#’The Prom’s Andrew Rannells Previews the Netflix Musical’s Star Power

Enough stars to fill a stretch limousine — including Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Tracey Ullman and James Corden — light up director Ryan Murphy’s ebullient adaptation of the 2018–19 Broadway musical, The Prom.

Even costar Andrew Rannells couldn’t believe the call sheet. “I thought I was having a fever dream,” jokes theater-trained Rannells (above, with Corden, Kidman and Streep).

The foursome play vain New York stage actors who invade a small Indiana town and use their status to champion a high schooler (Jo Ellen Pellman) denied the right to bring her girlfriend (Ariana DeBose) to the dance. 

Filled with huge numbers and an even bigger heart, the Technicolor tale of love and inclusion required a lot of time. “We rehearsed for about a month before we even started filming,” Rannells says. The Girls vet’s big song, “Love Thy Neighbor,” took almost four days in a crowded mall to pull off.

“I was trying to keep up! The dancers were between 18 and 21, and I was 41,” he says. The epic closing sequence required a full week to nail, but it was all worth it, Rannells says: “We got to film the finale last, so it [felt] like a big celebration.” We hope someone spiked the punch!

The Prom, Movie Premiere, Friday, December 11, Netflix