Photo: Joe Kokofsky
Theatergoers in Providence, Rhode Island, were treated to an extra special “prom-posal” this weekend.
Sinclair Mitchell, who plays Mr. Hawkins inThe Prom’s North American tour, brought the crowd at Providence Performing Arts Center to their feet after curtain call on Saturday when he pulled his boyfriend of more than 12 years, Joe Kokofsky, onstage topop the questionin front of their friends and family.
“Joey, we have had a working relationship for as long as I can remember,” he began. “We’ve been dating for the past 12-and-a-half years, and I want you to know it’s been the happiest 12 years of my entire life. I love everything about you, I love your family — they’re out there somewhere. I love your friends, I think they’re out there too.
“And I just want you to know, most importantly, I love you. You’re my sun, my light, my shining star. You are perfection, and you’re the reason I believe in love. And now, I want to profess to the world, to your family, to your friends — and some people I don’t quite know — that from this day until my last day, if you will have me,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell then got down on one knee and slid a ring onto his future husband’s finger. “He said yes!” he exclaimed to applause from the audience, before sharing a kiss with Kokofsky.
For more on Sinclair Mitchell proposing to Joe Kokofsky, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.
“As for the engagement, I masterminded a plan to get him onstage,” he says, adding that he “worked with the cast, crew, stage management” and friends to orchestrate a faux raffle to get Kokofsky on stage.
Joe Kokofsky
After the proposal, Mitchell says Kokofsky told him that once he left the stage and returned to his family, “a stranger asked him if that was part of the show. He told her no, that was real life, and she gave him a big hug.”
“The entire cast, crew, and audience were so supportive, it was a magical moment that couldn’t have gone any better,” Mitchell continues.
“Teaching inclusivity with this show across the country, it warmed our hearts with joy to have the entire audience aw-ing and cheering us on.”
RELATED VIDEO: Cast & Crew of Broadway’s ‘Prom’ Are Planning a Virtual Prom for High School Students
The Tony Award-nominated musical was adapted into aRyan Murphy-helmed movie, which premiered on Netflix in 2020, starringMeryl Streep,James Corden,Nicole Kidman,Andrew Rannells,Keegan-Michael Key,Ariana DeBoseandKerry Washington.
Find tickets toThe PromNorth American tourhere.
source: people.com
