TW: This article contains a brief statistic on suicide.

Conner Fabrega guides the cast of The Prom in delivering a show where everyone can join in its anthem and declare, “Let the music blare that no one cares who your unruly heart loves!”

To play on a quote by the titular character Emma in The Prom, “Note to self: don’t be gay in Florida.” In May of 2023, Equality Florida and The Human Rights Campaign released a memorandum warning of the risks associated with relocating or traveling to Florida as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQ+) community. According to the Human Rights Campaign’s research regarding the state of LGBTQ+ rights, last updated in August of 2023, queer individuals in the United States face an “unprecedented and dangerous spike” in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year. In Florida, recent laws have gone into effect that limit access to healthcare and reduce the safety and quality of life. Gay communities who call Florida home fight for the right to love and live freely in their beloved state. Some fight by marching in protest, others fight through letters and legislature, and some arm their art as their weapon of choice. Conner Fabrega wields his conductor’s baton in the face of this danger. A great power against hate lies in the much-needed escape found in theater. It is a place where answers to existential problems are simply found in songs, and people dance to celebrate the possibilities.

The 2019 Drama Desk Award-winning musical comedy The Prom follows four Broadway actors whose glory days are far behind as they travel to a small conservative town in Indiana to help a lesbian student take her girlfriend to the prom. Fabrega, a Young Actors Theatre alum and veteran of shows like Forever Plaid and Tuck Everlasting under his belt, is delighted to work with Quincy Music Theatre and Newstage Theatreworks as the Musical Director of The Prom. He elaborates on the need for this show in the current political state where LGBTQ+ individuals find themselves. “I wouldn’t be shocked to read a headline that said, ‘Florida school bans a gay couple from attending prom.’ Lawmakers continue to stifle the freedom of youth to express themselves in schools,” says Fabrega. “As a gay man, I find this story essential. It’s flashy; it’s confrontational; it’s thought-provoking; it’s funny, and, most importantly, it’s heart.” From his position on the podium, Fabrega takes this musical to heart,  conducting with an energy and electricity felt by audiences and actors alike

Like in The Prom, where the high school principal fights adamantly to support his students and encourage their authentic selves, Fabrega considers his role as an educator supportive. A proud product of Leon County schools, the district provided Fabrega a space to explore his craft. It was through his time at Killearn Lakes Elementary School that Fabrega found a fondness for music. Be it at the school’s annual Patriotic Program, singing songs like “You’re a Grand Ol’ Flag” and “Michael Row the Boat Ashore,” or on the karaoke mic during a family vacation, singing has always been a part of Fabrega’s life. He also credits music for his academic success. “There is tons of research on how music affects developing minds. I knew that I was always excited to go to any music class – elementary through high school, and my involvement in music made me work harder in my academic classes.” Fabrega continued vocal training in the district’s choir programs through middle and high school. He carried this entanglement with music and academia through his studies at Florida State University (FSU), where he received his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. He is grateful to professors like Dr. Carla Connors and Dr. Evan Jones, whose dedication led Fabrega through every phase of his vocal journey. “I owe them everything,” declares Fabrega. Equipped with a practical approach to voice and theatre informed by collegiate vigor, Fabrega is a new kind of triple threat – a performer, educator, and conductor. Each role informs the other in a way that enhances any show. “I guess you could say that my passion for performing and teaching evolved conjunctly,” says Fabrega. “From a performer’s perspective, I know what I need from a music director. As a music director, the way I approach a score has changed the way I perform. Everything I do on and off stage bolsters the other.”

The role of the conductor is to guide an ensemble both musically and emotionally through the parallel journeys taken by the artists and the characters. Just as the lead character Emma searches for her authentic voice in a heteronormative world, only to find it in an unexpected queer tribe, so too does Fabrega find a hidden power within his direction. “My main focus is to always keep a student’s voice true to themself while singing with proper technique and expression,” shares Fabrega. He begins first by instilling the nature of the pieces into the actors. With a show that includes a big tambourine showstoppers, a beautiful ballad at an Applebee’s, and powerful belting voices in a PTO meeting, Fabrega manipulates melody to highlight the tender moments in the show while juxtaposing the stringent sounds of an oppressive crowd. He strives for consistency in his cast to deliver the same quality show to audiences night after night.

TW: The following paragraph of this section contains content about suicide.

It is challenging to live in the shadows. To fear for your life and the love that fills it. Queer Floridians live this fear daily in hopes that the idea of acceptance becomes a palpable action. In The Prom, the community’s deliberate choice to accept Emma leads to inclusive action that drapes a young queer teenager with love. It seems simple, but as the 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People and the U.S. Justice Department remind us, an astounding 41% of LGBTQ+ young people thinking about suicide in the past year or the 161 hate crimes committed in Florida last year, one can only assume this simplicity is lost on some.

Luckily, music has a way of clarifying and healing. The Prom is no different. “Nearly every big ensemble number has to do with pride and accepting others,” says Fabrega, “Once the cast thought about that, everything clicked, and we made magic.” He assures that audiences can expect to laugh, connect, and feel as they celebrate love and community. He hopes that the production will highlight the need to create safer spaces for LGBTQ+ teens while sharing the joy brought on by young love and a sense of pride. Tickets went on sale December 18 and, with only three performances, are expected to sell out fast.Show your pride in Tallahassee by supporting the amazingly talented actors, directors, and musicians of Quincy Music Theatre and Newstage Theatreworks’ production of The Prom.

You matter. You can find several resources supporting the mental health of LGBTQ+ people of all ages, including self-care guides for the holidays, articles regarding mental wellness, and phone/text support for any mental health issue here: https://www.tallahasseearts.org/classified/mental-health-resources-for-the-holidays/

Read the article on the Tallahassee Democrat.