Original-Cin Q&A: The young stars of Netflix's musical The Prom, on working with Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman
From Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee and Hollywood, comes The Prom - a big, bold movie version of the hit Broadway musical of the same name.
This offshoot stars Hollywood heavyweights, including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, Tony Award winner James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington and newcomers Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose.
Dee Dee Allen (Streep) and Barry Glickman (Corden) are New York stage stars with a crisis on their hands: their expensive new Broadway show is a flop that has flat-lined their careers.
Meanwhile, in small-town Indiana, high school student Emma Nolan (Pellman) is experiencing a very different kind of heartbreak. Despite the support of the high school principal (Keegan-Michael Key), the head of the PTA (Kerry Washington) has banned her from attending the prom with her girlfriend, Alyssa (DeBose).
Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose are a teen couple fighting for the right to date in the musical The Prom
When Dee Dee and Barry decide that Emma's predicament is the perfect cause to help resurrect their public images, they hit the road with Angie (Kidman) and Trent (Rannells), another pair of cynical actors looking for a career boost. But when their self-absorbed celebrity activism backfires, the foursome find their own lives upended as they rally to give Emma a night to celebrate who she is.
There’s also a Canadian connection. Toronto’s own Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) Chad Beguelin, and Matthew Sklar created the musical. Martin and Beguelin wrote the screenplay for the film.
Broadway baby Bonnie Laufer spoke with stars Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose about working on this musical extravaganza.
ORIGINAL-CIN: Ariana, you are no stranger to the world of Broadway. Why was it so important for you to be a part of this production?
ARIANA DEBOSE: “I saw the Broadway production three different times. I laughed. I cried. And I thought the story was so special and it was bold to turn in a whole musical about inclusitivity.
I think for me in particular seeing a young woman of color and to have the opportunity to get to tell her story in this way -being the coming out story of someone who looks like me - moved me beyond words. I remember sitting in the theater thinking I hope one day I can be a part of this legacy. Then Ryan Murphy came along and gave me this chance and it’s been quite the journey.”
PROUDLY SUPPORTS ORIGINAL-CIN
O.C: Jo Ellen, I cannot believe this is your feature film debut. You were pretty sensational, but let’s just talk about your co-stars. Once you set aside the fact that you were a huge fan and picked your jaw up off the floor, how did you even begin to work with them?
JO ELLEN PELLMAN: “That was my internal monologue every day thinking, ‘I can't believe that this is real life right now.’
“Truly every single day on set was the best day of my life. I honestly started to feel at ease my first day on set with Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman when we were shooting one of the scenes that took place in a hotel lobby.
“In between takes, I would see all of them sitting on the couches talking together. And at one point, Meryl sees me, scoots over and she points to the open space next to her and says, ‘Come sit next to me!’
“At that moment, I almost died! (Laughs). She literally made room for me, but she also just made sure that I knew that I belonged there.
“I think all of them remember their first movie and they wanted to make sure that us newcomers had the best experience possible. Also, just getting to know them as humans and experiencing the kindness that they showed us was as valuable as watching their brilliant performances.”
O.C: Jo Ellen, also being a part of that stand out Fosse number with Nicole Kidman had to have been a huge highlight.
PELLMAN: “That was truly a pinch-myself moment! Talk about every single day being a master class! I was in awe of Nicole's work ethic and the way she is so fearless when it comes to her body and her character in this movie. I am beyond grateful that I got to work alongside her and so much of my day was just spent watching her do this number and learning. I kept thinking, ‘How is this real?’ I just get to bask in the glory that is Nicole Kidman.”
O.C. Ariana, having been in some pretty big Broadway musicals, I don’t know about you, but what blew me away watching this film version of The Prom was the meticulous attention to detail and those magnificent sets.
DEBOSE: “The whole thing was completely thrilling. The sets were incredible and all built from scratch on a Hollywood backlot. I honestly felt like I was back in New York!
“I think once you get to the end of this film, and experience that inclusive and happy energy that's coming through the screen, you get a good sense of what we went through making this.
“That's what it was like every day on this film. Everybody put their heart and soul into telling the story. And that energy, that inclusive feeling and the spirit of acceptance is what it was like working with, not only these icons, but our background actors and our incredible dancers.
“Working with the entire Ryan Murphy production team was a joy and an explosion of queer love everywhere. I'm so proud of what we made this and I'm so excited that people are finally getting to see it.”