Background
In 2010, Constance McMillen was a senior at the Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton USA. She asked her school if she could bring her girlfriend to the prom and wear a tuxedo. In response the school board banned her from attending. After challenging the school board’s decision, the school decided to cancel the prom altogether.
Constance and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the school district and the school was found guilty of violating McMillen’s first amendment rights. The judge however did not enforce the school to reinstate the prom.
Celebrities including Greenday, Cat Cora and Lance Bass rallied together and agreed to a second chance prom where Constance was able to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo without any backlash.
The Musical
In 2016, a musical was written based on Constance’s experience and opened in Alanta for 5 weeks. The musical made its way to Broadway in 2018 and is heading out on a national tour in 2021.
Netflix Adaptation
The Prom (2020) is an adaption of the musical of the same name directed by Ryan Murphy (GLEE) and is coming to Netflix this December.
The Prom includes an A-List line up of celebrities including James Corden, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman.
So What’s It About?
High school student Emma Nolan would like to bring her girlfriend Alyssa Greene to the senior prom, but living in a small American town with conservative views, the school principal and the head of the PTA will not allow it.
Meanwhile in New York, actors Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are having problems of their own with their Broadway show being a major flop. They hear of Emma’s predicament and decide to use it to resurrect their public image by helping this worthy cause. They head to Indiana with Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman) and Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells), another pair of actors looking for a professional lift in their public image, and try and help Emma get the Prom she wanted.
Great cast, wonderful songs and a great intention to teach tolerance and inclusion.