Musical theatre fans, shake your jazz hands and rejoice! There’s a new kid on the block. Another Sydney venue dedicated to musical theatre – Teatro at the Italian Forum in Leichhardt – has blasted off with a joyous production of The Prom starring Caroline O’Connor.

Caroline O’Connor, Brendan Monger and the cast of The Prom. Photo © Robert Miniter

Andrew Bevis and Nathan M. Wright co-founded On Your Feet Australia Pty Ltd in 2017. Six months ago, they found a permanent home for the company at the Teatro and have since presented a production of The Addams Family and a cabaret season there. Now comes the Australian premiere of The Prom – and what a delightful, shiny, uplifting production it is.

Featuring music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and book by Beguelin and Bob Martin, The Prom opened on Broadway in 2018, where it was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The plot is pretty slight, with little doubt where it’s heading, but the story is told with such delicious humour and heart that you go happily on the ride.

The show begins with the opening night...