funny. Think Ross from "Friends."

JOEY: Male, HS Senior (Range: Tenor, E3-F4)
Class Jock. Big, handsome and dumb. Think "duh..." Can double Father's Voice, Copy Boy, Motorwise Gasoline Guy.

JOSH: Male, HS Senior (Range: Tenor, E3-Eb4)
The class geek.  Aspiring journalist. Think Pee Wee Herman without the weird voice. Can double Announcer.

JAKE: Male, HS Senior (Range: Rock Tenor, E3-F4)
Probably voted the most popular.  He's sweet and personable and is deeply in love with Candy. Think Richie from "Happy Days." Can double Copy Boy, Motorwise Gasoline Guy.

EDDIE FLAGRANTE: Male, 35-50 (Range: Baritone, D3-Ab4)
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.

CHORUS (SATB)
Assorted Parents, Secretaries, Copy Boys, TV Floor Workers and Singers. (Covered from within the cast or can be assigned separately to expand the cast.)

The ranges, doublings and character descriptions in the chart below 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.

  • Time Period 1950s
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Local Celebrity Cameo, Special Effects
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“A musical blast! Fun for the whole nuclear family!” – New York Daily News

“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

“This is pure entertainment with a rock 'n roll beat.  The sound is polished, the lyrics are strong... Trash becomes treasure when Rowe and Dempsey reflect on contemporary pop culture.” – Key West, Solares Hill

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Zombie Prom: The Characters' Bones
Michael Valladares
January 27, 2023

20 Plays & Musicals for Spooky Season
Annette Storckman
September 27, 2019

Videos

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Music

Music Samples

Act I

“Enrico Fermi High” – Toffee, Jonny, Jake, Kids & Miss Strict
“Ain’t No Goin’ Back” – Toffee, Jonny & Kids
“Jonny Don’t Go” – Toffee & Girls
“Good As it Gets” – Toffee & Kids
“The C Word” – Toffee, Jonny, Ginger, Coco, Candy, Jake, Joey & Josh
“Rules, Regulations & Respect” – Miss Strict & Kids
“Blast From The Past” – Jonny & Kids
“That’s The Beat For Me” – Eddie, Josh, Secretaries & Copy Boys
“The Voice In The Ocean” – Jonny & Toffee
“It’s Alive” – Jonny, Miss Strict & Kids
“Where Do We Go From Here?” – Jonny, Toffee & Kids
“Trio (Case Closed)” – Eddie, Miss Strict & Jonny

Act II

“Then Came Jonny” – Miss Strict, Jonny, Toffee & Kids
“Come Join Us” – Ramona Merengue, Eddie & Jonny
“How Can I Say Good–Bye?” – Jonny & Motorwise Guys
“Easy To Say” – Toffee & Girls
“Exposé” – Eddie & Miss Strict
“Isn’t It?” – Kids
“Forbidden Love” – Toffee, Jonny & Kids
“The Lid’s Been Blown” – Eddie, Miss Strict & Kids
“Delilah’s Confession” – Miss Strict
“Zombie Prom” – Full Company

Piano-Conductor
Synthesizer
Electric/Acoustic
Bass Guitar
Drums
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Pop/Rock
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • 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.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!

1 Piano-Conductor
20 Vocal Books
1 Synthesizer
1 Electric/Acoustic Guitar
1 Bass Guitar
1 Drums

Performance Tracks are available for an additional fee. Please contact your licensing representative for more information.

1 Piano-Conductor
20 Vocal Books
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Add-Ons

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Authors

Author

John Dempsey

Author

Hugh Murphy

Dana P. Rowe

Dana P. Rowe

Dana P. Rower, Composer. In collaboration with John Dempsey, he's written the scores for Blackbeard, Brother Russia, The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix, Zombie Prom, and The Reluctant Dragon. He also provided music for The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde, FRIDA, See Jane Run, and The ...

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