Character guide
Barry Glickman
from The Prom
Barry Glickman is a flamboyant, once-famous Broadway actor in The Prom, Matthew Sklar's 2018 musical, who finds a personal cause in Emma Nolan's story.
- Show
- The Prom
- Broadway premiere
- 2018
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Matthew Sklar
Barry Glickman on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2020 Netflix film
The film invents Barry's biggest subplot. In Ryan Murphy's 2020 Netflix version, Barry (James Corden) comes out to his estranged mother, Vera, played by Tracey Ullman, and reconciles with her; that storyline does not exist on stage. The film also has him crowned prom king and bonding with Emma's grandmother Bea (Mary Kay Place), a character only mentioned in the musical.
Brooks Ashmanskas originated Barry on Broadway in 2018 and earned a Tony nomination. Corden earned a Golden Globe nomination, but his casting, a straight actor playing a gay man, drew criticism.
Who is Barry Glickman?
Barry is Dee Dee Allen's equally self-involved castmate, a performer whose career has cooled and whose relationship with his own parents was marked by rejection over his sexuality. When he joins the campaign to support Emma, a gay teenager barred from prom, the fight becomes deeply personal rather than just another publicity stunt.
Over the course of the show, Barry moves from treating Emma's situation as a career opportunity to seeing in her the acceptance he never received as a young man, giving him one of the show's most emotionally resonant arcs.
Barry's role in The Prom
Barry is a lead role built for a performer with big comic instincts and strong vocal range, anchored by the numbers Barry Is Going to Prom and Unruly Heart. The role blends broad theater-kid comedy with a genuinely moving personal history that surfaces as the story progresses.
Brooks Ashmanskas originated the role on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for his performance, and his mix of flamboyance and vulnerability helped make Barry one of the emotional cores of the show alongside Emma herself.
Barry Glickman: frequently asked questions
What show is Barry Glickman from?
Barry Glickman is a lead character in The Prom, which opened on Broadway in 2018.
Is Barry Glickman a lead or supporting role?
Barry Glickman is a lead role.
Who wrote the music for The Prom?
Matthew Sklar composed the music, with lyrics by Chad Beguelin.
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