--- description: Here's what you need to know about 'The Prom,' from Ryan Murphy's casting process to the Broadway show's journey to Netflix. title: What to Know About 'The Prom' as the Movie Adaptation Hits Netflix image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae3382831f23dcb9/698a1513db2987f7462661a5/the-prom.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Everything You Need to Know About _The Prom_ as the Movie Adaptation Hits Netflix  by [Annabel Gutterman](/author/annabel-gutterman/)  ## Annabel Gutterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Editor Dec 11, 2020 11:30 AM CUT  THE PROM (L to R) JAMES CORDEN as BARRY GLICKMAN, NICOLE KIDMAN as ANGIE DICKINSON, ANDREW RANNELLS as TRENT OLIVER, MERYL STREEP as DEE DEE ALLEN in THE PROM. Cr. MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX © 2020 THE PROM (L to R) JAMES CORDEN as BARRY GLICKMAN, NICOLE KIDMAN as ANGIE DICKINSON, ANDREW RANNELLS as TRENT OLIVER, MERYL STREEP as DEE DEE ALLEN in THE PROM. Cr. MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX © 2020Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix  by [Annabel Gutterman](/author/annabel-gutterman/)  ## Annabel Gutterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Editor Dec 11, 2020 11:30 AM CUT When [Ryan Murphy](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2019/5567854/ryan-murphy/ "undefined") saw _The Prom_ on Broadway in January 2019, he knew he wanted to adapt it into a film under his [deal at Netflix](https://time.com/5667752/ryan-murphy-netflix/ "undefined"). The musical follows four semi-washed-up Broadway actors who seek out a cause as celebrity activists in the hopes of courting some good publicity to buoy their flailing careers. They set their sights on the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana, where a high school senior named Emma was told that she couldn’t bring her girlfriend to the prom. Murphy [found the show](https://www.instagram.com/p/BwDhYq1Bai8/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fembed "undefined") to be “one of the most uplifting, heartfelt and special musicals” he had ever seen on Broadway. The film adaptation, which Murphy directed and is releasing on the streaming platform Dec. 11, remains true to its source material. _The Prom_ begins in New York City, where Broadway vets Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are confronted with their worst fears when their show, a musical about Eleanor Roosevelt, closes on opening night. While commiserating at a bar, the duo are joined by cater-waiter Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells) and Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman), a wistful performer who is always the chorus girl, never the star. It’s there that they discover Emma’s story trending on Twitter, and decide to help her, if only as a means to help themselves. Barry sings: “We’re going to help that little lesbian, whether she likes it or not!”  THE PROM (clockwise from left): ARIANA DEBOSE as ALYSSA GREENE, NICOLE KIDMAN as ANGIE DICKINSON, KERRY WASHINGTON as MRS. GREENE, KEVIN CHAMBERLIN as SHELDON, KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY as MR. HAWKINS, JO ELLEN PELLMAN as EMMA, JAMES CORDEN as BARRY GLICKMAN, MERYL STREEP as DEE DEE ALLEN, RYAN MURPHY (DIRECTOR), ANDREW RANNELLS as TRENT OLIVER. Cr. MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX ©2020 Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix The starry cast of _The Prom_ is rounded out by Keegan-Michael Key as Emma’s high school principal and Kerry Washington as the head of the school’s PTA. Murphy embarked on a six-month casting call for the roles of Emma and her girlfriend Alyssa, and found stars in both Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose. The movie goes for sensory overload with glittery costumes, energetic dance numbers and beltable songs, but its messaging is rooted in the need for inclusivity. The theatrical production was based on real experiences like Emma’s, which have been documented across the country. Here, TIME lays out everything to know about _The Prom_, from the real-life stories it’s based on to the barriers it broke on Broadway to Murphy’s approach to casting. ## **It’s loosely based on a true story** The Broadway production of _The Prom_ is not based on one specific story. Instead, as playwright Bob Martin, who co-wrote the book for Broadway and the screenplay for the movie, [told Global Citizen](https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/the-prom-musical-lgbtq-teens-rewards/ "undefined"), it “was inspired by several incidents involving this kind of prejudice and exclusion, all revolving around the prom.” Perhaps the [most notable incident](https://www.aclu.org/cases/lesbian-and-gay-rights/fulton-ms-prom-discrimination "undefined") took place in 2010, when the Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Miss., refused to let high school senior Constance McMillen and her girlfriend attend the prom as a couple. McMillen was also told she could not wear a tuxedo to the event—and that only male students were permitted to do so. When McMillen fought back and got the American Civil Liberties Union involved, the school board decided to cancel prom altogether. In response, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the school district. “All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student,” [McMillen said in an ACLU press statement](https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-sues-mississippi-school-canceled-prom-rather-let-lesbian-couple-attend "undefined"). “But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly.” While the movie’s depiction of bullying classmates may seem cartoonish, McMillen’s classmates really did blame her for ruining their fun; [_Glamour_ reported](https://www.glamour.com/story/constance-mcmillen "undefined") in its Women of the Year write-up on McMillen that one student wore a short that read, “Thanks, Constance, for ruining prom.” While the prom was canceled, parents from the school organized their own version for most of the students to attend, and, [according to McMillen](https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/04/lesbian-couple-sent-to-fake-prom/341100/ "undefined"), she and her date were tricked into attending a separate “fake” event. “They had two proms and I was only invited to one of them,” she said. “The one that I went to had seven people there, and everyone went to the other one I wasn’t invited to.” The controversy put McMillen in the national spotlight, and several celebrities came together to support an inclusive prom organized by the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition. Lance Bass, members of Green Day and celebrity chef Cat Cora [all helped pay](https://www.al.com/live/2010/04/lance%5Fbass%5Fgreen%5Fday%5Fother%5Fcel.html "undefined") for the prom, which was open to any student who wanted to attend. The controversy was covered heavily on social media, and McMillen was [awarded over $30,000](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-10706956 "undefined") from her school district as part of their settlement with the ACLU. McMillen also appeared on _The Ellen Degeneres Show_ and during her interview was gifted a $30,000 scholarship for college. McMillen’s school also changed their anti-discrimination policy as a result of the lawsuit.  NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 08: Honoree Constance McMillen speaks onstage as Kelly Obourne looks on during the Glamour Magazine 2010 Women of the Year Gala at Carnegie Hall on November 8, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Glamour Magazine) Larry Busacca—Getty Images Despite McMillen’s success in rallying national support for inclusivity, discriminatory policies still impact students when it comes to events like prom and homecoming. In 2015, [a high school student from Memphis, TN ](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/catholic-school-refuses-lance-sanderson-same-sex-date-homecoming "undefined")was told by his high school that he was not allowed to bring his male date to homecoming. That same year, filmmaker Gillian Laub explored a town in Georgia where proms were racially segregated until 2010 in her documentary [_Southern Rites_](https://time.com/3841454/review-the-aftermath-of-equality-on-southern-rites/ "undefined"). In 2017, a [high schooler in Buffalo, NY](https://www.thedailybeast.com/school-banned-gay-prom-dates-lawsuit "undefined") sued his principal for allegedly not allowing LGBTQ students to bring a same-sex date to school dances. And last year[, a New Jersey student with Down syndrome](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/16/discrimination-lawsuit-nj-mom-sues-high-school-over-prom-dismissal/2661738001/ "undefined") was reportedly forced to leave her prom early while the other “neurotypical” students were not asked to leave. ## **_The Prom_** **’s barrier-breaking journey on Broadway** Broadway producer Jack Viertel came up with the concept for the Broadway show after seeing news reports about gay students not being allowed to go to their proms. He pitched the idea to Casey Nicholaw, who eventually served as the production’s director and choreographer. Nicholaw tapped Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin to write the book for the musical, and Matthew Sklar to compose the music. The show premiered in Atlanta in 2016, and then opened on Broadway in November 2018\. Though it was [never a success at the box office](https://deadline.com/2019/06/the-prom-broadway-closing-netflix-ryan-murphy-1202635368/ "undefined"), the reviews for the Broadway production were primarily positive. In his [review for the New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/theater/the-prom-review.html "undefined"), theater critic Jesse Green found the musical to be very entertaining. “With its kinetic dancing, broad mugging and belty anthems, it makes you believe in musical comedy again,” he wrote. For [_Variety_](https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/the-prom-review-broadway-musical-1203027832/ "undefined"), Frank Rizzo declared that “this cause celebre of a show turns out to be a joyous, funny, and sweet production that should appeal to several generations of musical fans.” And while the show certainly had its flaws, as Sara Holdren noted in her [review for _Vulture_](https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/theater-the-prom-where-theater-geeks-belt-without-shame.html?fbclid=IwAR0GvKofmORC2TXrWnR3-VYFDQCWlw1O4tCioDcgA8Vjvm6toRayFm6Saqg "undefined"), like the contrived relationship between Principal Hawkins and Broadway star Dee Dee, she also recognized it didn’t really matter. “There’s such genuine joy rolling off the stage in _The Prom_ that you’re ready and willing to forgive its minor misfires—just as the play’s quartet of hams and egotists are, at last, forgiven and redeemed,” she wrote.  NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 15: Angie Schworer, Michael Potts, Beth Leavel, Isabelle McCalla, Caitlin Kinnunen, Brooks Ashmanskas and Christopher Sieber during the Broadway Opening Night Curtain Call of "The Prom" at The Longacre Theatre on November 15, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride/Getty Images) Getty Images—2018 Walter McBride The production was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. The Broadway cast, which included Caitlin Kinnunen in a [trailblazing performance](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollysprayregen/2019/08/01/caitlin-kinnunen-star-of-broadways-the-prom-reflects-on-her-trailblazing-role/?sh=721989ec354e "undefined") as Emma, appeared on the Thanksgiving Day parade in 2018, and gave the telecast its [first ever same-sex kiss on air](https://people.com/theater/the-prom-musical-thanksgiving-day-parade-same-sex-kiss/ "undefined"). Months later at the Tony Awards, the cast performed a variation of the number, including the finale showstopper “Tonight Belongs to You” and Tony nominee Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla, who played Alyssa, also kissed on the televised broadcast. Before the ceremony, [Kinnunen told the Los Angeles _Times_](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-prom-kiss-tony-awards-20190609-story.html "undefined") that the kiss didn’t need to be a big deal: “There’s always backlash from the people who think it’s wrong and unacceptable, but there’s also always 10 times the amount of people who say, ‘Thank you, we feel seen and represented; this should be the norm.’ It’s been amazing the amount of love and support we get.” ## **Bringing** **_The Prom_** **to Netflix** In casting the film adaptation, Murphy came up with his dream slate of actors. Meryl Streep was high on his bucket list. He [told _The Wrap_](https://www.thewrap.com/how-ryan-murphy-got-meryl-streep-to-the-prom-and-then-got-her-to-rap/ "undefined") that Streep “said yes instantly” and that she trained “like an athlete for four months” in preparation for the role, which requires considerable singing and dancing. James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Andrew Rannells and Keegan-Michael Key also signed on, completing a roster of buzzy talent. But at the film’s center is high school senior Emma, played by newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman. A recent graduate of the University of Michigan, Pellman was working three jobs and adjusting to life in New York City when she got the audition. “I poured my whole heart into it, broke down all the beats,” Pellman [told the _Hollywood Reporter_](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/ryan-murphy-hopes-his-prom-celebrating-lbgtq-youth-will-be-a-balm-in-these-divisive-times "undefined"). The actor saw the Broadway musical in 2018, and the story [resonated with her](https://www.todaytix.com/insider/nyc/posts/ariana-debose-and-jo-ellen-pellman-on-acting-alongside-superstars-in-the-prom "undefined") because of her own experiences as a queer woman who also came out at her midwestern high school. When [her casting was announced](https://deadline.com/2019/11/the-prom-ryan-murphy-jo-ellen-pellman-lead-netflix-adaptation-cast-1202794773/ "undefined") last year, Pellman thanked Murphy on Instagram for “trusting this lil queer actor from Ohio with the role of a lifetime.” It was important to Murphy to cast an exciting newcomer in the role of Emma. “Jo Ellen had never been in front of a camera before and on her second day, she had a scene with Meryl Streep,” he told [_Variety_](https://variety.com/2020/film/awards/the-prom-musical-netflix-ryan-murphy-meryl-streep-1234832230/ "undefined"). “Everyone loved her and took care of her.” He also noted that Ariana DeBose, who plays Emma’s girlfriend Alyssa, is “going to be an important cultural figure.” At just 29 years old, [DeBose is already a Broadway veteran](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ariana-debose-dances-her-way-onto-the-a-list-with-the-prom-west-side-story#:~:text=DeBose%2C%2029%2C%20also%20appears%20in,won%20Rita%20Moreno%20her%20Oscar.&text=DeBose%20with%20Jo%20Ellen%20Pellman,' "undefined"): she played [the Bullet](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a33022157/hamilton-disney-plus-the-bullet-explained/ "undefined"), the human embodiment of death, in the original cast of _Hamilton_ and was nominated for a Tony for her performance as Disco Donna in _Summer: The Donna Summer Musical._ In 2021, she’ll star as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of _West Side Story._ In _The Prom_, DeBose’s character Alyssa is forced to reckon with her sexuality, and struggles to be open about who she really is with her mother (Kerry Washington). “I’m really hoping that the mother-daughter relationship with Kerry will be something that is a great conversation starter for young, queer, beautiful girls of color,” DeBose [told _Vanity Fair_](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/10/ariana-debose-stars-in-the-buzziest-new-musicals "undefined").  THE PROM (L to R) JO ELLEN PELLMAN as EMMA, ARIANA DEBOSE as ALYSSA GREENE in THE PROM. Cr. MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX © 2020 Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix _The Prom_ began filming in December of last year, and was almost wrapped when the pandemic shut down the set in March. “We had just finished shooting Nicole doing ‘Zazz,’ and that was the night we found out that Tom Hanks had coronavirus,” Murphy told [_Variety_](https://variety.com/2020/film/awards/the-prom-musical-netflix-ryan-murphy-meryl-streep-1234832230/ "undefined"). Four months later, with the help of epidemiologists and new industry protocols, _The Prom_ became [one of the first projects](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-steven-soderbergh-stacey-sher-and-jesse-collins-to-produce-2021-telecast "undefined") to resume production in the United States. “It reminded me of old classic musicals, like _Singin’ In the Rain_ where part of that DNA of those musicals is to roll up your sleeves, figure it out, and put on a show,” Murphy said in an interview done by Netflix. “And that’s what we did.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5919651/the-prom-netflix/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5919651/the-prom-netflix/"},"headline":"Everything You Need to Know About The Prom as the Movie Adaptation Hits Netflix","datePublished":"2020-12-11T11:30:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:55:31.350Z","description":"From the Broadway show's origins to Ryan Murphy's casting process","url":"https://time.com/5919651/the-prom-netflix/","keywords":["movies","Explainer"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae3382831f23dcb9/698a1513db2987f7462661a5/the-prom.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Annabel Gutterman","jobTitle":"Senior Editor","url":"https://time.com/author/annabel-gutterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae3382831f23dcb9/698a1513db2987f7462661a5/the-prom.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Prom","caption":"The Prom","creditText":"Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5919651/the-prom-netflix/","name":"Everything You Need to Know About The Prom as the Movie Adaptation Hits Netflix"}}]}] ```