YOUNGSTOWN — I saw the film version of “The Prom” when it arrived on Netflix in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic still was going strong.

It didn’t make much of an impression, except thinking that the film catered to its star-studded cast (led by Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman) and overwhelmed what should have been the focus — the lesbian teen who isn’t allowed to go to prom in a conservative Indiana town.

Millennial Theatre Company’s production of the Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin musical, which opened Friday at Youngstown Playhouse for a two-weekend run, has a luminous cast of community theater veterans. However, there’s no danger of anyone outshining Brooke May, who plays Emma Nolan, the teen at the center of the story.

The rage, frustration and hurt Emma feels at the spectacle that arises from her simple desire to attend her high school prom with her girlfriend (and the extreme and spiteful actions taken to prevent it) are ever present in May’s performance, whether it’s her handling of the dialogue or her vocals on songs like “Just Breathe.”

It’s also hard to imagine anyone executing Fosse-esque dance moves while wearing an oversized frog onesie better than May does in the second act opening number “Zazz.” It’s a great duet with Jackie Collins, who at least gets to display her dance skills in more Fosse-traditional all-black attire.

That number hints at the silliness and the seriousness that runs throughout “The Prom,” and director Joe Asente nicely navigates between those two extremes. The laughs flow freely during the two-and-half-hour show without losing the message, and Asente mostly avoids letting the story of inclusivity get too preachy.

The New York theater talent that arrives in Indiana to defend Emma and their performative activism are the target of at least as many jokes as small town smallmindedness is.

Colleen Chance is Asente’s greatest asset in providing some balance. As both the head of the PTA and the mother of Emma’s girlfriend, her Mrs. Greene is the clear villain of the story, but she is able to bring a humanity and three-dimensional quality to a character. With a couple exceptions that are explicitly written into the story, her Mrs. Greene comes off more as overprotective and misguided than vicious and vindictive.

Asente has an abundance of talent in every role. Brandy Johanntges, Ty Hanes, Nate Beagle and Collins play the New York talent that invades Indiana (accompanied by Ben Doss as a theatrical agent).

Johanntges revels in Dee Dee Allen’s divaesque behavior, and her on-stage chemistry with John Cox (who plays the principal here and who Johanntges tours with in the comedy “Couples Therapy”) is charming here.

Hanes is a master at over-the-top characters (he played the title character in MTC’s “The Spongebob Musical”), and his portrayal of Barry Glickman provides plenty of opportunity for that. But the quieter, more sensitive moments, such as when Barry deals with his own experiences as a closeted teen in high school, make a big song-and-dance number like “Barry Is Going to Prom” all the more joyous.

Beagle is hilarious as a Juilliard grad whose current gigs are bartending and a non-Equity production of “Godspell,” and his “Love Thy Neighbor” is one of the most entertaining musical moments.

May and Brianna Rae Quinn (as Emma’s girlfriend) shine on “Dance with Me,” and the ensemble is excellent throughout the production, particularly in executing Danielle Mentzer’s choreography.

Asente’s scenic design makes full use of the Playhouse’s stage and fly system, allowing for rapid scene changes and creating a wide range of locales, including a high school gymnasium, Emma’s bedroom and a chain restaurant that Allen cluelessly refers to as “Apples & Bees.”

About the only thing this “Prom” could use is some more attendees. MTC originally planned to stage the show at Hopewell Theatre, but it was clear early on that it required a larger stage and moved to the Playhouse.

The crowd for Sunday’s matinee would have filled Hopewell but left room for plenty of COVID-era social distancing in the much larger theater. That surprised me, given the consistent level of quality MTC has displayed over the years and the proven talent in the cast.

Maybe theatergoers are unfamiliar with the show or turned off by the subject. If it’s the latter, that’s unfortunate.

“The Prom” is no more heavy handed than something like the Robin Williams-Nathan Lane comedy “The Birdcage,” which was a box-office hit nearly 30 years ago. And MTC’s stage deserves the kind of boisterous ovation that only a packed theater can provide.

WHAT: Millennial Theater Company — “The Prom”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Tickets range from $23 to $27 and are available online at experienceyourarts.org and by calling 330-788-8739.