LIFE & CULTURE

Netflix’s ‘The Prom’ Is Like ‘Mamma Mia’ Meets ‘Glee’ And Yes, It’s Incredible

Starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington and more!

If there’s one positive to come from the last year, it’s the sheer abundance of binge-worthy TV shows and films that have flooded our streaming services.

From our obsession with the drama Selling Sunset to the heartwarming BFFs in Sweet Magnolias, this year has blessed us with some fantastic entertainment—and it’s not over yet.

Thanks to Netflix, we have one more to add to our must-watch list: The Prom.

Created by musical extraordinaire Ryan Murphy, behind the likes of Glee and Ratched, The Prom boasts a jaw-dropping A-list line up with the likes of Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. Based on a Tony-nominated Broadway musical, the musical is jam-packed with more-than-enough glitz and glamour and musical moments to last us until 2021.

Piqued your interest? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the film, from the plot to the cast and where you can stream it in Australia.

The Prom

What Is The Plot Of The Prom?

Adapted from a 2018 Broadway musical of the same name, The Prom follows high school student Emma Nolan who desperately wants to take her girlfriend, Alyssa Greene, to the prom. But living in small-town Indiana, the head of the school PTA doesn’t support a same-sex couple celebrating their love. 

At the same time in New York City, Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman are two struggling Broadway actors whose recent production was a huge flop. And in a desperate attempt to revive their fame, they bring fellow performers to Indiana to fight for Emma’s cause.

In an interview with Collider, director Ryan Murphy told the publication that he had a personal connectionto Emma’s predicament.

“I really related to the protagonist,” he said. “Emma is from Indiana and is not allowed to go to her prom because she’s gay. And I’m from Indiana and I wasn’t allowed to take a man or a male compadre to my prom. I related to it, so I believed in the message.”

Intrigued? Check out the trailer below to see for yourself.

WATCH BELOW: The Prom Trailer

Who Is In The Cast Of The Prom?

Aside from the impressive story line, The Prom has a jaw-dropping star-studded line up. Leading the cast is Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) as Dee Dee Allen and James Corden (Cats) as her professional partner Barry Glickman, with Jo Ellen Pellman (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Ariana DeBose (Hamilton) as Emma and Alyssa.

Alongside Streep and Corden, marie claire November cover star Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, The Undoing) stars as Angie Dickinson, Andrew Rannells (Girls) stars as Trent Oliver, Kerry Washington (Little Fires Everywhere) plays Alyssa’s mother Mrs. Greene, Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele) as high school principal Mr. Hawkins and Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) as publicist Ms. Sheldon.


Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Streep admitted her choice to take part was practically a no-brainer. The show “just had some of the juju of Mamma Mia!” she said. “This is based on a real thing that happened to kids in Indiana, and has a happy ending, everything we dream of in 2020. I wanted to do it.”

As for Kerry Washington, who plays conservative PTA mom Mrs. Greene, she admitted her role was important because it was “sideways from our assumptions.”

She continued, “I also thought it was so exciting to, on the one hand, ask audiences to expand their idea of who they think conservatives are, but on the other hand also hold up a mirror to folks of colour in this country to say, ‘How are you treating your own children? Do you have the courage to truly love your children unconditionally?’ Because it’s a huge issue in communities of colour. We didn’t want [my character] to be a villain.”

The Prom

Where To Watch The Prom In Australia

Interested? Lucky for us, we won’t have to wait too long. The Prom is set to premiere on Netflix on December 11 just in time for the festive season.

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