What to watch on Netflix: Giving Voice and The Prom
By Sabrina Reed
Whether you’re an aspiring Broadway actor or a lover of musicals and monologues, Netflix’s Giving Voice and The Prom could be your perfect weekend watch.
If you need a break from the constant barrage of holiday cheer that everyone is sending your way then look to the arts this week on Netflix for your escape. The streamer is dropping two thespian oriented films–Giving Voice and The Prom–featuring actors flexing their chops, dance moves, and spirit from beginning to end.
We know it’s disheartening that Broadway is shut down at least until summer 2021 but the documentary Giving Voice and the musical The Prom capture the essence of why people love theater. Both films are radically different from each other in their approaches to the art form but at their core they touch on themes of belonging, being represented, and feeling seen.
So, if you’re looking to take a break from the merry-making but still want to laugh, cry, and be inspired then give these two films a try. They may be just what you need this week as we move closer to the end of the year.
Check out the fresh and seasoned talent in the film trailers below:
Giving Voice
Every year high school students across America compete in the National August Wilson Monologue Competition. The annual event sees young actors strengthening their craft through workshops with teaching artists and auditions before theatre professionals who will provide feedback to them about their acting and storytelling.
Giving Voice gives viewers the opportunity to witness the impact this competition has on the teenagers who participate. While the goal is to win the chance to perform on Broadway, the overall mission of the competition is to provide young actors with a means of uplifting their voices, spotlighting their talent, and fostering a community for them to grow in.
The competition also provides teens with an introduction to playwright August Wilson’s work, specifically his The American Century Cycle–a series of ten plays set in different periods of the 20th century and focused on Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom are a part of this cycle.
Giving Voice is executive produced by John Legend and Viola Davis. The film will be available to stream on December 11.
The Prom
The Prom began as a Broadway play, was adapted into a novel, and is now a film directed by Ryan Murphy. Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin, and Matthew Sklar’s story has been transformed into a star-studded teen movie that’s bright, bouncy, and poignant as one girl fights for her right to go to the prom with the girl she loves. The film follows the same premise as the play.
Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) has been banned from attending prom if she intends to bring her girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose). While Principal Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key) supported Emma, he was overruled by Mrs. Greene (Kerry Washington), the head of the PTA.
When Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) catch wind of the story, they see it as an opportunity to repair the damage their flop of a Broadway play has done to their careers. Along with their fellow actors Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman) and Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells), the pair head to small-town Indiana to help Emma…and bungle things. But Emma and Alyssa may find with some luck, pluck, and courage, prom night will be one of the best nights of their lives.
The Prom will be available to stream on December 11.
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