Interview: THE PROM's Nico Greetham Feels Like a Pop Star & a Superhero

Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of "The Prom" was released today on Netflix!

In celebration, BroadwayWorld had the pleasure of speaking to Nico Greetham, who stars as Nick Boomer alongside an all-star cast including Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, James Corden and Andrew Rannells.

Greetham told us about feeling like a pop star in "The Prom," feeling like a superhero on "Power Rangers," and manifesting "The Prom" in his journal before it even existed.

Debuting on Broadway in 2018, THE PROM follows a troupe of hilariously self-obsessed theater stars who swarm into a small conservative Indiana town in support of a high school girl who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom.

In addition, all premiering in 2020, Nico was most recently seen in Adam Rehmeier's "Dinner in America," Nina May's "First Lady," and Jonathan Wysocki's "Dramarama."

At the age of 18, Greetham auditioned for the 10th season of Fox's hit TV series "So You Think You Can Dance", where he became the top 5th male finalist. After the SYTYCD tour ended, Nico relocated to New York for his Broadway debut, where he played the role of Darcy/Jojo in Disney's hit Broadway show, "Newsies".

Nico is best known for his role as the series lead Calvin/Yellow Power Ranger in Nickelodeon's "Power Rangers Ninja Steel". The show, which was the brand's 25th Anniversary Season, followed a new team of superhuman power rangers that worked together and used their new ninja powers to prevent evil from dominating the human race and from destroying the planet earth and the universe.

Other television credits include: "Into the Dark", "NCIS", The Thundermans", "Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris", "Glee" and "General Hospital".

Read the full interview below!

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I had the chance to watch the film, and it's just exactly what the world needs right now. So, congratulations.

I'm so glad! Yeah, I absolutely agree. This is just what 2020 ordered.

You have this fun boyband in the movie moment during "You Happened," singing and dancing down a high school hallway, that's very fun and very "High School Musical." What was it like to film that scene?

Yeah! You know, I had such a good time filming. All the dance scenes were such a joy because we were literally singing and dancing all day. How much better does it get?

But that number specifically, I will admit, I definitely put some pressure on myself because it was my solo moment. But getting there, and - when we rehearsed it - Ryan was super kind, and went out of his way to come to me between takes and let me know that it was exactly where it needed to be, so that was definitely comforting.

And it was just such a ball! Dancing to my now-girlfriend, Logan [Riley] - she's who I'm promposing to!

That's amazing!

Yeah! But, you know, she was having such a ball, and it made me have more of a ball, and it took the pressure off. Like you said - that's a great way to put it. I felt like I was a pop star for a second.

Did you and Logan meet on the set of "The Prom?" I can't get over that.

Actually, we've known of each other for ever, because we were both in the professional dance world. We did a job a year before "The Prom" together, for about a week, and we were just friends. But "The Prom," and filming it, definitely rekindled and restarted a different flame that's been super fun to explore.

It's fun to watch now, you know? To laugh.

You were in an episode of "Glee" in 2015, so you've worked with director Ryan Murphy before. What was it like coming together again?

I didn't meet him back in the "Glee" days because I was just part of the Vocal Adrenaline number of that one episode that I did. But I think Ryan was just producing at that point, so he wasn't on set or as hands-on.

I didn't actually meet him until our first day of rehearsal for "The Prom." He's just such a wonderful guy - such a genius. The way he presents himself is, like, genius-type. It was a dream come true.

You made your Broadway debut in Newsies, which was one of my favorite shows ever, because it was great, but also because you could tell the ensemble had this really special camaraderie. How is bonding with a film cast different from bonding with a theatre cast?

So, when I got Newsies, I found out with zero notice. The story is, I was in town on the East coast for a three-day weekend visiting my mom. I was living in L.A. at this point. And I was visiting my mom for Mother's Day, and Newsies saw that I was on the East coast. They asked me to come up and audition, and I did, not knowing anything about anything.

I didn't know much about Broadway - I'd never sang a day in my life before then. I was really, really nervous to sing. So, I did the audition, and it was private call. There was nobody else in the room. And I was like, "That's interesting." And then I get the call the day after that saying that I booked it, and I had to start that day.

I had zero clothes! I had, like, three outfits for a three-day weekend. I didn't have a place to stay, because they didn't put me up - when you book Broadway, you're hired as a local. And I had no friends, because it was the summertime. So, all of my friends who did live in New York, and went to college, they were all home for the summer.

So I had no clothes, no friends, no house! And I will say that the second I started rehearsals, the Newsies cast was so welcoming, and so kind, and we were just this big brotherhood that was just so special from the beginning.

And you perform every night, eight shows a week. You all live in the same city, which, as you know - as spread out as New York is, it's just so easy to get everywhere.

I feel like the difference with theatre and film - with film, you're with these people all day when you do the film. I think you get really close with the twelve hour days. You wait around for six of those hours sometimes! Sometimes even more. Sometimes less. So you do have so much time to get to know each other, which I find very special.

But then, you go home to your separate ways, and then you reconvene again on set. Versus, in theatre, the city is kind of a part of the family. It's this big community. They're both so special, and they're very unique!

"The Prom" cast was so tight. We enjoyed our time every time we were on set together.

Did you have any "pinch me" moments while filming "The Prom"?

Every day! Every day that I shared the set with those veterans was a "pinch me" moment. I mean, having a cast chair that says "Meryl Streep" next to you? Are you kidding? And "Nicole Kidman"? Like, what is my life? Is this real? When am I going to wake up?

Every day was a "pinch me" moment. Which is so cool. It's always the dream - I'm living the dream. But then, to, like, really live THAT dream. It's like a dream inside of a dream! A total Inception.

What do you hope that audiences take away from the movie?

I'm so excited to imagine the people who have a harder time understanding and accepting their loved ones who may be different from them. I'm thrilled to imagine them watching this film and it opening a door to at least have a conversation, if not change their minds or open their minds to acceptance.

Because everyone deserves that! Love is just simply love, and I think that a film like this portrays such an important message in such a light and fun and understandable way. Which is true to Ryan Murphy's way of film, where it's like, you're crying, but, in the next second, you're on-the-floor laughing. I think, with this film, it helps people who do have a harder time understanding to understand. I really, really hope that this is good for all those LGBTQ+ kids, and, not even kids. Just everyone! And everyone around the world who struggle with who they are because they're not accepted in their surroundings.

I hope it makes everyone feel loved, because there's so much love in the film.

Can you tell me what's it like to be a Power Ranger?

Yeah, I can tell you what it's like! It's really cool to be part of such a beloved legacy. Because the show's been around since 1993, and there's fans who are fans of the OG '93 cast who still watch the show. And it's now on Nickelodeon, and I think it's for a different audience these days, but it's just cool to be a part of something that is so worldwide and globally known and loved.

And the fans are the thing that made it so special. You know, having cute little babies come up to me with their big eyes and look at me and just think that I am a superhero, that I save the world from evil - there's nothing like that. That's so special. I'm really grateful for that, because it's cool.

And then you inspire a younger generation to become whatever they want to become! Hopefully, they want to become superheroes.

What projects do we have coming from you in the future?

So, I filmed two independent films that had their premieres this year. One of them is called "Dinner in America," and it showed at Sundance this past January. And the other is called "Dramarama," which is a very cute, another LGBTQ+ story, which premiered at OUTFest this past August. I'm really excited for those to be released to the world.

In 2021 is the distribution of those films. And I'm excited to know that people will see it, because I'm very proud of those films and they're also great messages.

You're so young, and you have so much going for you. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I'm a huge believer in the power of manifestation. In fact, I manifested this film, before it even existed!

In my journal, I have pages that say, "I am working with Ryan Murphy, and Meryl Streep, and Nicole Kidman," all on the same page! Cut to when I booked it, and I looked back, and I was like, no way! That's crazy!

I just believe that if I continue to work hard and believe in what I'm doing, and surround myself with people who push me and inspire me and believe in me also, I kind of think the sky's the limit. Whatever I manifest will show itself in whatever capacity it does. And the reason I give you that answer is I don't really have any specific checkboxes, in five years specifically, but I just know that if I continue doing what I'm doing, and I have good people around me, I'll be exactly where I want to be.

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Watch the trailer for "The Prom" here, and watch it on Netflix today!

Follow Nico Greetham on Instagram and Twitter.