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Trailer: ‘The Prom’ With Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells

Meryl Streep and James Corden in ‘The Prom’ (photo: Netflix)

Netflix drops the official trailer for the upcoming screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical The Prom.

The stellar cast includes Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Kay Place, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, Jo Ellen Pellman, and Ariana DeBose.

James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, Meryl Streep in ‘The Prom’ (photo: Netflix)

Synopsis:

Dee Dee Allen (three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (Tony Award-winner James Corden) are New York City stage stars with a crisis on their hands: their expensive new Broadway show is a major flop that has suddenly flatlined their careers.

Meanwhile, in small-town Indiana, high school student Emma Nolan (newcomer Jo Ellen 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 (Ariana DeBose).

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 (Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman) and Trent (Andrew Rannells), another pair of cynical actors looking for a professional lift.

But when their self-absorbed celebrity activism unexpectedly backfires, the foursome finds their own lives upended as they rally to give Emma a night where she can truly celebrate who she is.

In select theaters in December and premieres on Netflix on December 11, 2020.

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Streep, Close, Bening & Alda Read From ‘Trumpty Dumpty Wanted A Crown’

Academy Award winner Meryl Streep

Alan Alda, Annette Bening, Meryl Streep, and Glenn Close offer a reading from Trumpty Dumpty Wanted A Crown by film star John Lithgow.

From the YouTube page:

John Lithgow presents a 21-episode video series based on the poetry in his book, TRUMPTY DUMPTY WANTED A CROWN: Verses for a Despotic Age—starring 19 luminaries from the acting, literary, and political spheres.

Covering Trump’s impeachment, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and much more, Lithgow’s new book arrives at a time when we need it most. With the 2020 election looming, it’s important to remember all of the atrocities of the past four years—and to do everything we can to prevent more.

As Lithgow says, “I wrote this book to make you laugh, to make you mad, and to make you remember… and maybe also to make you vote.”

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‘The Prom’ Serves Up Big Stars & Sweet Same-Sex Romance

Meryl Streep and James Corden in The Prom (image via Netflix)

Netflix has dropped the Glee-tastic first trailer for the upcoming movie musical, The Prom, starring Academy Award winners Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman as well as Tony Award winner James Corden and Andrew Rannells.

The film follows Dee Dee Allen (Streep) and Barry Glickman (Corden) as New York stage actors whose latest big Broadway musical flops and the actors scramble to revive their careers.

At the same time, high school student Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman), in small-town Indiana, has been banned from bringing her girlfriend, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose) to prom even though she has the backing of her principal.

The cast of The Prom (image via Netflix)

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 professional lift.

But the quartet finds, as often happens on the silver screen, that self-absorbed celebrity activism can backfire, leaving the four thespians in chaos even as they struggle on to give Emma a night where she can truly celebrate who she is.

The film’s sweet, teenage love story is balanced by big, splashy production numbers. And let’s face it – does anyone do over-the-top egocentric character roles better than La Streep?

Meryl Streep (center) in The Prom (image via Netflix)

The stage production of the musical opened in November 2018 to rave reviews winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical. 

When the Broadway cast appeared on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that year, the performance featured the first-ever same-sex kiss in the history of the annual event.

And the show went out with a bang with two same-sex members of the production exchanging vows onstage right before closing night.

The cast also includes Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, Tracey Ulmann, and Nico Greetham. Hollywood wonder-boy Ryan Murphy directs the musical created by Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin, and Matthew Sklar.

The Prom arrives on Netflix and in theatres on December 11. Watch the trailer below.

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‘Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration’ Was A Musical Gift That Kept Giving

L-R Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep (screen capture)

It began with some tech problems, but when Broadway.com’s salute to legendary composer Stephen Sondheim – Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration – finally got underway it was truly a gift for musical theatre fans.

So many fantastic performances of Sondheim’s lengthy and rich catalog.

One of the highlights was easily Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald serving up a spectacular “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company as a kind of  Zoom cocktail hour. Donning white robes and pouring generous drinks, the approach was not only hilarious but solved the problem of trying to live up to Elaine Stritch’s legendary performance of the song.

In case you missed it, I’ve cued up Christine, Meryl and Audra’s brilliant performance below, but you can view the entire 2+ hour livestream below.

Other highlights include:

• Melissa Errico’s “Children and Art” (Sunday in the Park with George) was the picture of understated perfection at the 41:04 mark

• Mandy Patinkin, standing outside alone amid an enormous, empty grassy field, shared a moving a cappella “Lesson #8” (Sunday in the Park with George) at the 54:21 mark

• Laura Benanti – “I Remember” (Evening Primrose) at 1:08:28 mark

• Chip Zien, the original “Baker” (Into the Woods) was heartbreaking as he reprised his song “No More” at 1:14:06

• The event’s host, Raúl Esparza, sang a beautiful take on the event’s title song, “Take Me to the World” (Evening Primrose) at 1:50:59

• Donna Murphy’s poignant, pensive rendition of “Send in the Clowns” (A Little Night Music) at the 1:53:55 mark

• Bernadette Peters closing out the event with a gorgeous, a cappella take on a song she didn’t sing in Into The Woods, “No One Is Alone” at 2:11:18

Bernadette Peters (screen capture)

In truth, there are tons of terrific performances – I’m sure I’ll have missed mentioning something I loved. If you click here, you’ll find the full show with a complete breakdown of shortcuts to each individual performance.

Stay with it to the end as there’s a much fun postscript to the shindig with the song “Broadway Baby” from Follies.

The event served as a fundraiser for ASTEP – Artists Striving to End Poverty. You can donate at this link.

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HBO Drops New Season Sizzle Reel With ‘Game Of Thrones’ & Meryl Streep

HBO served up this rapid-fire sizzle reel of the upcoming season with teases from all the network's top shows including Game of Thrones, Veep, Big Little Lies, Flight of the Conchords, True Detective, and Pod Save America as well as new shows Jane Fonda in Five Acts and Camping.

 HBO served up this rapid-fire sizzle reel of the upcoming season with teases from all the network’s top shows including Game of Thrones, Veep, Big Little Lies, Flight of the Conchords, True Detective, and Pod Save America as well as new shows Jane Fonda in Five Acts and Camping.

If you pay close attention you get a quick peek at Meryl Streep in the new season of Big Little Lies.

Squee!!!

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Funny: “It TWIRLED Up!”

Shirley MacLaine in “Postcards from the Edge”

Thanks to Matt Rettenmund of Boy Culture, who knows all things Madonna, for finding the intersectionality of a recent social media post by Madge and one of my favoritest moments in movie history.

Inspired by this tweet earlier this week following the Met Gala:

Rettenmund recalled another famous “twirling…”

Literally one of my favorite moments ever from a film – from Postcards from the Edge between Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine – “It TWIRLED up!”
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Trailer: “Mamma Mia – Here We Go Again”

Via press release:

Ten years after Mamma Mia! The Movie grossed more than $600 million around the world, you are invited to return to the magical Greek island of Kalokairi in an all-new original musical based on the songs of ABBA. With the film’s original cast returning and new additions including Lily James (Cinderella, Baby Driver), the musical comedy will open on July 20, 2018.

Reprising their roles from Mamma Mia! The Movie are Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep as Donna, Julie Walters as Rosie and Christine Baranski as Tanya. Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper reunite as Sophie and Sky, while Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård and Oscar® winner Colin Firth return to play Sophie’s three possible dads: Sam, Bill and Harry.

As the film goes back and forth in time to show how relationships forged in the past resonate in the present, James will play the role of Young Donna. Filling the roles of Young Rosie and Young Tanya are Alexa Davies (A Brilliant Young Mind) and Jessica Keenan Wynn (Broadway’s Beautiful). Young Sam will be played by Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), while Young Bill is Josh Dylan (Allied) and Young Harry is Hugh Skinner (Kill Your Friends).

What I can’t seem to figure out is whether or not Meryl Streep’s “Donna” is dead? Baranski and Walters speak of her in the past tense and Sophie says she can’t have a baby “all alone.”

Oh – and then there’s Cher, playing Meryl Streep’s mother, making quite the grand entrance.

Watch the trailer below.

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Meryl Streep Interviews Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour

Academy Award-winner Meryl Streep herself sat down to interview legendary Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour who Streep brilliantly portrayed in The Devil Wears Prada.

But it wasn’t Prada Streep was there to discuss. The main topic at hand was her role in Steven Spielberg’s new film, The Post, in which Streep portrays Wintour’s longtime friend, Kay Graham, the former publisher of The Washington Post.

Along the way, the duo discuss other current issues including the Mueller investigation, sexual harassment and dining room table chat.

Watch the two legends below.