From Friday, May 2, 2025, to May 4, Selma High’s Drama Club performed Zombie Prom at the Selma Arts Center. On Friday and Saturday, the musical started at 7 PM, and on Sunday it started at 4 PM. The performance marks the final production of the club for the 2025 school season. The show is set in the post-war 1950s, and reflects the common fear of nuclear technology of the time. It includes undertones of the right of belonging and a soundtrack inspired by early rock standards such as “Angel Baby” by Rosie and the Originals and “Leader of the Pack” by The Shangri-Las, and an overall compelling storyline.
The musical, lasting roughly two-and-a-half hours, tells the story of two lovers and is based on the original 1996 off-Broadway premier at the Valley Arts Theatre in New York City, produced by John Dempsey and Hugh Murphey, with lyrics by Dana Rowe. It introduces Jonny and Toffee as students of the fictitious Enrico Fermi High School, a comedic allusion to the man renowned for creating the world’s first nuclear reactor. The principal, Miss Delilah Strict, upholds very high standards of the students, and greatly disapproves of the noticeable affection between the couple, as Jonny is labeled as a “bad boy” in comparison to the upright character of Toffee.
Including a prologue and five scenes, Zombie Prom begins with the parents of Toffee demanding that she abandon Jonny, leaving her little choice and inciting him to rashly commit suicide by driving his motorcycle into a nuclear power plant. His body is laid at the bottom of the sea in a coffin made of lead, along with the additional nuclear waste. Adding to the absurdity of the circumstances surrounding the play, Toffee’s friends, Candy, Ginger, and Coco, seem unbothered by Jonny’s suicide, along with Jonny’s friends, Josh, Joey, and Jake. What serves as a very surprising twist is that “love” inexplicably brings Jonny back to life and allows him to return upon the culmination of the second act, as the cast sang “Blast From the Past.”
Upon realizing the existence of this somehow-revived Jonny, who now appears green like a zombie, local media reporter Eddie Flagrante, eager to get his hands on a headline to sell, rushes to the scene, arguing that Miss Strict, in denying Jonny access to his education, would be impeding upon his rights. This introduces another undercurrent of the production that divides the male and female friend groups into those who support and oppose his return to school, respectively.
Toffee was played by Lainey Davis, a junior at Selma High who has participated in roughly 26 productions through the Selma Arts Center. She has been praised for her vocal and acting talents, and Zombie Prom was a chance to showcase her skills through a compelling comedy.
“Toffee is very bubbly,” Davis said, “she always sees the bright side of things. She just wants the relationship with Jonny to work out. Being in theater production has let me get closer with the people I am surrounded by.”
Hernan Vasquez, a senior, is another established and popular actor from the school. He played the lead male role of Jonny. He has participated in every musical since freshman year. Since many in the musical were seniors, it was a night of great sentiment.
“My first musical was Once On This Island,” Vasquez said, “it was when I was a freshman. I think I’ve gotten more confident. At first, I was really self-conscious about singing on stage, but now it’s like second nature. My vocal range has also extended.”
Delilah Strict was played by Gitana Sandoval, a character preoccupied with “Rules, Regulations, and Respect,” as the song goes from the musical.
“I’m going to Reedley for two years,” Sandoval says, “then transferring to either UC Berkeley or UC San Diego, the theater programs are so good there. I’ll be majoring in theater arts and education for elementary on the side.” Of the cast, some others are also planning on pursuing theater as a career, but many remain undecided either regarding where to attend or what to major in.
Bethany Cazares, a Selma High junior, also acted in Zombie Prom, as Coco, a friend of Toffee. Cazares has proven to be highly well-rounded, as she has also participated in colorguard for five years and will be joining the Blue Devils B group over the summer, a renowned organization for the industry.
“My favorite part is the people,” Cazares states, “and getting to do so many forms of art, like singing, dancing, and acting. My least favorite part may be the five hour rehearsals in the choir room but, other than that, it’s been a great experience.”
Charlotte Kelley is a current sophomore at Selma High who played the role of Candy, and Zombie Prom served as her third show for the school. She has also been in the high school’s chamber choir group.
“I’ve been doing theater since I entered high school,” Kelley recalls, “and I 100 percent want to pursue theater as a career. I knew some people who were in it and they said I should join, but I always wanted to try out theater productions.”
Andres Preciado, a senior, played Eddie Flagrante, and the production was the final of his first year in the Selma High Drama Club.
“I always wanted to be a voice actor,” Preciado revealed, “and I thought, well, acting is the next best thing. I already thought it looked pretty cool, and it indeed ended up being pretty cool. I love meeting all these amazing people.”
Brooklyn Reis is also a senior at Selma High, and will be attending Fresno State to major in theater arts. She played the role of Josh, the character who tipped Jonny off to Eddie Flagrante and brought national media attention to Enrico Fermi High.
“I’ve been doing productions since I was six years old,” Reis recalled, “a long time. I really want to become a stage manager in the future, and I’m so happy to be recognized with the cord!”
At the culmination of the musical, all seniors, including those working behind the scenes, were recognized for their efforts. Those who had been in the program for all four years were also given orange cords, while Vasquez was particularly awarded for having participated in every aspect of theater productions.
“I liked it a lot and enjoyed it immensely,” Nathan Lane, the principal of Selma High, said, “it highlights the many talents of our students: musical abilities, dancing abilities. It was truly a great experience here at the theater.”
The musical ended on a happy note, with a twist revealing that Jonny is the son of Eddie Flagrante and Delilah Strict, who became pregnant on her prom night and didn’t want Toffee to repeat her mistake. However, upon the epiphany, she accepts their relationship and the couple embraces.
Many members of the aforementioned Selma High Drama Club will be participating in the upcoming “junior” summer musical, Shrek, a show catering to youth. They strongly encourage Selma students and their families to attend to see what may be some of their final productions with the Selma Arts Center.
