Prom

Sure, 1812 Productions is running Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor in repertory with Our Show of Shows , the company's tribute to Sid Caesar's 90-minute weekly live comedy program, Your Show of Shows . And sure, Simon's work is better known, a look behind the door of the writer's room - a room that variously contained Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, and Simon himself during the show's 1950-1954 run. ...

It's not just prom, it's Disney's "Prom. " And so no one smokes, no one sneaks in peach schnapps in a flask and no one - that's right, no one - gets lucky in the back of a limo. This is all about that magical night when everyone gets together, regardless of the social hierarchy that had been firmly in place for the past four years, and dreams come true. Wholesome, earnest dreams for wholesome, earnest kids - except for the resident bad boy, that is. But naturally, he'll turn out to have a heart of gold.

Marianne "Mimi" S. Murray, 56, of Thornton, a dietitian who counseled students at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges, died of breast cancer Tuesday, April 12, at home. When she gave her annual wellness lectures to Bryn Mawr freshmen, she dressed to underscore her message. Her attire included carrot slippers, broccoli and banana earrings, and a necklace of plastic grapes and orange, lemon and lime slices. The necklace adorned a T-shirt with the logo "All Foods Can Fit. " She wanted to get the students' attention, her husband, Clem Murray, said, and routinely received ovations after she spoke.

All I can remember thinking was, "There goes Rehoboth," as the costs mounted for my daughter Jaida's senior prom four years ago. It looked as if our annual beach respite would be sacrificed for the perfect gown. Cha-ching. The right shoes. Cha-ching . The professionally done hair and makeup. Cha-ching . Limo rental, photos, spending money. Cha-ching cha-ching cha-ching . Heck, this wasn't a school dance. It was the dress rehearsal for her wedding. Yet it was worth every penny as I watched Jaida descend the stairs that night.

DEAR ABBY: I am a female high-school junior with many friends I love and a boyfriend I care for very much. A number of my friends are gay. One girl, "Belinda," is a year older than I am. She told me a couple of years ago that she is a lesbian. I have done everything I can to help her and support her. Last year, Belinda shared that she loves me more than as a friend. She would like to take me to the prom this year, and I would like to go with her. Because I am already involved in a relationship with a boy, should I not be Belinda's escort?

Colby Berman nearly swooned when she saw herself in the frothy pink chiffon gown with gold beaded trim at the Bala Girls store in Bala Cynwyd. "It's exactly what I wanted," the 15-year-old Lower Merion High School sophomore gushed as her entourage - and there's always an entourage when it comes to the increasingly complex task of picking out a prom gown - oohed and aahed on cue. To make sure the $400 dress was exactly what no one else wanted...

WHAT FOOL would buy his daughter a $14,000 prom dress? It's one thing for parents to want the best for their precious little princess, but there are limits in terms of how far you should go when you're outfitting someone for a measly high-school dance. And, if you ask me, the nincompoops who buy the prom dress that a Bensalem retailer is offering for $13,997 are crossing the line when it comes to spoiling their kid. Things have changed a lot since I went to my senior prom in a pink, cotton dress that a friend's sister sewed for me, but this is the most obscene prom expense I've ever heard of. Are people nuts?

"BREAKING BAD" actor R.J. Mitte just attended the Coatesville Area Senior High prom with Madie Weiser , a family friend. Mitte, who turns 18 Aug. 21, spent a few days in the area and had fun at high-school parties. The actor didn't attend traditional high school because of his work schedule on the fantastic AMC series, so he didn't have his own prom. Mitte is enjoying his time off from "Breaking Bad" and working on landing a movie role and a recurring spot on a TV series, though he didn't give details for fear of jinxing the projects.

Daniel Guzmán gasps a little as his prom date walks down the stairs into the living room. "Ma, you look really nice," the 18-year-old Edison High School senior tells Wanda Alicea, a vision with magenta hair, a purple gown, and 4-inch turquoise Lady Gaga heels. Wanda, a 41-year-old mother of five and grandmother of two, blushes while trying not to fall. "Oh, Papi, I hope I don't kill myself in these shoes. " Death was not on Daniel's mind when he asked his mom to accompany him on arguably one of the most important nights in a teenager's life.

This year's biggest prom trend isn't the dress. It's the tress. Literally. Local hairstylists are predicting big hair - ? la the boobalicious and bodacious raven-haired "Snooki" from MTV's Jersey Shore - will be the hottest trend on teens on prom night. "Our prom girls are coming in and they want messy buns and tousled hair with bumps," said Tiffany Nurick, a stylist at Heaven and Earth in Lafayette Hill. "It's all about big, loose and not overly styled hair. And you aren't just seeing it in women, you are seeing it in men as well.