Um, 'The Prom' Cast Is Absolutely Stacked
Before you press play on Ryan Murphy's adaptation of the Broadway musical The Prom, get a load of the major movie and TV stars in the cast. Murphy has attracted some impressive star power before, but this might be his deepest bench yet. (That's a sports metaphor, for my fellow theatre kids here.) But the fun thing about this cast is there are some newcomers here, too, that you're going to be very excited about. Here's everything you need to know about the cast of The Prom living their teenage dreams on Netflix.
Meryl Streep
Who she plays: Dee Dee Allen, an ego-maniac Broadway star similar to (but not really like) Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minelli, Chita Rivera, and the woman who originated this role on Broadway, Beth Leavel. She’s famous in New York, but unknown in Indiana.
Where you’ve seen her: The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia, The Bridges of Madison County... do I need to keep going? Come on. It’s Meryl Streep.
Has she been on Broadway: Not since the ‘70s, but Streep was in several plays on Broadway including The Cherry Orchard.
James Corden
Who he plays: Barry Glickman, a Drama Desk winner (which for the purposes of comedy is kind of like Broadway’s Golden Globe, not quite as good as a Tony) who ran away from home after coming out to his parents as a teenager.
Where you’ve seen him: The Late Late Show, Carpool Karaoke, Cats, Into The Woods
Has he been on Broadway: Unlike his character, Corden does have a Tony for his performance in One Man, Two Guvnors. He was also one of The History Boys on Broadway. Corden was actually set to star in a revival A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum on Broadway right before taking the Late Late Show gig… I think about that alternative universe a lot.
Jo Ellen Pellman
Who she plays: Emma, the girl who inadvertently got her prom canceled when she announced her intentions to bring another girl as her date. She doesn’t like attention and unfortunately found herself at the center of a lot of it.
Where you’ve seen her: The Deuce, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Has she been on Broadway: Not yet, but that’s likely to change after this. She majored in musical theater and was in many college productions, but Pellman is the mysterious unknown actress breaking out in this movie.
Ariana DeBose
Who she plays: Alyssa Greene, Emma’s girlfriend who is not yet out and has trouble straying even a little bit from the Type A life her mother wants from her.
Where you’ve seen her: Hamilton on Disney+, Steven Speilberg’s upcoming West Side Story
Has she been on Broadway: Has she ever! First of all, if you haven’t read about her unofficial Hamilton character “The Bullet,” Google that immediately because it’s a brilliant Easter Egg. DeBose also worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda in Bring It On and her extensive Broadway credits include Motown the Musical, Pippin, A Bronx Tale, and Summer, for which she was nominated for a Tony.
Andrew Rannells
Who he plays: Trent Oliver, a Julliard-trained former sitcom star trying (and failing) to shake his one-hit wonder on Broadway.
Where you’ve seen him: Girls, The Boys in the Band, Black Monday, A Simple Favor
Has he been on Broadway: Very much so! He’s kind of the biggest Broadway musical star in the bunch. He was in the original cast of Book of Mormon, received raves in the revival of Falsettos, and was a replacement in Jersey Boys, Hairspray, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Hamilton.
Nicole Kidman
Who she plays: Angie Dickinson, a member of the Chicago ensemble who understudies Roxie Hart (the lead role) and has never been asked to go on for her.
Where you’ve seen her: The Undoing, Big Little Lies, The Hours, Moulin Rouge, Bombshell, etc.
Has she been on Broadway: I didn’t know this, but yes! She was in David Hare’s play The Blue Room in the 90s opposite the guy that played Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones. How random is that?
Keegan-Michael Key
Who he plays: Emma’s principal who wants to take the PTA’s prom ban to court on civil rights grounds. He’s also a huge Broadway fan. We exist!
Where you’ve seen him: Key & Peele, Friends from College, Playing House,
Has he been on Broadway: Just recently he was on Broadway in Meteor Shower, a play written by Steve Martin, alongside Amy Schumer and Laura Benanti. If you’ll allow me one theatre snob brag, I also saw him in Hamlet with Oscar Isaac at the Public Theater and he made me cry! That’s all.
Kerry Washington
Who she plays: Mrs. Greene, the homophobic PTA president responsible for shutting down the prom... who is unwittingly the mother of Emma’s girlfriend.
Where you’ve seen her: Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere, Django Unchained, Save The Last Dance
Has she been on Broadway: You bet! Her debut was David Mamet’s play Race in 2009, and she also starred in American Son which was also adapted for Netflix. Check it out!
Kevin Chamberlain
Who he plays: Sheldon Saperstein, the PR guy who tells Dee Dee and Barry they need to change their ways.
Where you’ve seen him: Modern Family, Grace and Frankie, Teen Beach Movie
Has he been on Broadway: Chamberlain’s role in The Prom is small but he’s a big Broadway star most famous for playing Horton in Suessical. He was also in Wicked, The Addams Family, Dirty Blonde, and Chicago to name a few.
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