How Did Netflix’s ‘The Prom’ Mil and Jam Corn’s Performance Bee a Big Gay Crisis?

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• ‘THE PROM’ ON BROADWAY SHOWS THE LIMATNS OF LGBT STORI ON STAGECHALLENGEIT’S GREAT THAT ‘THE PROM,’ A MIL ABOUT A LBIAN TEEN FIGHTG BACK AFTER BEG BANNED OM HER SCHOOL PROM, IS ON BROADWAY. BUT THIS FEEL-GOOD STORY ALSO FEELS TOO FAIAR.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED NOV. 16, 2018 11:37AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 15, 2018 9:56PM EST COURTY DEEN VAN MEERTHROUGHOUT THE PROM, SPORADILLY ENTERTAG AS WAS, I FELT AS IF I HAD SEEN EACH OF THE CHARACTERS BEFORE, OR AT LEAST THEIR KD OF CHARACTERS. AFTER 30-PL YEARS OF WATCHG LGBT-THEMED MOVI, TV SHOWS, PLAYS, BOOKS, AND MILS, THE PROM’S STORY L WERE HARDY FAIARS TOO. IT’S LOVELY THAT THERE IS A MIL WH A TEENAGE LBIAN G OUT AND FALLG LOVE INDIANA AT S HEART ON THE GREAT WHE WAY (AS WAS TO SEE THE SAME THE TLY ORIGAL HEAD OVER HEELS), AND YET THE PROM IS ENCUMBERED WH HACKNEYED FAIARY WHEN TO CHARACTERS AND PLOT, AND A BROAD EDY AND FORCED BRIGHTNS AND LIGHTNS WHERE AT LEAST A TGE OF DARKNS OR REALY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE WELE. AFTER ALL, THERE REALLY ARE LGBT TEENS BEG BANNED OM THEIR SCHOOL PROMS. AND, OF LATE, THERE ARE HEARTWARMG STORI OF LGBT TEENS GOG TO THE PROM OPENLY, WH THE DATE OF THEIR DREAMS ON THEIR ARMS. IT’S THE KD OF NEWS STORY THAT ENPSULAT VERY REAL, VERY LIVED EXPERIENC: LGBT TEEN ISOLATN, BULLYG, PREJUDICE, DISCRIMATN, AND (HOPEFULLY, AT THE END OF A DAY THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THIS LONG) G OUT AND ACCEPTANCE.THE ISSU, HAVE AN ADD URGENCY NOW: THE TMP ADMISTRATN, WH VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE AS S CSADG AVATAR, IS SEEKG TO ROLL BACK LGBT EQUALY AND PROTECTNS, THROUGH BASE DISCRIMATN (AS AGAST TRANS SERVICEPEOPLE) AND SISTER-SOUNDG, UNFED IATIV LIKE THE RELIG LIBERTY TASK FORCE. PENCE WAS ERNOR OF INDIANA, OF URSE. IT'S WHERE HE EARNED HIS ANTI-LGBT TRAG WHEELS. THE PROM DON’T BOTHER ADDRSG OR TERROGATG THE WIR POLIL AND CULTURAL NTEXT OF NOW (APART OM A BRIEF SCENE OF MEDIA ENZY), WHICH IS STRANGE BEE A TEEN LBIAN A RED STATE BEG BANNED OM HER PROM IS EXACTLY THE KD OF HOT-BUTTON, STEAMG HOT EXEMPLAR OF INTY POLICS TO GET BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT JUIC GOG. THE MIL SEEKS TO TELL A SIMPLER TALE, YET ALSO AIMS TO BE BOTH SATIRE AND CULTURAL LSON. IT WANTS TO BE BOTH SMALL AND BIG, BUT MOST OF ALL EASY AND BE-SIZED.A GROUP OF BROADWAY STARS ARE ALL VAR STAG OF PROFSNAL EEFALL; TWO HAVE BEEN A MIL HARSHLY JUDGED BY THE NEW YORK TIM. THE STARS WANT TO GLOM ONTO SOMETHG TO RETURN THEM TO FAME AND PUBLIC AFFECTN. THEY SEE A STORY ONLE THAT A YOUNG LBIAN IS NOT BEG ALLOWED TO ATTEND HER SCHOOL PROM INDIANA. THEY CI TO GO TO INDIANA, READ THE RT ACT TO THE BIGOTS, SAVE THE UNFORTUNATE LBIAN TEENAGER, AND THEN RETURN TO GLOR HEADL. “THE STARS ARE NOT MONSTERS BUT OPPORTUNISTS, AND JT SO HAPPENS THAT THIS OPPORTUNISM TERSECTS WH A BELIEF EQUALY THEY ALL SHARE” THERE IS A BIG-HAIRED, ME-ME-ME BROADWAY DIVA (DEE DEE ALLEN, PLAYED BY BETH LEAVEL), A GAY MIL STAR ON THE SKIDS (BARRY GLICKMAN, BROOKS ASHMANSKAS), ANOTHER (CHRISTOPHER SIEBER) WHO IS A WAER WHOSE BT TIM WERE ON A TV SHOW HE IS ASHAMED OF STARRG , JT LIKE JT HARTLEY’S “MANNY” THIS IS US, AND THERE IS A HIGH-KICKG HOOFER (ANGIE, ANGIE SCHWORER) NEVER YET LIFTED OUT OF THE CHOS.THIS SLICE OF THE PROM, DIRECTED (AND SPARKLGLY CHOREOGRAPHED) BY CASEY NICHOLAW, IS A FUN SURF THROUGH ACTORLY VANY AND EGO: THE STARS ARE NOT MONSTERS BUT OPPORTUNISTS, AND JT SO HAPPENS THAT THIS OPPORTUNISM TERSECTS WH A BELIEF EQUALY THEY ALL SHARE.IN INDIANA, THERE IS THE STAPLE GAY SMALL-TOWN TEENAGER (EMMA, CAL KNUNEN), THE GIRL SHE FANCI BUT N’T BE TOGETHER WH OPENLY (ALYSSA, ISABELLE MCCALLA), THE WISE BLACK PRCIPAL, MR. HAWKS (MICHAEL POTTS), WHO IS STRAIGHT AND LIK SHOWTUN AND IS LIKE THE WISE BLACK PRCIPAL MEAN GIRLS, AND ALYSSA’S MOM (COURTENAY COLLS), AN ANTI-LGBT WICKED WCH—AN ANA BRYANT FOR 2018—OUT TO EVERYONE’S FUN AND THE MIL’S MENDABLE MSAGE OF CLN. THERE ARE A FEW JANGLG ELEMENTS HERE. WHO IS THE PROM FOR? PRUMABLY, AS WELL AS NEW YORKERS WHO WANT TO SEE AN AFFIRMG MIL ABOUT AN LGBT TEEN CHANGG HEARTS AND MDS SMALL-TOWN INDIANA, ALSO WANTS TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY-GOERS OM OUTSI NEW YORK, OM RED STAT LIKE INDIANA. PERHAPS THE MIL’S PRODUCERS KNOW THIS, AND WANT TO CHANGE THEIR HEARTS AND MDS TOO. MAYBE THEY WILL BE SUCCSFUL THAT MISSN. BUT THE PROM SE SMALL-TOWN INDIANA AS AN AMORPHO WHOLE. THERE IS NO DISSENTG VOICE TO MRS. GREENE’S HOMOPHOBIA AT ALL. ALL THE PARENTS AND ALL THE CHILDREN AT EMMA’S SCHOOL ARE HOMOPHOBIC. THAT IS NOT ONLY SULTG TO PEOPLE G OM RED STAT TO SEE A MIL ABOUT A LBIAN TEEN, BUT ALSO UNREALISTIC. RED STAT MAY ELECT HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC LEGISLATORS, THEY MAY PASS HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC LAWS, BUT NOT EVERYONE WHO LIV THEM IS HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC.WILL RED STATE BROADWAY-GOERS THIS TUMN WANT TO E AND SEE A SHOW WHICH ACC THEM UNIFORMLY OF HOMOPHOBIA AND BIGOTRY? WOULDN’T HAVE MA DRAMATIC SENSE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE ACCEPTG PARENTAL OR OTHER ADULT VOICE THE TOWN, OR ONE KID AT EMMA’S SCHOOL NOT BE A PREJUDICED ASSHOLE? FOR THE PURPOS OF G-OUT STORI SMALL TOWNS, ’S OBLIGATORY THAT THE GAY OR LBIAN TEEN IS SWEET, OPEN-HEARTED, AND ‘JT LIKE YOU, OK?’ I LONG FOR ONE SMALL-TOWN HEROIC GAY TEEN A POP-CULTURAL PRODUCT TO BE A B ANNOYG, TO SWEAR, FIGHT BACK AGGRSIVELY, JOKE, OR HAVE SEX, OR JT DO SOMETHG OTHER THAN BE GOOD, WHOLOME AND DOUGHTY. IN THE PROM, KNUNEN IS A TLY ENGAGG PERFORMER AND YOU WILL CHEER HER SONGS OF RISTANCE AND STRENGTH. SHE ALSO TRI TO GIVE EMMA A WELE EDGE TO TAKE HER OUT OF THE SAP TERRORY THAT SHE HAS BEEN WRTEN WH.ALSO, AS LGBT-IENDLY AS CLAIMS TO BE, THE PROM ALSO SE LBIANISM AS HERENTLY IC: THE TIRED TROPE OF RHYMG ‘LBIAN’ WH ‘THPIAN’ ONE SONG. THE MIL ISN’T UNKD TO EMMA, BUT SHE IS ODDLY SILED AND MA SAFE—SANCTIFIED VICTIM AND HERO ALL AT ONCE—DURG HER OWN STORY TOO.BUT THE MIL NEVER ANSWERS THE QUTNS SETS UP: DO EMMA NEED THE BROADWAY STARS’ HELP? FROM THE OUTSI SEEMS LIKE SHE DO, BUT SHE REILS OM IALLY. WHAT’S THAT ABOUT? A GOOD WRER MAY WELL PONR THAT HAVG HOMOSEXUALY SO SUDNLY NEAR AND VISIBLE MAK EMMA FEEL SRED, UNRSTANDABLY SO, SO WHY NOT ASK WHY OF THE CHARACTER? EMMA’S PARENTS HAVE KICKED HER OUT, AND YET WE MEET NONE OF HER FAY OR LOVED ON, OR ME THAT DRAMA.THEN THERE’S ALYSSA, EMMA'S CLOSETED GIRLIEND. THE MIL DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WH THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN HER AND HER MOTHER THE KD-OF-BIGOT, AND REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WH HER MOTHER GENERALLY—STOPPG SHY OF MAKG HER OUT TO BE A BIGOTED MONSTER, BUT NOT GIVG HER AND ALYSSA’S STORY ENOUGH OF A TRAJECTORY TO GIVE THEIR FAL EXCHANGE AS MEANGFUL PUNCH AS SHOULD HAVE. THE MIL HAS ALYSSA’S MOM SPOUT PREJUDICE THE FORM OF REFULLY-WORD SLOGANS, BUT DON’T TERROGATE HER DOUBLPEAK, AND DON’T TERROGATE WHAT MEANS TO HER TO HAVE A LBIAN DGHTER. SHE’S AN ODD VILLA: NOT REALLY THAT BAD AND EVENTUALLY NTRALIZED AS A GNAT-LIKE VEXATN WHO SHOULD HAVE MORE TO SAY AND DO.LEAVEL HAS FUN, FOR SURE (AND WE HAVE FUN WATCHG HER BIG-NUMBER THE HELL OUT OF HER DIVA NUMBERS AND STGGLE JT AS DIVA-ISHLY OVER THE NCEPT OF SMALL-TOWN BRANCH OF ‘APPLEBE’ AS ‘APPL AND BE’). ASHMANSKAS BALANC THE MP THE CHARACTER HAS GLTERG SPAS (BUT WHY DO THE MIL TRODUCE THE IA OF HIM WEARG DRAG AS IF ‘OF URSE HE DO’), WH THE TOUCHG RELATNSHIP HE BUILDS WH EMMA. “THE MSAGE, ULTIMATELY, IS POSIVE—AND THAT IS TO BE WELE. ’S JT SAD AND PRSG THAT THE STORY AND CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE SO SIMPLE AND UNCHALLENGG TO GET THERE” THIS IS THE SWEETT CHARACTER NNECTN THE WHOLE SHOW. SHE HELPS HIM EXORCISE A FEW GHOSTS OF A PROM NIGHTMARE OF MANY YEARS BEFORE, AS WELL AS THE FAIAL REJECTN HE KNOWS ALL TOO WELL. THE ENSEMBLE IS POLISHED, WH ONE PARTICULARLY DAZZLG, STAGE-FILLG NUMBER BY NICHOLAW.THE MSAGE, ULTIMATELY, IS POSIVE—AND THAT IS TO BE WELE. ’S JT SAD AND PRSG THAT THE STORY AND CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE SO SIMPLE AND UNCHALLENGG TO GET THERE. THERE IS A LOT WRTEN ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENT OF LGBT STORI AND CHARACTERS POP CULTURAL GENR, BUT THIS ADVANCEMENT SHOULDN’T SIMPLY BE ABOUT PRENCE. IT SHOULDN’T JT BE ABOUT BOLSTERG NUMBERS, AND GIVG SELF-NGRATULATORY PATS ON THE BACK, AS THE PROM—ODDLY, JT LIKE AS LEAD BROADWAY STAR CHARACTERS—DO. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE QUALY OF THE DRAMA AND EDY THE CHARACTERS ARE EXPERIENCG, AND THE PTH OF THE CHARACTERS THEMSELV. SURE, CHEER THE SIMPLE, FEELGOOD PURPOSE OF THE PROM, AND ALSO HOPE N LEAD SOMEWHERE A LOT MORE TERTG.THE PROM IS AT THE LONGACRE THEATRE, NYC, BOOKG THROUGH APRIL 21, 2019. TIM TEEMAN
• HOW DID NETFLIX’S ‘THE PROM’ MIL—AND JAM CORN’S PERFORMANCE—BEE A BIG GAY CRISIS?GIVE IT SOME ZAZZNETFLIXTHE FEEL-GOOD MIL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HEARTWARMG BALM, YET THERE’S OUTRAGE OVER JAM CORN’S “OFFENSIVE” TURN AS A FLAMBOYANT, GAY THEATRE STAR. WHAT WENT WRONG? KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED DEC. 10, 2020 3:58AM EST IT’S NOT A MEMORABLE PROM UNLS THERE’S A LTLE SNDAL.OF URSE, SNDAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE LAST THG ON NETFLIX AND RYAN MURPHY’S MDS WHEN THE STREAMER AND NTENT MOGUL FAST-TRACKED THE FEEL-GOOD, QUEER-POSIVE BROADWAY MIL THE PROM OM STAGE TO SCREEN RERD TIME.THE PROM PUTS TO ZIPPY MIC AND QUIPPY DIALOGUE THE STORY OF AN INDIANA TEEN WHO IS BANNED OM HER NSERVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL’S PROM WHEN TO LIGHT THAT SHE PLANNED TO ATTEND WH HER GIRLIEND. THE STORY GO VIRAL AND PTUR THE ATTENTN OF A GROUP OF BROADWAY VETERANS NEED OF A PR BOOST, SO THEY PACK UP THEIR JAZZ SHO AND MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE MIDWT TO HELP THE VASTATED GIRL—AND REPAIR THEIR REPUTATNS. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY AS THE LORE GO, MURPHY HAD SEEN THE PRODUCTN NEW YORK ONE NIGHT JANUARY 2019 AND WAS SO MOVED BY THAT, BY APRIL, HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS MAKG TO A MOVIE. TWO MONTHS LATER, HE HAD SECURED A STARRY ST CLUDG MERYL STREEP, JAM CORN, NILE KIDMAN, ANDREW RANNELLS, AND KERRY WASHGTON. THE BROADWAY SHOW HAD ALREADY CLOSED BY THE TIME SHOOTG BEGAN, BUT MURPHY WAS STILL EAGER TO BRG THE FILM VERSN TO NETFLIX. AFTER COVID HALTED FILMG WH KEY SCEN STILL LEFT TO PTURE, THE A-LISTERS CHANNELED THEIR CHARACTERS’ “THE SHOW MT GO ON!” GUMPTN AND VISED PROTOLS THAT ALLOWED THE PROM TO BE AMONG THE FIRST FILMS TO RUME PRODUCTN AFTER THE PANMIC SHUTDOWN.AND WH GOOD REASON. THE SOURCE MATERIAL ON S OWN IS EMOTNAL MANNA AT A TIME STARVED FOR S KD OF HEART-BURSTG POSIVY, HOPE, AND HUMOR.TEARS FLOW EELY AND OFTEN, WHAT WH THE HIGH STAK OF TEENAGE EMOTNS AND THE SHEER CELTY BEHD THE MUNY’S TOLERANCE. YOU ALSO HAVE MERYL STREEP A LIZA MNELLI WIG SNTERG THROUGH TORCH BALLADS, TONGUE--CHEEK ONE-LERS THAT LOVGLY SKEWER BROADWAY, AND NILE KIDMAN AS A FOSSE CHOS GIRL SEEMGLY HAVG THE TIME OF HER LIFE AS SHE IMPLOR THROUGH SONG TO “GIVE SOME ZAZZ.”MERYL BELTG, NILE SHIMMYG, CRYG ABOUT LBIANS: WHAT A LIGHT! IT’S ALL MEANT TO BE NOCENT, SPIRATNAL FUN. SO WHY HAS THE FILM ALREADY BEEN MARKED FOR NTROVERSY?WHILE ’S HARD TO IMAGE THE PROM BEG ANYTHG BUT A CROWD-PLEASG H WH THE NETFLIX CROWD WHEN HS THE STREAMER ON FRIDAY, SEEMS TO HAVE ALIENATED A RE BASE OF S TEND DIENCE.AT THE CENTER OF THE CRICISM, THOUGH NOT THE LIM OF , IS THE STG OF AND PERFORMANCE BY JAM CORN, A STRAIGHT MAN, AS FLAMBOYANT BROADWAY LEADG MAN BARRY GLICKMAN, A CHARACTER WHO SELF-SCRIB AS “GAY AS A BUCKET OF WIGS… A BUCKET OF THEM!” ADVERTISEMENT BARRY AND DEE DEE ALLEN, THE TWO-TIME TONY WNER PLAYED BY STREEP, ARE BRAND AS TOXIC MEGALOMANIACS AFTER THEIR MOUNTG OF ELEANOR: THE MIL FLOPS WH CRICS. “WHAT DIDN’T THEY LIKE?” BARRY WONRS. “WAS THE HIP-HOP?”THEY ENLIST IENDS ANGIE (KIDMAN), WHO QU THE CHIGO ENSEMBLE AFTER BEG PASSED OVER AS ROXIE HART FOR 20 YEARS NNG, AND TRENT (RANNELLS), WHO IS BETWEEN GIGS SPE HIS OFT-MENTNED JUILLIARD TRAG, TO HELP TRANSFORM THEIR REPUTATNS AS CELEBRY NARCISSISTS TO CELEBRY ACTIVISTS.THEY STORM SMALL-TOWN INDIANA LIKE ’S THE BARRI THE L MIZ ACT CLOSER, TRENT PROUDLY ANNOUNCG, “WE ARE LIBERALS OM BROADWAY!” DPE THEIR SELFISH TENTNS, THEY ALL ARE STANTLY TOUCHED BY THE PLIGHT OF EMMA (NEWER JO ELLEN PELMAN), DISTURBED ONCE OUTSI THEIR BROADWAY BUBBLE TO SEE HOW MUCH TOLERANCE STILL EXISTS.BARRY, WHO WAS SHUNNED BY HIS OWN PARENTS AFTER G OUT AS GAY, TAK A PARTICULAR SHE TO EMMA, SUGGTG “YOU BE ELPHIE, I’M GALDA” AS HE TAK HER SHOPPG FOR PROM DRS AND ACH HER THROUGH THE SELF-LOATHG AND HEARTBREAK OF REJECTN PURELY BEE OF YOUR SEXUALY.CORN’S BARRY IS VERY GAY. HE IS LIMP-WRISTS, SLIGHT-LISP, GASPG-WH-EXCEMENT GAY. IT’S FAHFUL TO HOW BROOKS ASHMANSKAS, WHO WAS NOMATED FOR A TONY AWARD—AND IS AN OUT GAY MAN—PLAYED THE ROLE ON BROADWAY. IT’S HOW THE ROLE IS WRTEN. YET, THE YEAR 2020, THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.ERIK ANRSON, FOUNR OF AWARDSWATCH, LABELED CORN’S MPY PERFORMANCE “GROSS AND OFFENSIVE, THE WORST GAY-FACE A LONG, LONG TIME. IT’S HORRIFILLY BAD.” VANY FAIR’S RICHARD LAWSON LED THAT WH HIS “SULTG” PERFORMANCE, CORN, “FLTG AND LISPG AROUND THE MOST UNSPIRED OF RITUR, MISS ALL POTENTIAL FOR NUANCE.” DIGAL SPY’S IAN SANDWELL CRIED THAT CORN DIALED THE FLAMBOYANCE UP “TO THE POT OF BEG REGRSIVE AND OFFENSIVE, HTG EVERY GAY STEREOTYPE ALONG THE WAY.” ADVERTISEMENT NOT EVERY CRIC WHO SCREENED THE PROM ADVANCE OF FRIDAY’S NETFLIX BUT WAS TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE. ONE ULD REASONABLY EXPECT A BROAR DIENCE MIGHT EVEN ADORE THE “CARPOOL KARAOKE” DRIVER’S SASHAY TO THIS PARTICULAR BRAND OF BROAD EDY SONG-AND-DANCE.FOR EVERY LLEAGUE OF ME WHO FOUND HIS WORK “ABOMABLE,” ANOTHER WAS AMED AND MOVED. IN HIS VARIETY REVIEW, OWEN GLEIBERMAN WROTE, “CORN MAY BE ATTACKED SOME QUARTERS FOR PORTRAYG BARRY AS A GAY STEREOTYPE, BUT LIKE CHRISTOPHER GUT WAG FOR GUFFMAN HE BURROWS SO EPLY TO THE CHARACTER THAT HE GIV HIM A THREE-DIMENSNAL SENCE. HE’S SOULFULLY FUNNY AND TOUCHG.”I PERSONALLY THK THE CRICISM IS OVERLY HARSH, PERHAPS PRIMED BY SIGHT-UNSEEN EXASPERATN THAT CORN, A STRAIGHT ACTOR, WAS ST THE FIRST PLACE. I’M OF MANY PLITED MDS WHEN TO THAT BATE, BUT CORN’S PERFORMANCE DIDN’T OFFEND ME. HE WAS PERFECTLY ENJOYABLE ACTG A CHARACTER AS WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED. WHETHER HE SHOULD BE PLAYG AT ALL IS S OWN, SEPARATE ISSUE, WHICH SPEAKS TO WHAT BEN LEE POSED THE GUARDIAN: “JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY.”THERE’S NO GOOD ANSWER TO THE “SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAY GAY?” BATE.THEY SHOULDN’T, UNLS ’S TIMOTHéE CHALAMET GIVG A TENR APPROXIMATN OF QUEER LONGG AND DISAPPOTMENT, TREVANTE RHOS SHATTERG YOUR HEART, OR STANLEY TUCCI BEG IRRISTIBLY CHARMG, WHICH SE THEY SHOULD. UNLS, OF URSE, THERE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOO MANY STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG MAJOR GAY ROL A ROW, WHICH SE THEY STILL SHOULDN’T. UNLS ’S STANLEY TUCCI BEG UNFATHOMABLY VASTATG A SAME-SEX ALZHEIMER’S ROMANTIC DRAMA, WHICH SE HE GETS A PASS.A STRAIGHT ACTOR'S MPY TAKE ON A GAY ROLE N STILL BE GROUNDBREAKG, LIKE ROB WILLIAMS HELPG THE BIRDGE BEE A BOX-OFFICE SMASH. OR ERIC STONTREET AND THE WAYS WHICH MORN FAY’S MCH AND CAM HELPED MOVE THE MASTREAM WORLD FORWARD TERMS OF NOT JT GAY ACCEPTANCE, BUT ALSO THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY LOVE. UNLS, HOWEVER, THAT PERFORMANCE REMAS THE BIGGT GAY REPRENTATN FOR SO LONG THAT SOMEHOW BE BOTH SHRILL AND STALE AT THE SAME TIME. ADVERTISEMENT THE MP AND CLICHéS ARE FUN WHEN YOU'RE LGHG, LIKE IF YOU FD JAM CORN HILAR THE PROM. AND ’S OFFENSIVE AND DAMAGG IF YOU FD HIS FLAMBOYANCE TO BE A PANRG MARGALIZATN. “THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.” SO HIRE GAY ACTORS FOR GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT TOO OFTEN SILO THEM TO ONE KD OF PERFORMANCE AND REER. SO DON’T THK ABOUT SEXUALY WHEN YOU’RE STG GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT IS A NEGLIGENCE OF STORYTELLG RPONSIBILY AND THE CULTURAL IMPERATIVE FOR REPRENTATN AND OPPORTUNY.IT’S CLEARLY A LANDME ISSUE. AND SOME WONRED WHY NETFLIX AND MURPHY, SPECIFILLY, WHO HAS A GROUNDBREAKG TRACK RERD OF CLIVE STG, WOULD WA TO ALL. CRICS’ AND FANS’ ROUNDG ALTERNATIVE CHOICE FOR CORN’S ROLE IS NATHAN LANE—AND PRETTY MUCH ONLY NATHAN LANE, WHICH SPEAKS A B TO WHY STG LIKE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: THERE ARE FAR TOO FEW “BIG NAM” THAT E TO MD TO PLAY A LARGER-THAN-LIFE, OPENLY GAY ROLE.THEN THERE’S THE FACT THAT ASHMANSKAS, WHO PLAYED BARRY ON BROADWAY, IS, YOU KNOW, STILL ALIVE. IN FACT, THE ENTIRE ORIGAL BROADWAY ST HAS, UM, NOT DIED. THOUGH S N WAS CRIMALLY SHORT, WAS BELOVED BY THOSE WHO HAD A CHANCE TO SEE . EVEN MURPHY HIMSELF WAS MOVED ENOUGH TO PUT A MOVIE VERSN TO LIGHT-SPEED PRODUCTN. WOULDN’T ALLOWG THE BROADWAY ST TO REPRISE THEIR ROL HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE ISSUE?THAT’S ANOTHER BATE TO BE OF TWO MDS ABOUT. WOVEN TO THE FABRIC OF THE SHOW SELF IS THE IA OF BROADWAY HOOFERS STGGLG FOR RELEVANCE AN DTRY NSTANTLY SLIGHTG THEM FOR MOVIE STARS. (KIDMAN’S ANGIE IS AGHAST THAT CHIGO’S PRODUCERS HAVE LED GILLIGAN’S ISLAND STAR TA LOUISE A BIGGER DRAW AS ROXIE THAN HER, A SEASONED MIL PERFORMER.) THE STAR STG ARGUABLY BETRAYS THAT ETHOS OF THE SHOW. ADVERTISEMENT YET ON THE OTHER HAND, AT LEAST PART OF THE FUN OF A SPLASHY MOVIE MIL IS GETTG EXCED OVER THE UTTERLY RANDOM ROSTER OF MOVIE STARS BROUGHT TO WARBLE AND STUMBLE THROUGH THE ROL. THAT MAY EVEN BE HERENT TO THE GENRE OF MOVIE MILS SELF. BY THAT TOKEN, YOU N SEE WHY CORN MIGHT SEEM A NATURAL CHOICE TO PLAY A LEAD THE PROM.HAVG STARRED INTO THE WOODS AND CATS, NOT TO MENTN HAVG HOSTED THE TONY AWARDS AND FEATURED MIL THEATER ALMOST NSTANTLY ON THE LATE LATE SHOW, CORN WOULD FEASIBLY TOP A LIST OF “BIG NAM” FOR A SHOW THAT BOASTS AN UNABASHED EMBRACE OF BROADWAY AS A MAJOR PLOT. THAT’S NOT TO SAY HE SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CHOSEN OVER A THEATER STAR OR AN OUT GAY ACTOR. IT’S JT TO ILLTRATE HOW CIRCUO AND NUANCED THIS NVERSATN N BE.I’D VENTURE THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO H PLAY ON THE PROM THIS WEEKEND WILL BE WHOLLY IGNORANT OF THIS ENTIRE BATE, AND WILL JT FD TO BE A FUN AND HEARTWARMG MIL WH A TOPIL MSAGE ABOUT LOVE. AND THAT’S WHAT IS. IT’S NO MASTERPIECE OF THE NON, BUT THE SONGS ARE TCHY, THE LGBT CLIVY IS A TREAT, STREEP IS GIVG ONE OF HER MOST ENERGETIC PERFORMANC YEARS, AND THERE’S JT NO UNRSELLG THE LIGHT OF KIDMAN DOG A FOSSE NUMBER ABOUT “ZAZZ.”BUT THAT’S WHY THE NVERSATNS ARE IMPORTANT, EVEN IF THERE ARE NO CLEAR ANSWERS, AND EVEN IF THEY ARE EXHSTG OR STEAL SOME OF THE FUN. IT’S VALID THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE, OR BY THE FACT THAT HE WAS ST AT ALL. WILL YOU SHARE THAT OPN? YOU MIGHT. YOU MIGHT NOT. YOU MIGHT BE SO ENRAGED YOU’LL WANT TO BURN YOUR OWN BUCKET OF WIGS A BONFIRE. OR YOU WON’T NOTICE THERE IS AN ISSUE AT ALL.THERE’S AN ALMOST OUTRAGEO DISSONANCE BETWEEN THE WELL-TENTNED HOLLYWOOD STARS SETTG OUT TO MAKE AN NOCENT, FUN MIL ABOUT QUEER ACCEPTANCE, AND THE GRENAS THAT ARE NOW EXPLODG AROUND . BUT THE DISURSE MATTERS, AND EVERY ONCE A WHILE THERE'S A LIGHTNG-ROD PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE LIKE THIS THAT ELECTRIFI THAT ENERGY RIGHT BACK TO THE ZEGEIST. THAT, IF YOU WILL, “GIV SOME ZAZZ.” KEV FALLON

‘THE PROM’ ON BROADWAY SHOWS THE LIMATNS OF LGBT STORI ON STAGECHALLENGEIT’S GREAT THAT ‘THE PROM,’ A MIL ABOUT A LBIAN TEEN FIGHTG BACK AFTER BEG BANNED OM HER SCHOOL PROM, IS ON BROADWAY. BUT THIS FEEL-GOOD STORY ALSO FEELS TOO FAIAR.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED NOV. 16, 2018 11:37AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 15, 2018 9:56PM EST COURTY DEEN VAN MEERTHROUGHOUT THE PROM, SPORADILLY ENTERTAG AS WAS, I FELT AS IF I HAD SEEN EACH OF THE CHARACTERS BEFORE, OR AT LEAST THEIR KD OF CHARACTERS. AFTER 30-PL YEARS OF WATCHG LGBT-THEMED MOVI, TV SHOWS, PLAYS, BOOKS, AND MILS, THE PROM’S STORY L WERE HARDY FAIARS TOO. IT’S LOVELY THAT THERE IS A MIL WH A TEENAGE LBIAN G OUT AND FALLG LOVE INDIANA AT S HEART ON THE GREAT WHE WAY (AS WAS TO SEE THE SAME THE TLY ORIGAL HEAD OVER HEELS), AND YET THE PROM IS ENCUMBERED WH HACKNEYED FAIARY WHEN TO CHARACTERS AND PLOT, AND A BROAD EDY AND FORCED BRIGHTNS AND LIGHTNS WHERE AT LEAST A TGE OF DARKNS OR REALY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE WELE. AFTER ALL, THERE REALLY ARE LGBT TEENS BEG BANNED OM THEIR SCHOOL PROMS. AND, OF LATE, THERE ARE HEARTWARMG STORI OF LGBT TEENS GOG TO THE PROM OPENLY, WH THE DATE OF THEIR DREAMS ON THEIR ARMS. IT’S THE KD OF NEWS STORY THAT ENPSULAT VERY REAL, VERY LIVED EXPERIENC: LGBT TEEN ISOLATN, BULLYG, PREJUDICE, DISCRIMATN, AND (HOPEFULLY, AT THE END OF A DAY THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THIS LONG) G OUT AND ACCEPTANCE.THE ISSU, HAVE AN ADD URGENCY NOW: THE TMP ADMISTRATN, WH VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE AS S CSADG AVATAR, IS SEEKG TO ROLL BACK LGBT EQUALY AND PROTECTNS, THROUGH BASE DISCRIMATN (AS AGAST TRANS SERVICEPEOPLE) AND SISTER-SOUNDG, UNFED IATIV LIKE THE RELIG LIBERTY TASK FORCE. PENCE WAS ERNOR OF INDIANA, OF URSE. IT'S WHERE HE EARNED HIS ANTI-LGBT TRAG WHEELS. THE PROM DON’T BOTHER ADDRSG OR TERROGATG THE WIR POLIL AND CULTURAL NTEXT OF NOW (APART OM A BRIEF SCENE OF MEDIA ENZY), WHICH IS STRANGE BEE A TEEN LBIAN A RED STATE BEG BANNED OM HER PROM IS EXACTLY THE KD OF HOT-BUTTON, STEAMG HOT EXEMPLAR OF INTY POLICS TO GET BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT JUIC GOG. THE MIL SEEKS TO TELL A SIMPLER TALE, YET ALSO AIMS TO BE BOTH SATIRE AND CULTURAL LSON. IT WANTS TO BE BOTH SMALL AND BIG, BUT MOST OF ALL EASY AND BE-SIZED.A GROUP OF BROADWAY STARS ARE ALL VAR STAG OF PROFSNAL EEFALL; TWO HAVE BEEN A MIL HARSHLY JUDGED BY THE NEW YORK TIM. THE STARS WANT TO GLOM ONTO SOMETHG TO RETURN THEM TO FAME AND PUBLIC AFFECTN. THEY SEE A STORY ONLE THAT A YOUNG LBIAN IS NOT BEG ALLOWED TO ATTEND HER SCHOOL PROM INDIANA. THEY CI TO GO TO INDIANA, READ THE RT ACT TO THE BIGOTS, SAVE THE UNFORTUNATE LBIAN TEENAGER, AND THEN RETURN TO GLOR HEADL. “THE STARS ARE NOT MONSTERS BUT OPPORTUNISTS, AND JT SO HAPPENS THAT THIS OPPORTUNISM TERSECTS WH A BELIEF EQUALY THEY ALL SHARE” THERE IS A BIG-HAIRED, ME-ME-ME BROADWAY DIVA (DEE DEE ALLEN, PLAYED BY BETH LEAVEL), A GAY MIL STAR ON THE SKIDS (BARRY GLICKMAN, BROOKS ASHMANSKAS), ANOTHER (CHRISTOPHER SIEBER) WHO IS A WAER WHOSE BT TIM WERE ON A TV SHOW HE IS ASHAMED OF STARRG , JT LIKE JT HARTLEY’S “MANNY” THIS IS US, AND THERE IS A HIGH-KICKG HOOFER (ANGIE, ANGIE SCHWORER) NEVER YET LIFTED OUT OF THE CHOS.THIS SLICE OF THE PROM, DIRECTED (AND SPARKLGLY CHOREOGRAPHED) BY CASEY NICHOLAW, IS A FUN SURF THROUGH ACTORLY VANY AND EGO: THE STARS ARE NOT MONSTERS BUT OPPORTUNISTS, AND JT SO HAPPENS THAT THIS OPPORTUNISM TERSECTS WH A BELIEF EQUALY THEY ALL SHARE.IN INDIANA, THERE IS THE STAPLE GAY SMALL-TOWN TEENAGER (EMMA, CAL KNUNEN), THE GIRL SHE FANCI BUT N’T BE TOGETHER WH OPENLY (ALYSSA, ISABELLE MCCALLA), THE WISE BLACK PRCIPAL, MR. HAWKS (MICHAEL POTTS), WHO IS STRAIGHT AND LIK SHOWTUN AND IS LIKE THE WISE BLACK PRCIPAL MEAN GIRLS, AND ALYSSA’S MOM (COURTENAY COLLS), AN ANTI-LGBT WICKED WCH—AN ANA BRYANT FOR 2018—OUT TO EVERYONE’S FUN AND THE MIL’S MENDABLE MSAGE OF CLN. THERE ARE A FEW JANGLG ELEMENTS HERE. WHO IS THE PROM FOR? PRUMABLY, AS WELL AS NEW YORKERS WHO WANT TO SEE AN AFFIRMG MIL ABOUT AN LGBT TEEN CHANGG HEARTS AND MDS SMALL-TOWN INDIANA, ALSO WANTS TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY-GOERS OM OUTSI NEW YORK, OM RED STAT LIKE INDIANA. PERHAPS THE MIL’S PRODUCERS KNOW THIS, AND WANT TO CHANGE THEIR HEARTS AND MDS TOO. MAYBE THEY WILL BE SUCCSFUL THAT MISSN. BUT THE PROM SE SMALL-TOWN INDIANA AS AN AMORPHO WHOLE. THERE IS NO DISSENTG VOICE TO MRS. GREENE’S HOMOPHOBIA AT ALL. ALL THE PARENTS AND ALL THE CHILDREN AT EMMA’S SCHOOL ARE HOMOPHOBIC. THAT IS NOT ONLY SULTG TO PEOPLE G OM RED STAT TO SEE A MIL ABOUT A LBIAN TEEN, BUT ALSO UNREALISTIC. RED STAT MAY ELECT HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC LEGISLATORS, THEY MAY PASS HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC LAWS, BUT NOT EVERYONE WHO LIV THEM IS HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC.WILL RED STATE BROADWAY-GOERS THIS TUMN WANT TO E AND SEE A SHOW WHICH ACC THEM UNIFORMLY OF HOMOPHOBIA AND BIGOTRY? WOULDN’T HAVE MA DRAMATIC SENSE TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE ACCEPTG PARENTAL OR OTHER ADULT VOICE THE TOWN, OR ONE KID AT EMMA’S SCHOOL NOT BE A PREJUDICED ASSHOLE? FOR THE PURPOS OF G-OUT STORI SMALL TOWNS, ’S OBLIGATORY THAT THE GAY OR LBIAN TEEN IS SWEET, OPEN-HEARTED, AND ‘JT LIKE YOU, OK?’ I LONG FOR ONE SMALL-TOWN HEROIC GAY TEEN A POP-CULTURAL PRODUCT TO BE A B ANNOYG, TO SWEAR, FIGHT BACK AGGRSIVELY, JOKE, OR HAVE SEX, OR JT DO SOMETHG OTHER THAN BE GOOD, WHOLOME AND DOUGHTY. IN THE PROM, KNUNEN IS A TLY ENGAGG PERFORMER AND YOU WILL CHEER HER SONGS OF RISTANCE AND STRENGTH. SHE ALSO TRI TO GIVE EMMA A WELE EDGE TO TAKE HER OUT OF THE SAP TERRORY THAT SHE HAS BEEN WRTEN WH.ALSO, AS LGBT-IENDLY AS CLAIMS TO BE, THE PROM ALSO SE LBIANISM AS HERENTLY IC: THE TIRED TROPE OF RHYMG ‘LBIAN’ WH ‘THPIAN’ ONE SONG. THE MIL ISN’T UNKD TO EMMA, BUT SHE IS ODDLY SILED AND MA SAFE—SANCTIFIED VICTIM AND HERO ALL AT ONCE—DURG HER OWN STORY TOO.BUT THE MIL NEVER ANSWERS THE QUTNS SETS UP: DO EMMA NEED THE BROADWAY STARS’ HELP? FROM THE OUTSI SEEMS LIKE SHE DO, BUT SHE REILS OM IALLY. WHAT’S THAT ABOUT? A GOOD WRER MAY WELL PONR THAT HAVG HOMOSEXUALY SO SUDNLY NEAR AND VISIBLE MAK EMMA FEEL SRED, UNRSTANDABLY SO, SO WHY NOT ASK WHY OF THE CHARACTER? EMMA’S PARENTS HAVE KICKED HER OUT, AND YET WE MEET NONE OF HER FAY OR LOVED ON, OR ME THAT DRAMA.THEN THERE’S ALYSSA, EMMA'S CLOSETED GIRLIEND. THE MIL DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WH THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN HER AND HER MOTHER THE KD-OF-BIGOT, AND REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WH HER MOTHER GENERALLY—STOPPG SHY OF MAKG HER OUT TO BE A BIGOTED MONSTER, BUT NOT GIVG HER AND ALYSSA’S STORY ENOUGH OF A TRAJECTORY TO GIVE THEIR FAL EXCHANGE AS MEANGFUL PUNCH AS SHOULD HAVE. THE MIL HAS ALYSSA’S MOM SPOUT PREJUDICE THE FORM OF REFULLY-WORD SLOGANS, BUT DON’T TERROGATE HER DOUBLPEAK, AND DON’T TERROGATE WHAT MEANS TO HER TO HAVE A LBIAN DGHTER. SHE’S AN ODD VILLA: NOT REALLY THAT BAD AND EVENTUALLY NTRALIZED AS A GNAT-LIKE VEXATN WHO SHOULD HAVE MORE TO SAY AND DO.LEAVEL HAS FUN, FOR SURE (AND WE HAVE FUN WATCHG HER BIG-NUMBER THE HELL OUT OF HER DIVA NUMBERS AND STGGLE JT AS DIVA-ISHLY OVER THE NCEPT OF SMALL-TOWN BRANCH OF ‘APPLEBE’ AS ‘APPL AND BE’). ASHMANSKAS BALANC THE MP THE CHARACTER HAS GLTERG SPAS (BUT WHY DO THE MIL TRODUCE THE IA OF HIM WEARG DRAG AS IF ‘OF URSE HE DO’), WH THE TOUCHG RELATNSHIP HE BUILDS WH EMMA. “THE MSAGE, ULTIMATELY, IS POSIVE—AND THAT IS TO BE WELE. ’S JT SAD AND PRSG THAT THE STORY AND CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE SO SIMPLE AND UNCHALLENGG TO GET THERE” THIS IS THE SWEETT CHARACTER NNECTN THE WHOLE SHOW. SHE HELPS HIM EXORCISE A FEW GHOSTS OF A PROM NIGHTMARE OF MANY YEARS BEFORE, AS WELL AS THE FAIAL REJECTN HE KNOWS ALL TOO WELL. THE ENSEMBLE IS POLISHED, WH ONE PARTICULARLY DAZZLG, STAGE-FILLG NUMBER BY NICHOLAW.THE MSAGE, ULTIMATELY, IS POSIVE—AND THAT IS TO BE WELE. ’S JT SAD AND PRSG THAT THE STORY AND CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE SO SIMPLE AND UNCHALLENGG TO GET THERE. THERE IS A LOT WRTEN ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENT OF LGBT STORI AND CHARACTERS POP CULTURAL GENR, BUT THIS ADVANCEMENT SHOULDN’T SIMPLY BE ABOUT PRENCE. IT SHOULDN’T JT BE ABOUT BOLSTERG NUMBERS, AND GIVG SELF-NGRATULATORY PATS ON THE BACK, AS THE PROM—ODDLY, JT LIKE AS LEAD BROADWAY STAR CHARACTERS—DO. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE QUALY OF THE DRAMA AND EDY THE CHARACTERS ARE EXPERIENCG, AND THE PTH OF THE CHARACTERS THEMSELV. SURE, CHEER THE SIMPLE, FEELGOOD PURPOSE OF THE PROM, AND ALSO HOPE N LEAD SOMEWHERE A LOT MORE TERTG.THE PROM IS AT THE LONGACRE THEATRE, NYC, BOOKG THROUGH APRIL 21, 2019. TIM TEEMAN

But The Prom is not a show for the would-be homophob cricizg a televised kiss. Ashmanskas’ Barry practilly soars wh his performed flamboyance (“I’m as gay as a bucket of wigs, ” he screams), while Emma’s closeted love tert Alyssa (portrayed by the magic McCalla) don’t necsarily subscribe to the flannel-wearg, pixie-cut-sportg Sapphic formula that the entertament dtry so often thsts on lbian characters.

“The stars are not monsters but opportunists, and jt so happens that this opportunism tersects wh a belief equaly they all share”There is a big-haired, me-me-me Broadway diva (Dee Dee Allen, played by Beth Leavel), a gay mil star on the skids (Barry Glickman, Brooks Ashmanskas), another (Christopher Sieber) who is a waer whose bt tim were on a TV show he is ashamed of starrg , jt like Jt Hartley’s “Manny” This Is Us, and there is a high-kickg hoofer (Angie, Angie Schworer) never yet lifted out of the slice of The Prom, directed (and sparklgly choreographed) by Casey Nicholaw, is a fun surf through actorly vany and ego: the stars are not monsters but opportunists, and jt so happens that this opportunism tersects wh a belief equaly they all Indiana, there is the staple gay small-town teenager (Emma, Cal Knunen), the girl she fanci but n’t be together wh openly (Alyssa, Isabelle McCalla), the wise black prcipal, Mr.

Greene’s homophobia at all.

HOW DID NETFLIX’S ‘THE PROM’ MIL—AND JAM CORN’S PERFORMANCE—BEE A BIG GAY CRISIS?GIVE IT SOME ZAZZNETFLIXTHE FEEL-GOOD MIL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HEARTWARMG BALM, YET THERE’S OUTRAGE OVER JAM CORN’S “OFFENSIVE” TURN AS A FLAMBOYANT, GAY THEATRE STAR. WHAT WENT WRONG? KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED DEC. 10, 2020 3:58AM EST IT’S NOT A MEMORABLE PROM UNLS THERE’S A LTLE SNDAL.OF URSE, SNDAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE LAST THG ON NETFLIX AND RYAN MURPHY’S MDS WHEN THE STREAMER AND NTENT MOGUL FAST-TRACKED THE FEEL-GOOD, QUEER-POSIVE BROADWAY MIL THE PROM OM STAGE TO SCREEN RERD TIME.THE PROM PUTS TO ZIPPY MIC AND QUIPPY DIALOGUE THE STORY OF AN INDIANA TEEN WHO IS BANNED OM HER NSERVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL’S PROM WHEN TO LIGHT THAT SHE PLANNED TO ATTEND WH HER GIRLIEND. THE STORY GO VIRAL AND PTUR THE ATTENTN OF A GROUP OF BROADWAY VETERANS NEED OF A PR BOOST, SO THEY PACK UP THEIR JAZZ SHO AND MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO THE MIDWT TO HELP THE VASTATED GIRL—AND REPAIR THEIR REPUTATNS. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY AS THE LORE GO, MURPHY HAD SEEN THE PRODUCTN NEW YORK ONE NIGHT JANUARY 2019 AND WAS SO MOVED BY THAT, BY APRIL, HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS MAKG TO A MOVIE. TWO MONTHS LATER, HE HAD SECURED A STARRY ST CLUDG MERYL STREEP, JAM CORN, NILE KIDMAN, ANDREW RANNELLS, AND KERRY WASHGTON. THE BROADWAY SHOW HAD ALREADY CLOSED BY THE TIME SHOOTG BEGAN, BUT MURPHY WAS STILL EAGER TO BRG THE FILM VERSN TO NETFLIX. AFTER COVID HALTED FILMG WH KEY SCEN STILL LEFT TO PTURE, THE A-LISTERS CHANNELED THEIR CHARACTERS’ “THE SHOW MT GO ON!” GUMPTN AND VISED PROTOLS THAT ALLOWED THE PROM TO BE AMONG THE FIRST FILMS TO RUME PRODUCTN AFTER THE PANMIC SHUTDOWN.AND WH GOOD REASON. THE SOURCE MATERIAL ON S OWN IS EMOTNAL MANNA AT A TIME STARVED FOR S KD OF HEART-BURSTG POSIVY, HOPE, AND HUMOR.TEARS FLOW EELY AND OFTEN, WHAT WH THE HIGH STAK OF TEENAGE EMOTNS AND THE SHEER CELTY BEHD THE MUNY’S TOLERANCE. YOU ALSO HAVE MERYL STREEP A LIZA MNELLI WIG SNTERG THROUGH TORCH BALLADS, TONGUE--CHEEK ONE-LERS THAT LOVGLY SKEWER BROADWAY, AND NILE KIDMAN AS A FOSSE CHOS GIRL SEEMGLY HAVG THE TIME OF HER LIFE AS SHE IMPLOR THROUGH SONG TO “GIVE SOME ZAZZ.”MERYL BELTG, NILE SHIMMYG, CRYG ABOUT LBIANS: WHAT A LIGHT! IT’S ALL MEANT TO BE NOCENT, SPIRATNAL FUN. SO WHY HAS THE FILM ALREADY BEEN MARKED FOR NTROVERSY?WHILE ’S HARD TO IMAGE THE PROM BEG ANYTHG BUT A CROWD-PLEASG H WH THE NETFLIX CROWD WHEN HS THE STREAMER ON FRIDAY, SEEMS TO HAVE ALIENATED A RE BASE OF S TEND DIENCE.AT THE CENTER OF THE CRICISM, THOUGH NOT THE LIM OF , IS THE STG OF AND PERFORMANCE BY JAM CORN, A STRAIGHT MAN, AS FLAMBOYANT BROADWAY LEADG MAN BARRY GLICKMAN, A CHARACTER WHO SELF-SCRIB AS “GAY AS A BUCKET OF WIGS… A BUCKET OF THEM!” ADVERTISEMENT BARRY AND DEE DEE ALLEN, THE TWO-TIME TONY WNER PLAYED BY STREEP, ARE BRAND AS TOXIC MEGALOMANIACS AFTER THEIR MOUNTG OF ELEANOR: THE MIL FLOPS WH CRICS. “WHAT DIDN’T THEY LIKE?” BARRY WONRS. “WAS THE HIP-HOP?”THEY ENLIST IENDS ANGIE (KIDMAN), WHO QU THE CHIGO ENSEMBLE AFTER BEG PASSED OVER AS ROXIE HART FOR 20 YEARS NNG, AND TRENT (RANNELLS), WHO IS BETWEEN GIGS SPE HIS OFT-MENTNED JUILLIARD TRAG, TO HELP TRANSFORM THEIR REPUTATNS AS CELEBRY NARCISSISTS TO CELEBRY ACTIVISTS.THEY STORM SMALL-TOWN INDIANA LIKE ’S THE BARRI THE L MIZ ACT CLOSER, TRENT PROUDLY ANNOUNCG, “WE ARE LIBERALS OM BROADWAY!” DPE THEIR SELFISH TENTNS, THEY ALL ARE STANTLY TOUCHED BY THE PLIGHT OF EMMA (NEWER JO ELLEN PELMAN), DISTURBED ONCE OUTSI THEIR BROADWAY BUBBLE TO SEE HOW MUCH TOLERANCE STILL EXISTS.BARRY, WHO WAS SHUNNED BY HIS OWN PARENTS AFTER G OUT AS GAY, TAK A PARTICULAR SHE TO EMMA, SUGGTG “YOU BE ELPHIE, I’M GALDA” AS HE TAK HER SHOPPG FOR PROM DRS AND ACH HER THROUGH THE SELF-LOATHG AND HEARTBREAK OF REJECTN PURELY BEE OF YOUR SEXUALY.CORN’S BARRY IS VERY GAY. HE IS LIMP-WRISTS, SLIGHT-LISP, GASPG-WH-EXCEMENT GAY. IT’S FAHFUL TO HOW BROOKS ASHMANSKAS, WHO WAS NOMATED FOR A TONY AWARD—AND IS AN OUT GAY MAN—PLAYED THE ROLE ON BROADWAY. IT’S HOW THE ROLE IS WRTEN. YET, THE YEAR 2020, THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.ERIK ANRSON, FOUNR OF AWARDSWATCH, LABELED CORN’S MPY PERFORMANCE “GROSS AND OFFENSIVE, THE WORST GAY-FACE A LONG, LONG TIME. IT’S HORRIFILLY BAD.” VANY FAIR’S RICHARD LAWSON LED THAT WH HIS “SULTG” PERFORMANCE, CORN, “FLTG AND LISPG AROUND THE MOST UNSPIRED OF RITUR, MISS ALL POTENTIAL FOR NUANCE.” DIGAL SPY’S IAN SANDWELL CRIED THAT CORN DIALED THE FLAMBOYANCE UP “TO THE POT OF BEG REGRSIVE AND OFFENSIVE, HTG EVERY GAY STEREOTYPE ALONG THE WAY.” ADVERTISEMENT NOT EVERY CRIC WHO SCREENED THE PROM ADVANCE OF FRIDAY’S NETFLIX BUT WAS TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE. ONE ULD REASONABLY EXPECT A BROAR DIENCE MIGHT EVEN ADORE THE “CARPOOL KARAOKE” DRIVER’S SASHAY TO THIS PARTICULAR BRAND OF BROAD EDY SONG-AND-DANCE.FOR EVERY LLEAGUE OF ME WHO FOUND HIS WORK “ABOMABLE,” ANOTHER WAS AMED AND MOVED. IN HIS VARIETY REVIEW, OWEN GLEIBERMAN WROTE, “CORN MAY BE ATTACKED SOME QUARTERS FOR PORTRAYG BARRY AS A GAY STEREOTYPE, BUT LIKE CHRISTOPHER GUT WAG FOR GUFFMAN HE BURROWS SO EPLY TO THE CHARACTER THAT HE GIV HIM A THREE-DIMENSNAL SENCE. HE’S SOULFULLY FUNNY AND TOUCHG.”I PERSONALLY THK THE CRICISM IS OVERLY HARSH, PERHAPS PRIMED BY SIGHT-UNSEEN EXASPERATN THAT CORN, A STRAIGHT ACTOR, WAS ST THE FIRST PLACE. I’M OF MANY PLITED MDS WHEN TO THAT BATE, BUT CORN’S PERFORMANCE DIDN’T OFFEND ME. HE WAS PERFECTLY ENJOYABLE ACTG A CHARACTER AS WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED. WHETHER HE SHOULD BE PLAYG AT ALL IS S OWN, SEPARATE ISSUE, WHICH SPEAKS TO WHAT BEN LEE POSED THE GUARDIAN: “JAM CORN PROV WHY STRAIGHT ACTORS SHOULD THK TWICE BEFORE PLAYG GAY.”THERE’S NO GOOD ANSWER TO THE “SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAY GAY?” BATE.THEY SHOULDN’T, UNLS ’S TIMOTHéE CHALAMET GIVG A TENR APPROXIMATN OF QUEER LONGG AND DISAPPOTMENT, TREVANTE RHOS SHATTERG YOUR HEART, OR STANLEY TUCCI BEG IRRISTIBLY CHARMG, WHICH SE THEY SHOULD. UNLS, OF URSE, THERE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOO MANY STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG MAJOR GAY ROL A ROW, WHICH SE THEY STILL SHOULDN’T. UNLS ’S STANLEY TUCCI BEG UNFATHOMABLY VASTATG A SAME-SEX ALZHEIMER’S ROMANTIC DRAMA, WHICH SE HE GETS A PASS.A STRAIGHT ACTOR'S MPY TAKE ON A GAY ROLE N STILL BE GROUNDBREAKG, LIKE ROB WILLIAMS HELPG THE BIRDGE BEE A BOX-OFFICE SMASH. OR ERIC STONTREET AND THE WAYS WHICH MORN FAY’S MCH AND CAM HELPED MOVE THE MASTREAM WORLD FORWARD TERMS OF NOT JT GAY ACCEPTANCE, BUT ALSO THE ACCEPTANCE OF GAY LOVE. UNLS, HOWEVER, THAT PERFORMANCE REMAS THE BIGGT GAY REPRENTATN FOR SO LONG THAT SOMEHOW BE BOTH SHRILL AND STALE AT THE SAME TIME. ADVERTISEMENT THE MP AND CLICHéS ARE FUN WHEN YOU'RE LGHG, LIKE IF YOU FD JAM CORN HILAR THE PROM. AND ’S OFFENSIVE AND DAMAGG IF YOU FD HIS FLAMBOYANCE TO BE A PANRG MARGALIZATN. “THERE IS SOMETHG THAT N BE TRIGGERG ABOUT WATCHG A STRAIGHT ACTOR LIKE CORN PERFORM FLAMG-QUEER DRAG, WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S WHAT THE ROLE REQUIR.” SO HIRE GAY ACTORS FOR GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT TOO OFTEN SILO THEM TO ONE KD OF PERFORMANCE AND REER. SO DON’T THK ABOUT SEXUALY WHEN YOU’RE STG GAY ROL—THOUGH THAT IS A NEGLIGENCE OF STORYTELLG RPONSIBILY AND THE CULTURAL IMPERATIVE FOR REPRENTATN AND OPPORTUNY.IT’S CLEARLY A LANDME ISSUE. AND SOME WONRED WHY NETFLIX AND MURPHY, SPECIFILLY, WHO HAS A GROUNDBREAKG TRACK RERD OF CLIVE STG, WOULD WA TO ALL. CRICS’ AND FANS’ ROUNDG ALTERNATIVE CHOICE FOR CORN’S ROLE IS NATHAN LANE—AND PRETTY MUCH ONLY NATHAN LANE, WHICH SPEAKS A B TO WHY STG LIKE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: THERE ARE FAR TOO FEW “BIG NAM” THAT E TO MD TO PLAY A LARGER-THAN-LIFE, OPENLY GAY ROLE.THEN THERE’S THE FACT THAT ASHMANSKAS, WHO PLAYED BARRY ON BROADWAY, IS, YOU KNOW, STILL ALIVE. IN FACT, THE ENTIRE ORIGAL BROADWAY ST HAS, UM, NOT DIED. THOUGH S N WAS CRIMALLY SHORT, WAS BELOVED BY THOSE WHO HAD A CHANCE TO SEE . EVEN MURPHY HIMSELF WAS MOVED ENOUGH TO PUT A MOVIE VERSN TO LIGHT-SPEED PRODUCTN. WOULDN’T ALLOWG THE BROADWAY ST TO REPRISE THEIR ROL HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE ISSUE?THAT’S ANOTHER BATE TO BE OF TWO MDS ABOUT. WOVEN TO THE FABRIC OF THE SHOW SELF IS THE IA OF BROADWAY HOOFERS STGGLG FOR RELEVANCE AN DTRY NSTANTLY SLIGHTG THEM FOR MOVIE STARS. (KIDMAN’S ANGIE IS AGHAST THAT CHIGO’S PRODUCERS HAVE LED GILLIGAN’S ISLAND STAR TA LOUISE A BIGGER DRAW AS ROXIE THAN HER, A SEASONED MIL PERFORMER.) THE STAR STG ARGUABLY BETRAYS THAT ETHOS OF THE SHOW. ADVERTISEMENT YET ON THE OTHER HAND, AT LEAST PART OF THE FUN OF A SPLASHY MOVIE MIL IS GETTG EXCED OVER THE UTTERLY RANDOM ROSTER OF MOVIE STARS BROUGHT TO WARBLE AND STUMBLE THROUGH THE ROL. THAT MAY EVEN BE HERENT TO THE GENRE OF MOVIE MILS SELF. BY THAT TOKEN, YOU N SEE WHY CORN MIGHT SEEM A NATURAL CHOICE TO PLAY A LEAD THE PROM.HAVG STARRED INTO THE WOODS AND CATS, NOT TO MENTN HAVG HOSTED THE TONY AWARDS AND FEATURED MIL THEATER ALMOST NSTANTLY ON THE LATE LATE SHOW, CORN WOULD FEASIBLY TOP A LIST OF “BIG NAM” FOR A SHOW THAT BOASTS AN UNABASHED EMBRACE OF BROADWAY AS A MAJOR PLOT. THAT’S NOT TO SAY HE SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CHOSEN OVER A THEATER STAR OR AN OUT GAY ACTOR. IT’S JT TO ILLTRATE HOW CIRCUO AND NUANCED THIS NVERSATN N BE.I’D VENTURE THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO H PLAY ON THE PROM THIS WEEKEND WILL BE WHOLLY IGNORANT OF THIS ENTIRE BATE, AND WILL JT FD TO BE A FUN AND HEARTWARMG MIL WH A TOPIL MSAGE ABOUT LOVE. AND THAT’S WHAT IS. IT’S NO MASTERPIECE OF THE NON, BUT THE SONGS ARE TCHY, THE LGBT CLIVY IS A TREAT, STREEP IS GIVG ONE OF HER MOST ENERGETIC PERFORMANC YEARS, AND THERE’S JT NO UNRSELLG THE LIGHT OF KIDMAN DOG A FOSSE NUMBER ABOUT “ZAZZ.”BUT THAT’S WHY THE NVERSATNS ARE IMPORTANT, EVEN IF THERE ARE NO CLEAR ANSWERS, AND EVEN IF THEY ARE EXHSTG OR STEAL SOME OF THE FUN. IT’S VALID THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TURNED OFF BY CORN’S PERFORMANCE, OR BY THE FACT THAT HE WAS ST AT ALL. WILL YOU SHARE THAT OPN? YOU MIGHT. YOU MIGHT NOT. YOU MIGHT BE SO ENRAGED YOU’LL WANT TO BURN YOUR OWN BUCKET OF WIGS A BONFIRE. OR YOU WON’T NOTICE THERE IS AN ISSUE AT ALL.THERE’S AN ALMOST OUTRAGEO DISSONANCE BETWEEN THE WELL-TENTNED HOLLYWOOD STARS SETTG OUT TO MAKE AN NOCENT, FUN MIL ABOUT QUEER ACCEPTANCE, AND THE GRENAS THAT ARE NOW EXPLODG AROUND . BUT THE DISURSE MATTERS, AND EVERY ONCE A WHILE THERE'S A LIGHTNG-ROD PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE LIKE THIS THAT ELECTRIFI THAT ENERGY RIGHT BACK TO THE ZEGEIST. THAT, IF YOU WILL, “GIV SOME ZAZZ.” KEV FALLON

All the parents and all the children at Emma’s school are homophobic. Red stat may elect homophobic and transphobic legislators, they may pass homophobic and transphobic laws, but not everyone who liv them is homophobic and red state Broadway-goers this tumn want to e and see a show which acc them uniformly of homophobia and bigotry? For the purpos of g-out stori small towns, ’s obligatory that the gay or lbian teen is sweet, open-hearted, and ‘jt like you, OK?

’ I long for one small-town heroic gay teen a pop-cultural product to be a b annoyg, to swear, fight back aggrsively, joke, or have sex, or jt do somethg other than be good, wholome and doughty. A good wrer may well ponr that havg homosexualy so sudnly near and visible mak Emma feel sred, unrstandably so, so why not ask why of the character? After seeg the show, he now go after homophobic trolls on the web.

The sad thg is that we ntually get people emailg articl about another gay uple banned or another lbian uple banned, or guys weren’t allowed to wear a drs or girls weren’t allowed to wear tux and seems like we have so much further to go. While ’s hard to image The Prom beg anythg but a crowd-pleasg h wh the Netflix crowd when hs the streamer on Friday, seems to have alienated a re base of s tend the center of the cricism, though not the lim of , is the stg of and performance by Jam Corn, a straight man, as flamboyant Broadway leadg man Barry Glickman, a character who self-scrib as “gay as a bucket of wigs… a BUCKET of them! ” Dpe their selfish tentns, they all are stantly touched by the plight of Emma (newer Jo Ellen Pelman), disturbed once outsi their Broadway bubble to see how much tolerance still, who was shunned by his own parents after g out as gay, tak a particular she to Emma, suggtg “you be Elphie, I’m Galda” as he tak her shoppg for prom drs and ach her through the self-loathg and heartbreak of rejectn purely bee of your ’s Barry is very gay.