When was the last time I watched a musical? It has to be July right? When Hamilton came out on Disney Plus and the world rejoiced! Such a stunning bright light in a world full of terrifying musical-less anxiety. Whoo! What a god-send that was!

I wouldn’t say PROM quite rises to that level, but it shines and it sparkles and churns out music at a furious pace. Its been 5 months since Hamilton and apparently I’ve been so starved for a musical I didn’t move for two hours. I was frozen; drinking up the theatre in-jokes, teachable moments and the sappy happy ‘High School Musical-Esque Dance routines. I’ve spent almost every night wrapping presents and catching up on Agents of Shield, PROM was such a welcome escape I’m willing to over-look what few flaws it has.

First the good:

The Music is darling and as previously stated, it is non-stop. It’s sharp, the pacing is lighting fast and it is clearly made for theatre nerds like me. I don’t even care if you like musicals or not. I’m not really trying to sell this to you. I’m 100% advertising this to all of my theatre friends out there. And I am ashamed I didn’t know this musical existed before now and I cannot wait until is available to do on a community theatre level.

Meryl Steep and Keegan Michael Key are so darling together they should do this more often. This is the second musical in a row I have watched Key in and I am totally in love. He is simply charming. Moreover he is so believable as a man in love with Meryl Streep, a woman more than 20 years his senior, I am beyond impressed with him. I completely buy him as a mid-west high school principal type, fighting the good fight for his kids. He has an ability to age himself up as he looks adoringly at his co-star and and at 71 Meryl is singing and dancing as though she were 50. I do not always love all musical situations Meryl Steep puts herself in, but this show seems tailor made for her.

Andrew Rannells schooling high bullies in a mall surrounded by a chorus of tambourines while dancing on a fountain. Need I say more?

The kids are talented, especially our two leading ladies Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellma. Gorgeous voices. And Ryan Murphy knows how to film the crap out of this show, expertly hiding the flaws of any cast member who isn’t perhaps as up to snuff as maybe their Broadway counterpart was….

And Now the Bad:

I’m going to go ahead and pick on poor Nicole Kidman first here. Look just because this woman has got legs up to her neck does not mean she can dance; and it most definitely does not mean she can dance Fosse. But to give credit, Murphy covers about 90% of his problem with lights and quick cutaways. Kidman gets on well as the mentor of the abused high school girl. Beyond that she is consigned to the background. Kidman has one number in he entire movie/show (thank god) and he’s got us focused on her face, A LOT of lighting, exactly one signature Fosse hat move, one sorta kinda Fosse pose (I think?), some back light and Voila! Nicole Kidman is a dancer!

I’m kidding of course. It’s god awful. I’m not a fan of Nicole Kidman, so I tend not to cut her much slack, even less when she is wandering through a show she doesn’t really seem to belong in. I mean honestly, what is she doing in this??

Lets stick to the casting complaints. God bless Kerry Washington, but same question… why is she in this? Fantastic cover on her belty solo fake out, but her entire performance felt awkward and weird to me from the stat. Except for the very end actually. Five stars for the moment when her daughter announces her coming out to her: Washington does this interesting little repetitive slap of her hand against her daughter’s over and over. Its all nerves and embarrassment at once. She is stuck and she has no idea what to do, so instead she says, “I’ll see you at home,” and turns and walks out. Its wonderful.

I almost decided against reviewing PROM...quite a few friends of mine have had various types of negative reactions to a certain late night talk show host’s portrayal of one of the leads. Personally, I thought James Cordon’s performance was such a vast improvement on his Into the Woods character I was not at all bothered by this. To be fair, just about everything is an improvement on Into the Woods. That was movie was as flat as a pancake; as though everyone involved (except Chris Pine of course) forgot that the musical was funny! Still, I understand the problem: a straight man playing a gay character at this point in ours lifetimes is superbly unnecessary. I mean really Ryan, there was NO ONE else you could find to play the part?? I don’t find James Cordon to be that remarkably talented and his track record isn’t that spot on.

However, if the complaint is that he was too over the top with the characterization itself? I disagree. All four leading adults are supposed to be narcissist’s. Especially Dee Dee and Barry. So outrageously full of themselves I imagine they would be quite dramatic. Also, this isn’t a drama, its a musical, and almost a spoof at that. I’m not expecting Shakespeare here. I have to suspend some disbelief. (A lot actually, because Nicole Kidman is dancing Fosse for Pete’s sake!!)

I waned to watch this with my nieces but three quarters of the way through this we got to a few questionable lyrics that I couldn’t get behind. As the two main female nemesis’ of Emma are getting ready for prom night they are singing to themselves in the mirror and talking about how beautiful they think they look….the lyrics go, “You have to hand it to me, I mean even I would do me.”

NOPE! I guess the kids won’t be watching after all. What he hell? Those lyrics come out of nowhere! Besides, I really found Emma I be the only female in the entire musical I would want little girls to look up to or emulate! No, this is an adult show with adult themes. The teenagers can watch it for sure, but the under ten set aren’t going to get it.

All told, PROM passes with flying colors and I shall continue to sing its praises long into the new year! Christmas is over. I’ve watched the blockbusters and already hungry Meryl and her friends. Especially Keegan Michael Key ❤