The cast is coming together for The Smith Mountain Lake Center’s next production at Westlake Cinema!

Zombie Prom, the high-energy Off-Broadway musical comedy coming to the stage Oct. 22 through Nov. 1, will feature a mix of new faces, returning favorites and performers from both the Smith Mountain Lake region and beyond.

New York-based performers Jacob Eli Schmitt and Grace Benedetto will lead the cast as high school sweethearts Jonny Warner and Toffee.

Schmitt makes his Smith Mountain Lake Center debut as Jonny. A graduate of LIU Post’s BFA Musical Theatre program, his stage credits include Peter and the Starcatcher, Urinetown, Camelot, Into the Woods and The Addams Family.

Benedetto, also a graduate of LIU Post’s BFA Musical Theatre program, is a first-place winner at the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night. Her credits include A Chorus Line and productions at The Tank and Gateway Playhouse, including Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and As You Like It.

For director Matt Karris, assembling the cast meant finding the right performer for each character while drawing from the growing pool of talent interested in performing at Smith Mountain Lake.

“We’re fortunate to have talented performers right here in our community, and we’re also able to reach beyond the area when we’re looking for exactly the right person for a particular role,” Karris said. “I’m excited about the actors we’ve found for Zombie Prom. Each of them brings something special to these characters, and bringing local and visiting performers together allows us to create the strongest production we can for our audiences.”

Familiar Faces Return to the Westlake Cinema Stage

Audiences who attended the Center’s previous productions will recognize several members of the Zombie Prom cast.

Megan Livingston returns as Miss Delilah Strict after starring as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie & Clyde. Michael Marziliano, who appeared as Buck in Bonnie & Clyde, returns as tabloid reporter Eddie Flagrante.

Campbell Duff returns as Candy after appearing in both The Addams Family and Bonnie & Clyde. Jason Cox, who played Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, takes on the role of Josh, while Matthew Thurman returns from Bonnie & Clyde to play Joey.

Three performers will make their Center Rep debuts: Sidney Draper as Coco, Kelsey Slaven as Ginger and Katherine Bird as the female swing.

First Love, Teenage Rebellion and One Radioactive Zombie

Set in the atomic 1950s, Zombie Prom follows Toffee, a teenage girl whose forbidden romance with bad-boy Jonny takes a decidedly unusual turn when he returns from the dead, determined to take her to the senior prom.

Standing in their way is the iron-willed principal Miss Delilah Strict, while tabloid reporter Eddie Flagrante arrives at Enrico Fermi High School looking for the story of a lifetime.

Featuring book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, Zombie Prom combines 1950s rock ‘n’ roll, romance and musical comedy with a radioactive twist.

The production is directed by Karris, with musical direction by Johnson Scott and lighting and sound design by Lane Kinsley.

Building on Two Sold-Out Productions

Zombie Prom will be the third Center Rep production presented at Westlake Cinema, following the sold-out runs of Bonnie & Clyde and The Addams Family.

Center Rep, formerly known as The Lake Players, is the resident theatre company of The Smith Mountain Lake Center, building on a long tradition of community theater at Smith Mountain Lake while bringing live theatrical productions to the Westlake Cinema stage.

As the Smith Mountain Lake Center continues working toward the purchase of the Westlake Cinema building, these productions are giving the community a preview of the Center’s expanding vision for the property. Future plans include preserving movies while adding live performances, educational programming, community events and other opportunities that bring people together.

Save the Date

Zombie Prom runs Oct. 22 through Nov. 1, 2026, at Westlake Cinema.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 29.

Watch The Smith Mountain Lake Center website and social media channels for ticket information and more behind-the-scenes looks at the cast and production as opening night approaches.