Written by Kiara Co
While Netflix continues to strive to produce more diverse content, something new will be coming to the popular streaming giant! A few months ago, it was announced that the hit Broadway musical The Prom would be adapted and then the rights for this musical were secured by Netflix, therefore making it a Netflix Original film! Recently the casting announcements have been made and it sure is a star-studded cast!
For those who aren’t familiar with the Broadway show, The Prom follows four Broadway stars who are in desperate need of a new stage. They hear about a problem going in relation to a prom in Indiana, but the press is involved and they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue and themselves. The town’s parents wants to keep the dance on the straight and narrow, but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny.
Meryl Streep as Dee Dee Allen: I mean, enough said?! The actress is known for many roles, but this casting is excellent as Streep has been in other musical adaptations such as Mamma Mia and Into the Woods. Anything is good if Meryl Streep is in it! She can kill it in any role!
James Corden as Barry Glickman: Like Streep, Corden was also in Into the Woods and we all know he loves musicals as shown in his show The Late Late Show with James Corden with the Crosswalk musicals! Corden’s funny personality will definitely bring some liveliness and fun to the adaptation!
Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver: Rannells is a Broadway veteran and well-known for his work on Broadway such as The Book of Mormon and Falsettos. He has also appeared on-screen in A Simple Favor (2018) and voiced Matthew from Netflix’s Original series, Big Mouth. Having Rannells being a part of the cast is perfect because most film adaptations of Broadway musicals don’t include a Broadway veteran.
Awkwafina as Ms. Sheldon: While Awkwafina is still considered new in the industry, she is gaining significant momentum due to the films she’s been part of such as Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians. Awkwafina seems to be continuing to rise as an actress with her newer films like The Farewell (2019) and the upcoming Jumanji sequel! Not many people may have heard Awkwafina sing theatrically as she doesn’t have an exact musical background, but we all know she can rap! Since The Prom is a modern-style musical it would be interesting if they added some rapping, but it’ll be great to see Awkwafina’s comedic style on-screen!
Nicole Kidman as Angie: Like Streep, Kidman is known for numerous films and being an excellent actress. In fact, both Streep and Kidman are currently starring in the second season of HBO’s television series, Big Little Lies. Nicole Kidman starred in the hit musical film Moulin Rouge (2001) and she nailed the role as Satine in that film. Now we haven’t heard her sing in such a long time, so many will be looking forward to seeing her in a musical again!
Keegan-Michael Key as Mr. Hawkins: Now this actor is known for multiple projects as well and Key seems to be working on many projects lately. For example, he’s been in two Disney movies this year with Toy Story 4, where he voiced Ducky, and the live-action version of The Lion King voicing Kamari. Key is also a comedian which makes it perfect in being a part of this cast! This actor can do it all!
Ariana Grande as Alyssa: After the casting was initially announced, reports came through that she won’t be due to conflicts because of her concert tour or was never involved with the project. Ariana’s vocals are stunning and she also has a background in musical theatre. In fact, she was part of the Original Broadway Cast for the musical “13”. Grande also played the role of Penny from Hairspray: Live back in 2016. That being said, many fans of The Prom were disappointed with the initial announcement due to Ariana not being part of the LGBT community as the characters of Alyssa and Emma are.
As mentioned before, this musical is modern with the music and high school setting so no wonder Netflix picked it up! In this generation, musicals are shifting too, which you could tell based on the story plus the musical includes LGBT representation with its leads!
It seems like Netflix is doing well, especially casting individuals who can act and sing! Unfortunately there are no other further details about the film adaptation. as of yet in regards to if it would be similar to the stage production or if Netflix will take it in a different direction, especially since this is their first adventure into musical/theatre related content.
The Prom will hit Netflix sometime in 2020.
