Character guide
Emma Nolan
from The Prom
Emma Nolan is the Indiana high schooler at the center of The Prom, Matthew Sklar's 2018 musical about a teenager barred from bringing her girlfriend to prom.
- Show
- The Prom
- Broadway premiere
- 2018
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Matthew Sklar
Emma Nolan on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2020 Netflix film
The film reframes The Prom as Emma's story. Ryan Murphy's 2020 Netflix version opens on Emma at a school PTA meeting before introducing the Broadway actors, while the stage musical begins with the actors themselves in Changing Lives. Caitlin Kinnunen originated Emma on Broadway in 2018 and earned a Tony nomination; Jo Ellen Pellman played her on screen.
Emma's grandmother Bea, only mentioned in the musical, appears in the film (played by Mary Kay Place), and Pellman sings on Wear Your Crown, a new song written for the film's end credits.
Who is Emma Nolan?
Emma is a quiet, guarded high school senior whose small town turns against her after the PTA cancels prom rather than let her attend with her girlfriend, Alyssa Greene. Raised by a grandmother after being rejected by her parents, Emma has learned to keep her head down, and the arrival of four attention-hungry Broadway stars in her town initially makes her situation worse before it makes it better.
Her growing courage to be visible, both as an out teenager and as herself, gives the show its emotional throughline, culminating in her standing up for herself and for Alyssa in front of the whole community.
Emma's role in The Prom
Emma is a lead role that demands a warm, contemporary pop-leaning voice, carried by songs like Just Breathe and Unruly Heart. Unlike the show's satirical Broadway characters, Emma's music is written more sincerely, grounding the comedy in real stakes.
Caitlin Kinnunen originated the role on Broadway and earned a Tony nomination for her performance, praised for bringing quiet, believable vulnerability to a character who could easily have been overshadowed by the show's larger, louder personalities.
Emma Nolan: frequently asked questions
What show is Emma Nolan from?
Emma Nolan is a lead character in The Prom, which opened on Broadway in 2018.
Is Emma Nolan a lead or supporting role?
Emma Nolan 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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