I Took a Chance on ‘The Prom’: Review

One of my favorite phenomena is when a lesser-known piece of pop culture manages to organically grow from obscurity. Perhaps it’s a love for rags-to-riches stories, applying its gratification to the creation of that story itself: success comes modestly, over time, from word of mouth instead of blockbuster marketing budgets with ubiquitous ads and paid reviews, until something like Schitt’s Creek is so common a household name that you forget it was once a quirky, niche show on an unknown Canadian network. That level of gratification can apply to Netflix’s The Prom–a Broadway musical-turned-movie that went from a disappointingly short theater run to one of the most start-studded movies of the year. The Prom is a Faithful Adaptation Adaptation reviews can be tricky, to the point of needing a logic map to determine whether the movie is right for you. Did you watch the original Broadway show? If yes, take one path; if no, take another. Do you typically enjoy musicals? Do you love the soundtrack? Have it memorized? There’s a lot to fuss through depending where you stand, and I’ll cover those details in a moment, but for transparency, my answers are yes, yes, yes, and yes. If you’re curious the extent The Prom stays true to the Broadway production, the answer is that the adaptation changes very little. If you memorized the soundtrack, you can sing along through each tune with only minor edits to some of the harsher language and pared down versions of “The Acceptance Song” (an accep…