BWW Blog: Here's What You Missed on Glee - The Prom Movie

Some background information before we begin: I took my then-girlfriend to a preview of The Prom as an early promposal for our own school's prom. She wasn't a huge fan of Broadway and theatrics, and yet, she found a part of herself within the love story between Alyssa and Emma. On the other hand, none of the theatre jokes flew over my head and I was crying from laughter the entire time on top of relating to the trials of maintaining a same-sex relationship during high school. In the audience, we squeezed each other's hands during "Unruly Heart" and kissed alongside Alyssa and Emma's powerful kiss made famous by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Other audience members around us, perhaps caught up in the wholesome spirit of the performance, noticed us and actually applauded for us as well as the actors on stage. When we took the bus back to our small hometown, back to her being in the closet, she told me that, for once, it wasn't so bad to be seen. It was nice to be so freely in love and to see that love projected on stage in such a bustling city. The way she looked at me, I think I fell a little more in love with her that night. So yeah, you could say that The Prom holds a special place in my heart.

Like I've shared in the past, I've more than indulged in Ryan Murphy's work. After all, I was a self-proclaimed Gleek in middle school. I practically learned about the LGBTQ community from Glee. I've also binged his other work, like Scream Queens and Hollywood. Here, Murphy directs and produces as part of a deal with Netflix. He has always advocated for inclusivity in Hollywood, so The Prom's story centered on equality was perfectly on-brand. And similar to most of Murphy's work, critics and fans of the Broadway show alike have been split. With Murphy's direction and charm, The Prom feels like a heightened, special edition of a typical Glee episode. And just like Glee even in its best seasons, that's both good and bad.

Let's get the obvious out of the way: I'm so grateful this exists. I'm happy more and more queer stories are being produced in Hollywood. I'm happy that this movie has the potential to make new fans of the Broadway production and theatre overall out of its audience. I think the release is particularly fitting with Broadway being shut down for nearly a year and The Prom being such a love letter to theatre and its industry while being realistic about what the business takes. I hope people, especially younger audiences, feel seen and heard and loved.

Now, let's talk process! Everything is dialed up to one hundred percent, and that can make for a super fun party! The two strongest performances, "It's Not About Me" and "Love Thy Neighbor" respectively, embrace this perfectly. Both utilize their new set pieces and locations to up the spectacle, which fits for two show-stopping performances. Meryl Streep and her royal red jacket are having the time of their lives running around a school gymnasium and playing off the adults and students in the audience. Murphy's spinning camera style works here by keeping the song energetic, similar to "Love Thy Neighbor." The latter song was the first time I felt like I was back in the Longacre Theatre and is probably the only song I'll listen to off the movie soundtrack. The shopping mall setting is exciting and makes for good props to work off, like the circular fountain and food court. It's so unashamedly lively and joyful. Andrew Rannells is a blessing. His voice is stellar as always and his comedic timing impeccable, the best of the cast. By far, Rannells and Streep steal the movie and are having the time of their lives on set. Initially, I had doubts about Keegan-Michael Key, but his voice was surprisingly strong as well as his chemistry with Streep. Isn't it insane that she's 71? There's a reason she's often praised as one of the greatest actresses of our time, and The Prom doesn't change that.

Also, while Angie Schworer can never be replaced (it's no coincidence her character is named Angie too), Nicole Kidman is having a ton of fun, and I always wish she sang more in her work. I'm still listening to her cover of "Dream a Little Dream" from her HBO drama, The Undoing, on repeat. Not to mention her classic "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from Moulin Rouge! Funny enough, that song was covered in Glee's fourth season.

And that brings me to the high school elements, the story of Alyssa and Emma at the heart. I'm so happy for Ariana DeBose and newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman. I've been a fan of DeBose since seeing her as The Bullet in Hamilton, and she's a talent to behold. Pellman has a beautiful voice and reminds me of a Disney princess. Plus, I want to steal all her clothes. DeBose's Alyssa Greene's... not so much. In fact, that was the first comparison I made to Glee in my head. Her clothes reminded me of Rachel Berry's wardrobe, very overdone on the preppy aesthetic. The high school scenes were where the over-the-top style didn't work for me. The high school scenes or the scenes involving Alyssa and Emma are meant to be the down-to-earth, grounding heart of the show amidst all the theatrics. At the end of the day, it's a love story. In the movie, the high school scenes feel artificial and blown way out of proportion, like an episode of Glee. And yet, Murphy barely gives anything for DeBose and Pellman to do. Most of the time, unlike the musical, Emma just stands there, smiling. This was one of the first times I didn't tear up at "Unruly Heart" because of that never-ending spinning camera! Just stay still and let me feel something earnestly! Also, I'm not sure that it was a chemistry issue between DeBose and Pellman. It would make sense that Caitlin Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla had better chemistry since they lived this story eight times a week. But Murphy doesn't offer much for DeBose and Pellman to work with, like cutting the bridge of "You Happened." Their scenes felt like filler for more Streep or James Corden antics.

There's the buzz word: James Corden. In a way, like fellow BroadwayWorld blogger Emma Rose Dorsch, I think that Corden did the best he could do while remaining cast in the role of Barry Glickman. I liked Corden in Into the Woods, so you know I don't hate the guy! Who I blame most of all is Ryan Murphy himself and casting director, Alexa Fogel. Ideally, they could have offered some of the OBC, specifically openly gay actor Brooks Ashmanskas who developed the role over four years and was Tony-nominated for it, their roles back. I mean, Rannells is still primarily known as a Broadway actor, so why not another star from the stage? Want a star-studded cast from Hollywood instead? Fine, there are plenty of openly gay actors working. Ask Murphy who produced The Boys in the Band with an exclusively openly-gay cast. Even actors in The Prom like Rannells, DeBose, and Pellman are all queer-identifying! The controversy of whether straight actors should play gay characters is a whole other article waiting to happen, but I see it like this: if a character's sexual identity is crucial to their character arc (ex. Pellman's Emma being excluded from the prom for being a lesbian), you should probably cast a queer-identifying actor to avoid controversy and appease the community. Maybe Corden should have realized his portrayal would come off as terribly campy and stereotypical, but that's not his responsibility. That's the director's job.

I don't want to be a scrooge during this holiday season. If anything, this movie reminded me of how fantastic the musical numbers are. I loved the sequences where they added more perspective, such as displaying scenes from Eleanor! in "Changing Lives" or from Swallow the Moon in "The Lady's Improving." I would do anything for Andrew Rannells. But as a queer-identifying theatre lover, I believe it's essential to be critical of work in order to create evolved art in the future. And that starts with not creating Glee season seven with guest star James Corden.

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