The Prom Brings Heartwarming Theatre Experience

Through the balance of enchanting musical numbers from the theatrical production and the casting of mainstream and highly praised Broadway performers, The Prom film creates a shining spectacle that the theatre community has been missing out on.

The Netflix film adaptation of The Prom, a Tony nominated Broadway musical. With the rise in popularity due to the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, romance, and its hardships, this film only helps to spread the positive message of love-is-love to a wider audience.

Due to the Broadway shut down, the theatre community, in a sense, has gone dark since live shows are no longer available with the given social distancing and other safety protocols passed by the CDC.

Through the producers of The Prom film, people all over the world are now able to experience the vibrant life and escape from reality that musical theatre brings.

The Prom film follows along the same plot line as the original stage production, but with more cinematic flair, as it is a film adaptation and not a proshot of the Broadway cast. It carries through the story of small town girl, Emma, and how she just wants to attend the school prom with her girlfriend.

However, this is seen as quite a taboo topic at the high school, as the PTA gets involved and cancels prom due to their prohibition of a non-heterosexual couple being in attendance.

With the word of injustice at the school spreading, it reaches a group of Broadway actors in search of a cause to support. These actors make their way to a small town in Indiana to provide their assistance in getting prom back on track, even if that means they have to throw their own prom. Among these characters, Dee Dee Allen, a self-absorbed and stuck up actress who lost her touch is portrayed by Meryl Streep.

By her side, playing the role of Barry Glickman is James Cordon; it has become a trend in the movie musical genre that he is casted in theatrical adaptations, including his work in Into the Woods in 2014.

Aside from the mainstream performers, the movie production has made use of Broadway actors such as Andrew Rannells playing the role of Trent Oliver, and Ariana DeBose taking on the role of Alyssa Greene.

Through the range of casting, especially with the debut of Jo Ellen Pellman playing the leading lady, Emma, herself; the movie adaptation peaks the audience’s interest through top-shot celebrities for those who may not be so heavily involved in the theatre community.

With the standards of it being a popular musical, the pressure was on when making sure everyone was in top shape for performing musical numbers, dance breaks, and heartbreaking scenes alone. Even for actors without necessarily having musical backgrounds, everyone in the cast pulled their weight and put together a beautiful presentation of the story for the big screen.

The film keeps true to the original score of the show through the songs “Dance with You” and “Just Breathe” to help enhance the story on screen, displaying the hardships in the characters’ lives and how they struggle to just be with whom they love.

The cinematography of the film helps elevate and brighten the production as it makes the story come to life and have more excitement. This element of pizzazz is also exemplified through the show stopping dance numbers in “You Happened”, “It’s Not About Me”, and in the finale “It’s Time to Dance.”

The Prom displays a realistic, heartwarming story that can be emotional to teens and other generations around the world who have gone through similar situations of discrimination.