The Prom: stage vs screen

Ryan Murphy's 2020 film of The Prom, starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, and newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman as Emma, reached Netflix on December 11, 2020, after a limited theatrical release. It adapts the Broadway musical that opened in 2018, with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Beguelin and Bob Martin. Here is what changed on screen.

Stage

Broadway musical (2018)

Screen

The Prom (2020), directed by Ryan Murphy

1. Barry gets a mother and a crown

On stage, Barry tells Emma he ran away from home as a teenager and missed his own prom, and she asks him to be her date in "Barry Is Going to Prom." The film keeps that song but adds his estranged mother, Vera, played by Tracey Ullman: Dee Dee pushes him to call her, Vera apologizes, and the two make peace. Barry is also crowned prom king. Brooks Ashmanskas originated Barry on Broadway and earned a Tony nomination.

2. Emma's grandmother Bea appears on screen

The film shows Emma's home life: she lives with her grandmother Bea, played by Mary Kay Place, who took her in after her parents threw her out for being gay. Barry visits them there on promposal day, and Bea is with the group at the final prom. Bea does not appear in the Broadway cast list. Jo Ellen Pellman plays Emma in her film debut; Caitlin Kinnunen created the role on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony.

3. Dee Dee makes a bigger sacrifice

On stage, the actors book Emma a TV appearance that she turns down, and Dee Dee later hands over her American Express Black card to help pay for the new prom. In the film, Dee Dee trades her house in the Hamptons to her ex-husband, talk show host Eddie Sharp, for a slot on his show, and Emma still says no. Meryl Streep plays Dee Dee, the role Beth Leavel originated on Broadway and was Tony-nominated for.

4. Angie finally lands Roxie Hart

In both versions Angie Dickinson has just quit the chorus of Chicago, and she teaches Emma about confidence in "Zazz." The film adds a payoff: at the final prom, Angie learns she has been cast as Roxie Hart after all, because Tina Louise, who was playing the part, has come down with shingles. Nicole Kidman plays Angie on screen; Angie Schworer originated her on Broadway. Trent becomes the school's drama teacher in both versions.

5. Mrs. Greene comes around differently

On stage, Alyssa comes out to her mother in front of the school, and it is Barry who warns Mrs. Greene she will lose her daughter if she cannot accept her, so she begins to listen. In the film, Mrs. Greene leaves when Alyssa reveals who she is, then turns up at the inclusive prom to apologize and embrace her. Kerry Washington plays her on screen; Courtenay Collins originated the role in Atlanta and on Broadway.

6. Nearly the whole stage score is kept

The film soundtrack carries every main number of the Broadway score, from "Changing Lives" and "Just Breathe" to "Zazz," "Love Thy Neighbor," "Unruly Heart," and "It's Time to Dance." Beguelin worked with Sklar to rework the songs for the screen, and Casey Nicholaw, who directed and choreographed on Broadway, choreographed the film's dances. Emma's short reprise of "Tonight Belongs to You," left off the Broadway cast album, is on the movie soundtrack.

7. Two new songs play over the end credits

"Wear Your Crown," written by Sklar and Beguelin with music producers Adam Anders and Peer Åström, plays over the end credits, sung by Ariana DeBose, Jo Ellen Pellman, Kerry Washington, Nicole Kidman, and Meryl Streep. A second end-credits song, "Simply Love," by Anders, Beguelin, and Sklar, is sung by James Corden. Neither is part of the Broadway score.

8. Stage awards, screen reception

The Prom won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and earned seven Tony nominations, including Best Musical, without a win. The film earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, and for Corden. Reviews were mixed: critics praised the message, the musical numbers, and the ensemble, while some found Corden, a straight actor, leaned on stereotypes in playing the gay Barry.

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