Congrats Chris and Taylor!!!! It is well deserved!

Thank you for the wonderful review and I'm taking this opportunity to list the marvelous "pit band" for Zombie Prom.
Keyboard: Michael Antaramian and Lenore Burkett
Guitar: Kyle Burkett
Bass: Alexis Holladay
Drums: Ben Drury
Unfortunately our program had to go to press prior to having the band's names confirmed.
The live music they've provided adds an element that is invaluable to our production.
They'll be a poster in the lobby prominently displayed with their names starting next weekend!!!

Judy Stene
Executive Director
Children's Musical Theaterworks

This is a correction to the listing of the pit band.
Guitar: Kyle Lowe

When I first saw "Zombie Prom" at Roosevelt School of the Arts about seven years ago, I liked it so much that I wondered why schools and theater companies continue to endlessly perform "Grease." "Zombie Prom" is so much funnier than "Grease," and the music is at least as good. Now, after seeing CMT's excellent production of "Zombie Prom" (and having endured another couple versions of "Grease" in those years), I feel the same way. From now on, when anybody wants to put on a high school musical (other than "High School Musical") can't they please do "Zombie Prom" or "Hairspray," and let "Grease" die a well-deserved death?

Taylor Abels is born to be a star!

Thank you, Mr. Munro, for all of this! It is really appriciated. We have never had this much publicity, and I hope it pays off, because we are working very hard. Thanks again.

I agree with Pat Dodds. Zombie is better than Grease for high schools. It has a quick story, good music, and the comedy is easier to understand and grasp for a high schooler. The satire of Grease is totally missed when done with kids and weird. Grease is just overdone. Long live Zombie Prom.

I got to see "ZP" this weekend, and I was BLOWN away.

First, you're totally right Donald-- the ensemble sound was the best I've heard in a while. Crazy good. But I was struck as I watched the show-- I couldn't pick out a weak link. And that was the best parts. Even "lesser" characters (Ginger and Ramona come to mind) really stood out in their moments.

But it was moments like the trio in "Case Closed" (I'm familiar with the show, and this is not one of my favorite songs) that I sat back and just marveled in the sheer perfection of it. Daniel, Taylor and Chris were just spot on perfect in that song. Diction, notes, placement... Like I said, I don't even love the song, but that's the way it should be done.

The pit was another part of the show I absolutely adored. I'm so used to watching local theater use tracks (and live orchestras with local theater that made me wish I WAS listening to tracks) that I wasn't prepared at ALL for such a solid, tight pit. I honestly kept forgetting it was live until I looked down as saw the conductor for myself.

Well done CMT for showing us, once again, what our local talent is capable of. I'll be seeing both casts of this one as well.

And hear, hear to the "Down with Grease!" Hail Zombies!

Thank you so much for all of your support! I have had the pleasure of working with the talented kids of CMT over the past year and they deserve all the praise. Everyone GO SEE ZOMBIE PROM!!!!

Can't wait-Can't wait!!! I'm going Friday and I can't wait. I will always remember the Roosevelt production because it was my then 4 year old daughter's first live theatre experience and she was hooked after the first 5 minutes. I love Grease, too, but this show is just so accessible for audiences that everyone loves it. Grab every non-theater goer you know for this one for a guaranteed conversion! You won't be disappointed, it's a great show with even greater performers. Congratulations CMT on another hit!

Zombie Prom is a must see. The performance was awesome. CMT always puts on a good show. They are top notch entertainment everytime. These young people could perform on broadway easily. I saw the atomic cast and they are simply amazing. Go see it.

OH. MY. GOSH.

What a fantastic show.

Which I should be getting used to at CMT, but I was still amazingly surprised by the quality of performer and direction of this show.

I have written the Beehive before about how Donald reviews different levels of shows, but he didn't need to hold back on this one, and can treat it as top-level entertainment.

Specifics deserve to be mentioned, as these kids are talented and worked hard. First kudos are to Carolyn Robertson and Kellerie Aldape. This show could easily collapse on itself, especially with two completely different casts (in the lead roles), but they brought acting, singing and (some) dancing together really well. As Donald noted, the show is brisk and exciting and really well paced.

To the cast:

Who the HECK is this Miranda Mayo girl?!?? I've never seen her before, and as 'Toffee' in the Atomic cast, she took the stage with Audra-like presence. As a 22-year director, I advise this girl to either:

*Skip college and go directly to professional work OR
*Make sure the college is Julliard or similar, as with Audra

Miranda is the next Sharon Leal...gorgeous with a fantastic voice and stage presence/acting skills. I'd buy her album now.

Taylor Abels is a young Clytee Ramsey, able to carry the toughest of notes and song stylings with grace and ease.

Daniel Rodriguez played the Zombie in the cast I saw, and his singing was the best I'd heard in any of his previous shows. He easily kept up with Miranda, and it's frankly TOUGH to sing with someone singing a different harmony in your face, and he did wonderfully.

The back-up singers to Toffee were also WONDERFUL: Ani Istanboulian is hilarious, Audrey Arther equally so, and Courtney Shorte rounded out this amazing set of voices. When they, Toffee and Jonny are on stage, the show is like frosting....yummy and you can never seem to get enough.

There were some slow parts, sure, but still at a very high level for high school-aged kids. The ensemble was TERRIFIC, all in character, and all exhibiting am extreme work ethic and again, amazing voices.

One note: Tech people (spotlight ops, especially)? These actors worked 4 weeks on this show specifically, and in some cases years and years on their talents and tools. You need to rehearse also, okay? It's very distracting to have a spotlight show up 20 feet away from the performer...and I know these are kids operating the things, but these are kids onstage, and they are as professional as can be.

I grew up in a very high-level theatre company, full of raw talent and extremely challenging productions. CMT is several levels above this.

As for Zombie Prom replacing Grease? Well....we'll see.

Donald, my question for you--Do you agree with my advice for Miranda Mayo? As a reviewer who hasn't spent his life performing or directing, what's your observational opinion?

CMT, MAJOR KUDOS!

Thank you Stephen for your wonderful comments about the show. I am glad you enjoyed it. Zombie Prom is all of the great things you said it was and more.

However, I must correct you on one thing. I am one of the "tech people" who has been working on Zombie Prom for the past 6 weeks. I can assure you that the "tech people" spent a full two weeks before opening night rehearsing with the actors to ensure that the show would be fluid. However,it is live theatre and things happen. Perhaps you are not aware that most of the equipment (especially the lighting equipment) at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium is ancient.

I can also assure you that "tech people" spend just as much time if not more perfecting their craft with less than half the glory the actors get. We pride ourselves in being professional and when something technical goes wrong with the show we are always first to be blamed.

Part of CMT is giving children the full theatre experience, that includes, painting sets, sewing costumes, learning the lighting and sound equpiment, building props etc. All of these as things come together to create the magic onstage. It is important to teach children that no part is more important than the other but rather that they are like puzzle pieces that must fit together, if one is missing than picture is incomplete.

I want to thank you again for your support of CMT. Please remember that there are members of CMT behind the scenes working just as hard as the ones onstage.

I've operated a spot, several times. Nothing as nice as having an actor enter on the wrong side of the stage (not!). It's not always the 'fault' of the operator. And, as Tech Person stated, sometimes the equipment doesn't work well with others. It's unfair to assume that a mistake = a lazy tech person.

A Tech Person, thank you for encouraging the appreciation of ALL involved in a production. Maybe we'll have a future of fewer assumptions about the lack of care ( that simply doesn't exist) behind the scenes.

Thank you very much Mr. Monroe, I cannot tell you how much we appreciate your review. We've all worked so hard.
What did you think of the Chorus?

A Tech Person?

You're talking to a guy who was forced to stand and work a spotlight for 4 hours straight with a guy just running around on stage for me. He'd run, stop, and I had to 'sight' the spot and then slowly dim it up on the guy.

If I missed, even by a little bit, boom, there we went again.

Then he'd walk the stage, with me following him. Then he'd run.

Rinse. Repeat. Four hours.

EVERY DAY.

Until I got it right.

And I was just 14 at the time.

That's what I'm talking about. The spotlight in the performance I saw was seriously missing the performers by 20+ feet.

And lighting changes? Well, they were adding on to themselves during scenes, as if the light design was being created during the scene.

The lighting may be ancient, but it still needs to be learned and worked.

Having said that, I will say the set changes were great, smooth, and the fly system was operated flawlessly...no clanking here!

Hey, as Donald said, at least the sound system was well handled!

Steph

Catching up all these interesting "Zombie Prom" posts:

First of all, Stephen, regarding your comments about the talented Miranda Mayo: I agree that she has a lot of show-biz potential. I do think that college would be the best track for her, particularly if she wants to get into musical theater. There's an insane amount of competition out there, and going to a school with a good musical-theater program will give her a good boot-camp experience plus a college degree. Most of the bios I'm reading these days in professional productions show college theater training. If her goal is film/TV, I'm not as sure. I'm still all for college -- I'm ALWAYS for college in this day and age -- but Hollywood is an intensely youth-oriented culture, so it might be worth giving it a try for a year or two before going to college. (Then again, you have to be sure you've got a good plan so you don't get caught up in the dark side of the business.)

As for the follow-spot discussion on this thread, also prompted by Stephen, I have to say that I'm pretty much on his side. I didn't comment specifically on the lighting in my review of "Zombie Prom," mostly because I watched the final dress rehearsal and attributed the shakiness of the lighting design to underprepared jitters that would hopefully smooth out as the run progressed. But if Stephen still noticed it when he saw the show, it's clear there's work to be done.

I totally understand that CMT is a training ground and that children work behind the scenes as well as on stage. But there's a minimum theatrical proficiency required to make the experience work for both performers and audience. Having your follow-spots meander around stage is as distracting as having costumes that don't fit or sets that tip over. Being a follow-spot operator isn't an entry-level gig. It requires experience and training. Just as the leads of the show are cast for their acting and singing ability, the technical roles require their own important skill sets. The aim of CMT's technical training should be to have that minimum skill-set proficiency learned before the production opens, not during it. That's what show biz is all about.

Finally, regarding "Zombie Prom's" chorus: I think it was solid. Some of the chorus members were less confident on stage than others, which is to be expected. I think that much of the choreography could have been stronger, particularly in such scenes as the TV show with the commercial breaks.

And having said what Donald and I just said, I still am amazed and ultimately impressed that we get to discuss CMT shows as high-end productions, not just a bunch of kids putting on a show.

Aladdin Jr. was a bunch of kids putting on a show, but they memorized amazing amounts of script, blocking, and music, and did it quite well.

Shows like 'Tommy' and 'Zombie Prom' are pretty much at the near-highest level possible for the ages involved and our location in the Central Valley and the potential for theatrical training here.

I would venture our dance training is the highest level for the arts education here, but obviously singers and actors are getting good stuff as well, both from GCP as well as Cynthia Merrill, etc etc (sorry if I didn't mention you).

And Donald, as usual, you wrote and said it better than I did...but with the youth orientation of the biz, I say Miranda Mayo should give it a shot after her senior year of high school IF she's strong enough, persistent enough, and has enough family support to blanket her through the trying process.

To me, talents like her often go to a Julliard or another high-end school and lose some of their confidence, surrounded as they are by such amazing talent. As such, they lose the ability to carry themselves on-stage with that performer's aura. Audra had this 'it' factor so ingrained it didn't matter where she went to school.

Sharon Leal has struggled some with her career, from Rent on Broadway to Boston Public as highs, to 'where the heck is she??' as lows.

What's next for Miranda Mayo? Only time and her inner character will tell. I do wish her the best, and really wish there was some program or regional theatre company here in Fresno that could keep her here....but alas.......

Mr. Munro,
We can't thank you enough for all of your support towards the show! The publicity was amazing and it really helped a production that we all have worked so hard on, so thank you again.

Mr. Munro and Stephen:
I am MORE than flattered by all of your comments, it makes me want to cry! i am soo ecstatic and grateful to know that you believe in me enough to say such wonderful things and have such high hopes for me.I definitely want to pursue this as a career and i can't thank you enough for your support!

Okay, I said to Donald today that I wouldn't comment on the Zombie cast, but I can't resist.

Saw the other cast today (as did Donald), and want to send more compliments along.

FIRST to the spotlight crew, who obviously have practiced quite a bit, and weren't nearly as distracting.

SECOND to the pit band. I should've mentioned them before, and was remiss. Donald had already hit it on the head, tho...perfect playing, perfect volume, way to keep up with the actors and roll with the scene changes.

Mark Bartlett as the Zombie was amazingly fun...very flexible dance moves and love his use of the makeup.

I really enjoyed the 'back-up' singers to Toffee, with one minor complaint, which I'll get to in a bit.

Toffee was played by Joanna Gaeta, super enjoyable and cute, Caitlin Stevenson was a wondefully funny Miss Strict (LOVE her character walk!), and I also really enjoyed Joey Giudici as Eddie...very good job with his voice and embracing the cheese.

Now the complaints, minor tho they may be. I understand these are kids, and I understand what I was like as a kid...I was voted 'biggest ham' in my HS. But CMT prides itself on professionalism in every aspect (and deserves the praise, from box office staff to ushers to store sellers to the kids selling cookies, LOADS of professionalism there).

In the song 'Easy to Say,' two of the girls, in 'prepping for the prom,' spent much time overshadowing Toffee's singing by stuffing their bras and prepping their bosoms (only the Candy character stayed professional). I know it's your last show, girls, but it's really distracting. The 14 year olds behind me tittered away in glee, but...

...and the 'but' goes one step further.

When I was in this show 'Superman' as a kid, for the curtain call I opened up a comic book...cute, right? Afterwards, the director of this pro theatre company said "The award for most creative ideas goes to Stephen. But I think I'm going to ask you not to do it again." Then he took me aside and explained what 'lead roles' were and what 'ensemble roles' were, and while ensemble characters should still act, and pick fun characterizations, they should never over-do their bits, for fear of taking away from the gist of the show.

Jeremy Hitch wins the award for 'most creative,' but Jeremy? You really can't take away from the gist of the show, no matter how fun or funny you can be (and you are) in the background ensemble.

Finally I want to mention Tony Thammavongsa, who impressed me in both casts for his professionalism and clear hard-work and attitude. I don't know him (nor do I know most of these kids), but avid theatre-goers are noticing your work, Tony. Good job, and way to make the very most of your opportunities!

Again, thanks for entertaining me, each and every one of you!

As Stephen indicates above, I did trek out to see "Zombie Prom" a second time as I promised in my original post -- and I was glad I did. Otherwise I would have missed the other great portrayal of Principal Strict, this one from Caitlin Stevenson. It was fun to see a slightly different interpretation of this role. Caitlin was a little more physical with her character than the very fine Taylor Abels -- a little more ticked off, too. I liked both performances very much. They're both among CMT's brightest stars.

Also very much a treat the second time around: Joey Giudici as the smarmy Eddie Flagrante. What a voice! And his playfulness on stage is contagious.

I liked seeing Mark Bartlett as the zombie Jonny and Joanna Gaeta as Toffee. And it was a pleasure to watch some of the actors who played leading roles in the other cast -- such as Daniel Rodriguez (who commands the stage whatever role he's in) and Chris Meisner perform ensemble roles. That's what theater is all about: teamwork.

The follow spots were much better three weeks into the run, which was a good sign, and I thought the choreography (particularly among the girls trio) more accomplished. All in all, a fine conclusion to a strong show. Congrats to all.