The Prom (2020) - full transcript

Let's get to it.

All those in favor…

All opposed.

Well, the PTA has an accepted
set of rules concerning the prom.

Young ladies must wear
non-revealing dresses.

Young men must wear suits or tuxes.

And if a student chooses to bring a date,
they must be of the opposite sex.

Well, can't you just ban this student?

Well, we've been advised
that there may be some legal repercussions

if we prevent this girl from attending,

so although it breaks my heart,
we have no choice.



- There won't be a prom.
- Mrs. Greene, a question.

Have you asked the students
what they think of this?

Are you choosing not to comment?

Hey, there's Emma!
Can we get a comment?

Can you answer
some questions?

Can we get a statement?

Emma, what do you think
of the PTA's decision to cancel prom?

Emma, do you have a response?

It's Frank DiLella
with New York 1's On Stage.

We're here for the opening night
of Eleanor! The Eleanor Roosevelt Musical,

starring the incomparable Dee Dee Allen.

- Dee Dee! You're a Broadway star.
- Yes, I am.

You have your choice of roles.
What drew you to Eleanor?

Well, Eleanor Roosevelt
was a brave, powerful, charismatic woman



who no one had ever heard of.

Her story needs to be told.

People need to know
it is possible to change the world,

whether you're
a homely middle-aged First Lady

or a Broadway star!

Barry Glickman! You were brilliant as FDR.

From the moment
I first stepped into FDR's shoes…

And when I say "shoes," I mean wheelchair.

…I had an epiphany.

I realized there is no difference

between the president of the United States
and a celebrity.

We both have power.
The power to change the world.

It's a weighty responsibility.

Let's talk process.

Bravo!

The first review is in.
New Jersey Star-Ledger.

Don't tell me…

Unless it's a rave or a mixed-positive.

It says we're a hit!

Oh, my God!

To Eleanor!
May she run for eternity!

To Eleanor!

It's just what we do.

The rest of the reviews are coming in!

New York Post,
Associated Press, New York Times.

The New York Times!

Wow…

What?

- Wow…
- What's happening?

This is not a review you want
when you have crappy advance sales.

This is gonna close us.

What didn't they like? Was it the hip-hop?

Yes, but not only that.

- For God's sake, Sheldon. Just read it.
- What? Read.

Okay, just the highlights.

"Barry Glickman's FDR might just be
the most insultingly misguided,

offensive, and laughable performance

that this reviewer has ever had
the squirming misfortune to endure."

That's not so bad.

- Do her. Do her.
- I'm just saying.

"Watching Dee Dee Allen's
Eleanor Roosevelt

croaking out a heavy-handed
message of activism

is like paying an aging drag queen

to shove a syrup-soaked
American flag down my throat."

Well, that…

That's not criticism.

That's just… It's just a per…
…a personal attack.

"If you're considering buying a ticket
to this show, do yourself a favor."

"Buy a few feet
of good, heavy rope instead

and then go hang yourself."

Oh, God! Oh, God!

What?
Was the show really that bad?

It's not the show. It's you two.

You're just not likeable.

- What?
- What?

Nobody likes a narcissist.

- Oh, this…
- Oh, that.

Leave it to me. I'll go and try
and change the narrative once again.

- I hate this world! This is bullshit!
- Just horrible. It's just… It hurts.

It… It hurts my heart.

Where did everybody go?

- What can I get you?
- Yola Mezcal blackberry smash.

My condolences, Dee Dee.

But remember, you have friends.

Thank you. Who are you?

Trent Oliver.

- We've done five shows together.
- Oh, really? Oh, my God.

Trent went to Juilliard.
Won't shut up about it.

- Oh, right, Trent! Of course, Trent!
- Trent.

Why are you dressed like a waiter?

- I'm in between gigs at the moment.
- Hmm.

Honestly, Dee Dee, I feel adrift
as I did in my days before Juilliard.

Oh, my God.

You see, my passions are fueled
by the power of Lady Theater

and how she can,
with a gentle touch of her hand,

sculpt a human soul.

- But we learned at Juilliard…
- Oh, mother of God.

If I could soliloquize,
"If you prick me, do I not bleed?"

"And if you do not pay me,
do I not still act?"

That might be enough.

Still, I have played Hamlet,

and yet I'm only known as that guy
from the beloved early aughts' sitcom…

Talk to the Hand.

I question
the very meaning of my existence.

Maggie Smith once approached me
in a men's bathroom and she said,

"Who sent you? Was it Michelle Dockery?"

"Because the court said 500 yards."
You could tell she was scared.

- Hey, guys!
- Angie! Angie.

I'm sorry your show
closed on opening night again!

Welcome to the world
of the unemployed. Top me off.

I thought you were in Chicago.

I just quit.

Twenty years in the chorus and they still
wouldn't let me play Roxie Hart.

- Aw.
- You wanna know who's playing the role?

- Kelly Ripa?
- Cher?

- Connie Chung.
- Kris Jenner?

No, Tina Louise.

Ginger from Gilligan's Island.

Oh, my God, is she still alive?

We're wasting our lives.

Hmm, it's true.
At least we're all in the same boat.

"Misery acquaints a man
with strange bedfellows."

- Oh, my God.
- That's from The Tempest.

Okay, one, shut up.
Two, I refuse to give up, okay?

We're… We're still celebrities.
We still have power.

Now, The Times
sort of castrated you as it were.

Yep. They wrote you off
as aging narcissists.

I still don't understand
what's wrong with that.

There's a very simple way
that we can still love ourselves

yet appear to be
decent human beings, okay?

We will become celebrity activists.

- Oh! Brilliant!
- Right?

- All we need is a cause.
- A cause célèbre.

Everybody think of some causes. Go.

- Um, poverty?
- Too big.

World hunger.

That is also a major thing.
No, we need something we can handle.

Some little injustice
we can drive to. Recycling.

- Let's see what's trending.
- Recycling's good.

- Why are there so many award shows?
- Parking.

- Or the TVs in the back of cabs.
- Oh! Oh, yeah, what about this girl?

Oh, my gosh. Check this out.

- What girl?
- It's all over Twitter.

She's from Edgewater, Indiana.

She's a lesbian. She wanted to take
her girlfriend to the high school prom,

and the PTA went apeshit
and they canceled it.

They canceled prom?

- Are they allowed to do that?
- No.

Principal Hawkins,
your response.

The first thing I'm going to do
is contact the Indiana state's attorney.

This is not about school rules.
This is a civil rights case.

Wait, seriously?

I'm betting pressure from the state's
attorney will stop these bigots cold.

It better.
Because I'll tell you this much.

If word gets out,
people are gonna get mad.

This pisses me off.

The next thing you know,
some modern-day Eleanor Roosevelt

is gonna march down here
and all hell's gonna break loose.

We have got to go down there
and raise holy hell.

We will be the biggest thing
to happen in Indiana

since… whatever's happened in Indiana.

- So this is it? This is our cause?
- Yes. Are you with me?

- We'll have a rally!
- Yes!

- We'll have picket signs!
- We'll make T-shirts.

We'll get Sheldon to tag along.
He can find us a venue.

Oh, wow!

- Can we actually do this?
- You bet your sweet MILF ass we can!

We are gonna prove…

Okay, now we have got to get an anthem!

- Like "We Are The World."
- Yes, but for lesbians.

Steve Sondheim'll write us something.
He's a big fan of my Sweeney Todd.

I'll handle this.

Wait. How are we gonna get there?

I just booked a non-union tour of Godspell
and it goes straight through Indiana.

- You can come with us on the bus.
- See? It's all coming together!

Now let's go start a fight.

Do you like the bears?

Yeah, you know,
I'm pretty sure this breaks a few laws.

- It's our way of saying thank you, Emma.
- Yeah. Thanks for canceling prom.

I didn't cancel prom. Your parents did.

Come on. Lay off her.

- Oh, are you on her side now?
- No.

I'm just not in third grade.
See you at practice.

Unlike your social life, this isn't over.

Hey, Emma. Hey, who's this girl
you were gonna bring to the prom, anyway?

I didn't know we had
more than one lesbo in town.

- You don't know her. She's new here.
- Like an exchange student?

- Maybe.
- Mmm.

Well, then why don't you, like,
exchange her for a guy?

Ooh! Dude! Nice!

Okay. I just got off the phone
with the state's attorney.

She thinks this is a civil rights issue.
This is a big deal, Emma.

So, what are you saying?

I'm just saying I'm really excited
to be a part of something like this.

We'll see how the PTA meeting goes.

Well, it's not gonna be fun.
We'll get through it.

Just take a sec. Relax.

- Blue one. Blue.
- This stop motion sickness?

Mmm-hmm, and everything else.

Okay. Enough! Enough!

Stop singing, stop!
You're making me hate God.

- You're scaring them.
- They're scaring me.

How about we do some trust exercises?

Yeah? Good.

Hotel is booked. Breakfast isn't included,
but there is a Waffle Shed next door.

- Sounds delicious.
- Mmm-hmm.

We're doing a great thing here.
We're being great people.

This is all great.

This is gonna get me my third Tony Award.

- Oh, my God.
- What?

Oh, come on, you know
how political the Tonys are.

They don't vote for you.
They vote for your brand.

My brand is
a little tarnished at the moment.

'Cause of the infamous tirade
at the Longacre Theatre?

When a cell phone goes off
in the middle of a performance…

- I can't be held responsible.
- It was your cell phone!

- I didn't know that!
- It was in your wig!

I didn't know that at the time. Anyway…

All the goodwill that we're gonna get
from this thing will wash me clean,

and I will win, no matter what
my next project is.

You're just greedy.
I'd be happy with one Tony.

- I thought I had a shot with FDR.
- Mmm-hmm.

I need a win.

I'm so sick of all the rejection.
I'm no Dee Dee Allen.

- A lot of bile.
- Well, I'm angry at life.

No, I mean Trent. He's retching again.

You were saying something about your…

I got into this business,
yes, because I loved it,

but also to prove
to everyone who doubted me,

my… teachers, the kids
on the school bus, my horrible parents,

that I could do something.
Something important.

That's exactly what we are doing.

Something important.

I just hope we don't screw it up.

Hit it.

I'm sorry, you're telling us
that the state's attorney

is forcing us to have a prom?

No, the state's attorney
wants us to hold an inclusive prom.

Yes.

Because that's what they feel
best reflects America's values.

Well, this isn't America. This is Indiana.

All right.

Just to be clear, this is America

and everyone gets to have an opinion...
Oh, just like you.

My son will not be forced
to go to a homosexual prom.

Thank you, Beverly! Thank you!

Again, it is not a homosexual prom.
It is an inclusive prom…

- With homosexuals.
- You don't have to attend...

You don't have to attend
if you don't want to.

Look… I… I'm sorry you're upset,

but the organization of the prom is
within the purview of the student council.

Let's hear what they have to say. Alyssa?

Uh… Okay.

Well, we want prom to go on, obviously.

It's supposed to be
a celebration of all students...

Okay. No, thank you. It's fine, everyone.

Sweetheart, I'm so sorry,
but this is not a student matter.

This is about government…
tearing our community apart.

It's about big government
taking away our freedom of choice.

Okay. Okay.

This is not about government intervention.

Emma, what is this about?

I just want to go to prom
like any other kid.

Mmm-hmm. But you can't.

She can't, and that's why
the courts are involved.

Ask yourself.

What exactly is it that you find
so frightening about gay people?

Hold it! Stop! Stop!

Hold it!

What you are doing here is wrong.

I'm sorry. Who are you?

Where is our girl? Where's Emma? Emma!

I'm Emma.

Emma, my name is Barry, and I'm here
to tell you that you are not alone.

Okay? I am as gay as a bucket of wigs.

A bucket of them!

And we are here from New York City
and we are gonna save you.

Tomorrow, we will hold a rally.

- There'll be banners and choreography.
- Excuse me.

- Excuse me!
- Shame! Shame!

Excuse me!

What is going on? Who are you people?

We are liberals from Broadway.

Oh, shut up!

We are here to open
your hearts and your minds.

The five of us are gonna teach you…

- Where's Dee Dee?
- You'll see.

All right.

Oh, my God. That's Dee Dee Allen.

Sing it, Eleanor!

Get them out of here now!

No.

That's cute.

Who was responsible for that? Was it you?

Me? No, I have no idea
what just happened in there.

Strangers burst in hurling insults
at the parents, and you do nothing.

What kind of school
are you running here, Mr. Hawkins?

Excuse me, Miss Allen.
I'm Tom. Tom Hawkins.

I am the principal and I just, um…
What are you doing?

We have come to show this community

that gay people
and gay-positive icons, such as myself,

are made of the same
flesh and blood as they are.

If they don't have gay people here,
why is my Scruff going crazy right now?

We're not monsters.

We're cultural disruptors.

I'm a fan.

- Really?
- Yeah. Yes, I am.

What kind of a fan?
Big fan? Small fan? Scary stabby fan?

You could say that I'm a big fan. Yes.

Really? That's so surprising
because you're not my usual demographic.

- You mean Black?
- No, straight.

You are straight, right?

Yes. I am.
Straight people like Broadway too.

I've heard that.
Always thought it was a fairy tale.

- So to speak.
- So to speak. Well, it's true.

Um, I've been a fan since I saw you

in the show for which
you won your first Tony.

- No! You saw Swallow the Moon?
- I did.

The number at the top of the second act,
"The Lady's Improving"? Chills.

That song made me a star.

It made me a fan.

- Uh, Dee Dee, we gotta make haste.
- Okay.

Uh, Miss Allen, I just…
This is a very delicate situation.

I'm asking you and your friends
to back off for a few days.

- Back off?
- Yeah.

Backing off
is exactly what we're not going to do.

I see what's happening here.
You're trying to disarm me with flattery.

It's not going to work, Tom.
Flattery makes me stronger.

Fuels my ego.

- That was insane.
- I know.

- I'm really freaking out.
- Don't freak out.

We have a plan, remember?

We're gonna get dressed up and go to prom

and be together in public,
not hide anymore.

Are you sure about this?

There's only one thing I'm sure about.

It's my mom. I gotta go.

Okay.

Bye…

Oh, God.

It's worse than the bus.

At least it's quieter. Huh?

I need a drink.

Hello?

Oh. Dickinson, four rooms.
I called yesterday.

Four rooms of varying size

to reflect the hierarchy
of the company, right?

Where is my suite?

We don't have a suite.

- Now do you have a suite?
- Oh!

No, we don't have any suites.
All the rooms are the same.

Surely you know who I am.

At the very least,
I would like a room next to the spa.

Uh, there's no spa.

Angie, what is this place?
We're all gonna get stabbed and stuffed.

- You know that, right?
- Orbitz gave it three stars!

Do you have any cabins?

No, we don't have any cabins.

- How about now?
- What is that?

It's a Drama Desk. You know what it is.

- I vomited in the bus again.
- Mmm.

Can I see the hotel doctor, please?

Oh, my God, it's you.

I can't believe it. It's actually you.

You're the guy from Talk to the Hand.
It's on every night at 9:00 after...

- Can I have my room, please?
- Okay, let's get started. All right?

- Let's change some minds.
- Uh…

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Oh! A wishing well!

Make a wish, Dee Dee.

Death. I wish for death.

Okay, Sheldon's working on a venue.
Now, how's the song?

Uh, about that.
I was misled by my representation.

Mr. Sondheim is not a fan
of my Sweeney Todd.

- Quite the opposite, actually.
- Oh, my God…

Jesus, Trent, you screwed us.

Don't worry.
I wrote something myself. Yeah.

It's quite rousing,

and in a very humane key.

The Godspell kids will back us up,

and they have their own costumes.
You're welcome.

- Oh, my God.
- Yeah!

This is awful.

We can't perform this.
They'll boo us off the stage.

No, all we need is a simple message
that tugs at the heartstrings

and a little pageantry.

- We have everything we need right here.
- Except a venue.

O ye of little faith.

I got one!
And a crowd of 2,500 guaranteed.

- What?
- That's amazing!

What is it? One of those
beautiful Antebellum theaters?

No, it's, uh…

An arena.

An arena?

So it's come to this.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Truckosaurus,
the car-eating robot dinosaur,

will not be your
half-time entertainment today.

Instead, we have some guests
who've come from New York

to sing us a song about intolerance.

Hi there.

I'm Trent Oliver, actor, activist…

And Juilliard graduate.

Emma, this one's for you.

Ladies and gentlemen, two-time
Tony Award winner, Miss Dee Dee Allen.

- Trent, I could rip your face off.
- I'm sorry.

You made me fail.
I am so sick of failing.

What do we do now?

We leave.

- First we kill Trent, then we leave.
- What about the girl?

Hello, everyone…

We have some news. Emma and I
wanted to be the ones to tell you,

thanks to pressure from the state's
attorney's office, prom is back on!

- What?
- Prom is back on!

We did it!

Yay!

See? We're not narcissists.

Just to be clear, uh,
it's not because of you…

Well, maybe it was.

I mean, everybody started freaking out
when you got here.

The lawyer might've had legal power,
but you really scared people.

- Aw!
- We scared people!

Important thing is, it's a victory.

Now you get to go to prom
like everybody else!

- Yes!
- What are you gonna wear?

I was thinking like a vintage tux
and some high tops.

I don't know. Does it matter?

Does it…

- Honey…
- Sweetheart, boo-boo.

I don't know you, okay?
And you don't know me,

but I am begging you,
let me dress you for the prom.

- Okay? Yeah?
- Okay.

We're going to Saks.

- Uh, there's no Saks here.
- We have a Kmart!

- A what?
- A Kmart.

Fine.

We'll check out
the Reba McEntire collection at Kmart,

do a little fashion show.

Okay! Oh, can we do it tomorrow?
We can meet at my place.

I have to go and find out
if I still have a date.

Sure. I'll go ahead, do a pre-shop.

Okay? Will you give me a ride
in your pickup truck?

Are you saying that because I'm a lesbian,
I drive a pickup?

- Well, do you?
- Shut up.

- Anybody hungry?
- I could drink.

- What's around here?
- I saw a Big Boy by the highway.

- Ooh, they have a gay bar here?
- I love Big Boy.

Oh, gay bar. Can't go. I'd be mobbed.

Oh! Of course.

- So, it's nice to see Emma smile again.
- Yes.

She's had a rough go of it.

I gathered that. Yeah.

- Even before the prom controversy.
- Oh?

When she came out, her parents,
well, they threw her out of the house.

- Really?
- Yeah. Yeah. She was 16.

- It was, uh, pretty ugly.
- Oh…

Anyway, um…

Thank you for helping her…

Or trying to.

Yeah…

- Uh, Tom?
- Yes, yeah?

Is there a restaurant in town
that has plates and cutlery and…

Oh, uh, there's an Applebee's by the mall.

- Would you like to go?
- Yes.

Take me now to this Apples & Bees place.

All right.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

How nice of you.

- Guess what today is?
- What?

Promposal day!

Hey, Kaylee!

- You're such an idiot. Yes!
- Whoo!

Hey, Shelby, you're next.

Sí! Sí, señor!

You did it.
No, you actually did it.

We have a prom because of you.

It's like a love bomb went off.
I've seen six promposals today.

People are gonna see us
dancing together and kissing.

It's gonna be impossible not to kiss you.

Oh, my God, and you know,
what's my mom going to think?

I mean, she'll be in public,
so she can't totally freak out.

It doesn't matter what she does.
This is about us.

This is about us finally being us.

I save all of my money.
I go to New York every summer.

- I see as many Broadway shows as I can.
- Oh.

When I run out of money,
I second act them.

Don't tell anybody.

Bad!

My point is,
I've seen you many, many times.

Mr. Hawkins.

Mrs. Greene.

Hello. I'm Dee Dee Allen.

- We haven't officially met.
- No.

- Hello. Dee Dee Allen.
- We're aware.

Ms. Allen, I'm sure that you are
very well-versed in the ways of the world

and Broadway in particular.
That's a community.

But you don't know us.
You don't know this town and our values.

No, well, I'm just here
advocating on behalf of a young girl

whose voice perhaps is not heard
by some in the community.

Yes. Well, perhaps you should stick
to acting instead of activism.

Enjoy your meal.

We didn't mean
to make anything worse here.

I appreciate everything that you're doing.

Well, let's just drop it.

Yeah.

Tell me…

I've never said this before to anyone.

Tell me about you.

- About me?
- Yeah.

I don't know.
I'm just a small-town principal.

Uh, you know, it can be frustrating,
but, uh, at least I have a job.

Yeah, lucky you.

Single.

Sorry?

I'm single. Just putting that out there.

Really?

I'm surprised.

Oh, well, I'm surprised you're surprised.

The two things
I'm most passionate about in the world

are Broadway musicals
and secondary school administration.

I typed that into a dating website once,
and a little message popped up that said,

"You will have zero matches forever."

But you're so smart
and you're really good-looking.

Well, if I…

Thank you.

It's just, I look at people like you,

and I just think how lucky you are
to be surrounded by your people.

My wh... My people?

I wasn't born on Broadway. You know?

I'm from Zelienople, Pennsylvania.

Yeah, I grew up dirt poor.

This whole…

All this, I invented it.

Yeah. I'm just a small-town girl and…

- I had a big dream.
- Hmm.

Single, just putting it out there.

Well, I'm divorced.

Oh, I think I read about that.
Eddie Sharpe, the talk show host?

Yeah, right.

It lasted 15 heart-pulverizing years.

I imagine it must be hard being
Dee Dee Allen, being a Broadway star.

You know, it is hard.

Sometimes I think I really…
I just want to quit.

No. No, please, you can't...
You can't do that.

Why not?

Because I need you to do what you do.

So, theater's a distraction.
Is that what you mean?

A distraction is momentary.
An escape helps you heal.

You make it sound so beautiful.

- That's a nice picture.
- Oh, it's terrible.

Look at the backdrop.
Clouds? What, are we flying?

It's sweet.

Well…

You know, she needed proof
she was still part of the family,

and nothing says family
like a Sears family portrait.

- Is there booze in this?
- There sure is.

- When you said lemonade…
- Well, it's Indiana lemonade.

Okay, it's official. I love you.
You're the cool grandmother I never had.

Hey, let me ask you something.
What happened with Emma?

You're not a mother,
so you can't know what it's like

to see your own daughter
give up her child.

I'm sorry.

When Emma came out,
oh, they could not handle it.

To bad parents and their broken progeny.

Although Emma is fine. She's a strong kid.

Oh, I wasn't talking about her.

What? You got kicked out too?

Well, I left before they could do that.

So the only
nice dress I have is this.

Wow.

Okay, I mean, yeah, yep,
you could wear that to prom

or keep it lying around

in case there's a remake of
Little House on the Prairie.

Okay. That's it. I like him.

Emma, please let me
dress you for this prom.

I don't know. This is all so crazy.
What did you wear to your prom?

Well, I was going to wear a silver tux,

aqua accessories, the whole look.

I waited outside, anxious to see my crush,

but when I saw him with his date, I froze.

I couldn't go in.

I didn't have your courage.

This isn't about me.

This is about you.

And I promise you are going
to have the night of your life.

What is your date wearing?

I don't know.

I've never been to her house before.

Her mom doesn't know about us.

How long have you been together?

- A year and a half.
- Oh, honey.

But she's coming out tonight, big time.
That's the plan.

I'm really scared.

Would you get over here?

The point is you are brave.

You made all this happen.

When you walk into that gym tonight,
you know what people are gonna see?

They're going to see
the bravest person on the planet.

This is so hard.
Does every girl go through this?

Yes, all across town,

girls are spraying on their tans
and whitening their teeth,

trying to look their best for the prom,
but they're wasting their time

because they don't have the glow
that you have right now.

I trust you completely,
and that's kind of scary too.

Can we please go shop? Can we mall it?

- Is that okay?
- Yes, mall the hell out of it!

- Let's go.
- Okay!

But get changed. This is disgusting.

I think I'll pass.

It fits!

Now, whatever we choose,
you've gotta remember to sell it.

How do I do that?

Allow Miss Glickman to demonstrate.

Come on!

Yes, ma'am!

What?

Oh, God,
I can't believe this is finally happening.

I know.
She almost ruined it for all of us.

Well, what goes around comes around.

- You look hot.
- You look so hot.

Alyssa, you look so beautiful.

You should always
wear your hair like this.

- Mom.
- Yeah?

I just want you to know
what's gonna happen tonight.

No. Can we not spoil this, please?

I have worked so hard for tonight.
I have a right to enjoy it too.

You are going to have
a wonderful prom like a normal girl.

- I've made sure of that.
- What is that supposed to mean?

Wait there.
I'll get the door. Okay? Okay.

- Are you ready?
- We're ready. We can't wait.

- Here, hold this. I wanna get the picture.
- Okay. here we go.

- Wow.
- Oh, my God!

Look at you!

You look amazing!

Are you sure it's not too girly?

Aw. No, it's just
the right amount of girly.

- You did well.
- Right?

Hey, where's your date?

We're meeting in the gym.
She's still a little shy about all this.

Well, this is where we leave you.

Our work here is done.

You go. You have the time of your life.

Can you walk me in? I'm a little nervous.

Of course. Hey, hold on tight.

- Ready?
- Yep.

- Clutch in this hand.
- Oh, sorry!

Aw.

Come on.

- Who wants punch?
- Only if it's spiked.

The walk away. The cute little truck.

- We're doin' it!
- Go ahead.

What's going on?

I'm putting the pieces together.
Gimme a sec.

- What is happening?
- Where is everybody?

Something is really wrong.
The whole parking lot is completely empty.

God. What's the theme
of this prom? Death row?

Mr. Hawkins, where are all the kids?
I don't understand.

Mom, what's happening?
Why aren't we at the gym?

At the last minute, there was a problem,
so we had to change venues.

No, Mom, what's going on?

The courts told the PTA
they had to hold an inclusive prom.

Don't worry. It's fine.
We did what we were required to do.

There was some resistance.

So the parents met without my knowledge,
and they've organized two proms.

One for the kids
at the Elks Lodge in town.

And this one just for you.

- We gave her a prom.
- You did what?

Wait, no, no.

I got texts from kids at school.
Everybody said it was here.

And they were lying to you.
It was part of the plan.

- You lied to me.
- Oh, yeah? Who's the liar?

We know about you and Emma,
and trust me, we're doing you a favor.

No.

- Oh, my God. This is so cruel.
- I'm gonna cry.

Okay, honey. Look at me.

- Angie.
- Yeah.

- I want to go home.
- I know you do.

- This isn't happening.
- And you got us, and this is awful.

- No, no.
- Honey.

- Alyssa?
- I swear I had no idea.

How could you not know?
You were on the prom committee.

It was Shelby and Kaylee.

They figured out we were together
and they made sure I didn't find out.

- They didn't want me to tell you.
- Then come meet me.

I can't.

Look, my mother's here.

Well, leave her.
Tell her you're gay!

Tell her we're in love.
That was the plan, wasn't it?

I'm really sorry.

Have fun at the normal person's prom.

Wait. Emma.

Emma!

Okay. Here's what we're gonna do.
We are going to that prom, okay?

They can't stop us.
We will march into that room...

No! No, enough.

This is already
the worst night of my life.

Please, just stop helping me.

Emma! Emma!

This is a complete disaster.

This is a PR problem.

No, Sheldon.
We had a PR problem back in New York.

This was supposed to solve that.

But this…

This is heartbreaking.

This is why you came here? For publicity?

I have been asked
to read a statement.

"What happened here
was not the result of some elaborate plan

to humiliate this girl,
as has been reported in the press."

"The James Madison High School
Parent-Teacher Association

felt Emma would not be safe

if we allowed her
to attend prom with the other students

because the uncomfortable truth

is there are people in our community
who are offended by her life choices."

I can't even wrap my head around this.
It's a nightmare. Oh, my God!

I wanna be the cockeyed optimist here

'cause I played Nellie Forbush
in South Pacific.

It was a dinner theater production, but…

This is horrible. It really is.

Thanks for hanging out with me
these past couple of days.

You've been a good friend.

- I have?
- You have. You seem surprised.

No, I just…

I'm a chorus girl. You know, I just…

No one ever thanks me.
They don't even see me.

Spend my whole life
trying to stay in the game,

and keep my day-drinking under control.

That's really nice. Thanks, kid.

Hey, you're going to get through this.
I know it.

I thought that when my parents
rejected me and stopped loving me

that I would never feel any worse,
you know?

And now this…

And I feel worse.

- Honey…
- I've never felt so alone in my life.

But you're not alone. You're not.

You got me. Hmm?

And we are ride-or-die,
and you do have friends.

Where are they?

- This is it.
- Yes.

- No.
- Well, okay.

- Emma, can we come in?
- Yes.

- We brought Häagen-Dazs.
- That's fancy ice cream.

I know what Häagen-Dazs is. Hand it over.

Emma, I know you said
you didn't want us to help anymore,

but we cannot let them get away with this.
We have got to fight back.

Okay, I know everybody's really angry.

But I think we have to admit
that we have made things worse.

I think the best thing we can do
is disinfect our things and go back home.

- No, we are not leaving.
- No!

Dee Dee, we are gonna stay here,
and we're going to turn this thing around.

- We gotta take back the press.
- Yes, how?

Emma, you've got to step up
and be the face of this thing.

And that's going to get her a prom?

This is not about a prom anymore.
This is about right and wrong.

We need a national audience, prime time.

You want a big audience fast?
We gotta use our ace in the hole.

- One call to Eddie Sharpe is all we need.
- No. No.

- Dee Dee!
- He's right.

If I ask him for something,
he will want something in return,

and what he will want
is the Hamptons house.

He's been trying to get it for years.

Okay. Okay, fine. Look, Sheldon,
you got to get that girl on TV.

- Okay.
- Great.

No, not great.

I'm sorry, but there is no way
I'm getting in front of a camera

and telling my story
to millions of people. I can't do that.

- See?
- Please. Please, just go.

- Emma, if you do nothing... Okay.
- Barry. Go.

- Okay, I get it. Okay. Okay.
- Go. Go, go, go. Go, go.

I got this.
I know what I'm doing.

Let me do my thing.

There must be a way to rid this community,
and by extension, the nation,

of this cancer of intolerance.

What are you even doing here?
What happened to Godspell?

Indianapolis was canceled,
as was the naval base at Guantánamo Bay.

What I'm thinking I'm going to do is this.

Venture forth and seek out
the young people and rap,

in a non-musical sense.

Let's go get some more, huh?

Two spoons this time.

Come on.

Gotta stop.

Before you lecture me or kick me to death
with those crazy antelope legs of yours,

or whatever you're gonna do,
I know I should do something.

I just can't.

You gotta do this.

You gotta do it for all of us people

that are standing in the wings,
waiting to go on.

- I'm too scared.
- Hmm.

Let me tell you a story.

It's 1975

and the original company of Chicago
is in previews,

and the worst flu in history
hits the cast.

They're down to the third cover
for the role of Roxie Hart

and she's scared, just like you are.

And Fosse, who is a real ballbuster,
is putting her through her paces

and she's petrified.

Worst of all, she's doing the routine
like she's a robot.

So the Foss, he says,
"Hey, kid. Snap out of it."

"You got the steps."

"You've got the notes."

"Where's the zazz, baby?"

And even though
she'd never heard that word before,

she knew immediately what it meant.

And she went out there
and she found that spotlight,

and she crushed that performance so hard,

she had that whole audience standing
on their feet screaming bloody murder!

And that girl was you!

What?

How old do you think I am?

It was 1975! No.

The point is
every Fosse girl knows that story.

It's all about finding your light.

I just don't think I can do it.

The thought of getting up
in front of all of those people.

Look at my hands, they're shaking.

- Doesn't that feel better?
- No.

Try this.

This is awkward.

You don't understand the concept of zazz.

The zazz is not the moves.
The zazz comes from within.

Do the moves and give it some zazz.

Close your eyes.

Think about Mrs. Greene.

Think about that fake prom.

Now think of finally
doing something about it.

Oh, I'm seeing it! I'm seeing your zazz!

Now, follow me!

Now that you found your zazz,
it's time to show it to the world.

- You think you know how?
- Yeah!

You've sort of been,
you know, the woman in my life.

You've been the man in mine.

And I was thinking
this could be our last time…

We shouldn't be doing this.

Oh, it's rom-com Friday.
Rom-com Friday is sacred.

We should be helping Emma.

- We gotta get her on TV.
- Sheldon is on it. Come on.

- How does this work, anyway?
- It's infrared.

- It reduces inflammation.
- Oh, good.

But you can't keep it on too long.
It'll blow your face off.

What?

Saw this movie with Eddie.

- It was our first date.
- Was it really?

- Yeah.
- Mmm.

Then he… took me out for dinner after.

Well, I took him out.

He didn't have any money.

He was just starting out in comedy,
and he didn't have the big show like now.

Fifteen years, he didn't have any money.

And I picked up the tab. I paid.

- That was a bad move.
- No kidding. I'm still paying.

Can I make an observation?

Is it a pleasant observation
or is it an irritating one?

You're not over him.

No, don't say that. I am not…

Trust me. I am…

I am way over him.

I'm just mad at myself, you know, I am so…

Why it took me so long to…

Figure it out.

You know? I believed him.
I believed him every single time.

"I promise you, it's nothing."

"It's meaningless.
She's nothing to me. It's over."

I finally got the message, you know.
He didn't love me.

He didn't…

He didn't even like me.

But he liked the money.

Oh, yeah, so I got out.

I got out…

And I gave him half my money.

And now here we are, singing to trucks.

And he's got a hit TV show.

And I still owe him
half my unemployment check.

It's Eddie Sharpe!

Whoa, hey!

Welcome, everybody!
What's today's words of wisdom?

Never sign a prenup!

And you know what the worst part is?

I shut down.

He took my little,
delicate blueberry heart,

and he just… squished it.

- What?
- Here's what you're gonna do, okay?

You're gonna wear something
heart-stopping, like that yellow cape

and those cute little boots.

And you are gonna march down

to that principal's office
like a bad, bad girl.

Tom?

- Tom is a fan. Friend.
- Hmm?

Well…

He likes you.

As a fan. Friend.

I don't know.
Not even that much anymore.

Okay, let's cut the crap.
I would kill, kill,

to have a guy look at me
the way that he looks at you.

Stop it.

You're just…
You're poking my heart with your finger.

Your still-beating,
delicate little blueberry heart?

Do you think he really, really likes me?

Oh, my God, yes!

Barry!

- I love you! I love you!
- I love you! I love you!

You're just such a great… everything.

Okay, no, no, no. Okay.

This, the master stroke, your idea.

- And the boots?
- And the little cute boots.

This is it.

That is good.

Mmm, now…

You.

I've been thinking about you
since we got here.

Oh, God. I knew this was gonna
somehow turn around to me.

And I think it's time somebody poked
that gay little heart of yours.

Are we doing this? Fine. Uh…

Do I only go for 10s
when I know I'm a 6.2? Yes and...

Your parents. You're from Ohio, right?

So?

We're in Indiana.

- Ohio, Indiana, they're close.
- I can see where you're driving this.

You have two living parents

that you'll never be nearer to
than you are right now.

- I think you should call them.
- No.

They threw me away.

Well, did they really?

I told them that I was gay,

and they said that they would take me
to therapy to change myself completely.

Let your parents see who you are
before it's too late.

If you don't…

You'll regret it.

I'm not the one who should have regrets.

I was the kid.

I was the kid!

I was 16.

Sixteen years old. I was terrified.

Terrified!

And I needed one thing from them
and they couldn't give it to me.

So don't you…

Would the following students

please report to after-school detention?

Harlan Doolittle…

Hi.

…Olivia Blanc, Frances Doolittle.
Thank you.

Well, they each had a bite.

- Ooh, what'd you do?
- Yeah, a big bite.

I appreciate it. Bye-bye.

Am I interrupting something?

I was just doing some research,

trying to figure out
if urinal cakes are poisonous.

Uh, how can I help you?

Well, I've just been wandering
around town all day.

I've seen the… sight.

And, um…

Bottom line is I just thought
you might want to take me to dinner

and worship me again.

No, I would not like to do that.

Now if you'll excuse me,
I've got work to do.

Okay, what's going on here?
Why is everybody always so mad at me?

Well, speaking for myself,
it's because you're an opportunist.

You came here for publicity.
You're a terrible person.

No, no. Nobody gets to
talk to me that way. Nobody!

You know, meeting you in person
has been colossally disappointing.

I wanted you to be Dolores.

Who the hell is Dolores?

From Swallow the Moon.

She was joyful.
She was full of courage and hope.

- Okay, but she was fictional.
- But you made her real.

When you sang
"The Lady's Improving" to Troy Gibson,

you were admitting you weren't perfect
and you knew you could be better,

and that's why
he didn't fire you from the circus act.

Such humility and dignity.

- That's who I thought you were.
- Well, I'm not.

I'm not Dolores.

I'm just a really, really,
really good actress. And you…

You're just some hick town
high school teacher

who can't even tell the difference
between fantasy and reality.

- Are we done?
- Oh, yeah, we're done.

I know what you're doing.

You're trying to appeal to the fan in me.

It won't work. I'm not a fan anymore.

Seriously, Dee Dee, this is unsettling.

It's like having a fantasy
I don't want to have.

Hey!

I need you to stop.

Okay, I admit that got to me.

See? See?

I'm not a total lost cause.
That was a totally selfless act.

I mean, people would pay
premium prices for that performance.

All right, you guys are dismissed.

Dee Dee, not charging for an apology
is not a selfless act.

What the hell?

If you want people to like you
instead of hate you, you have to be good.

A good person. You have to put
other people's interests before your own.

You don't understand.
I am a celebrity.

It is all about me.
It has been for decades.

That's the point of celebrity.
So I have to be reprogrammed.

I have to unlearn things
like shoving and taking.

- You know…
- Yes.

I need help with that. I need a…

Teacher.

Please.

Let's go some place and talk
about how to be good human beings.

Apples & Bees?

Hi.

Thanks for meeting me.
I was afraid you wouldn't come...

What do you want?

- I'm sorry about what happened.
- Were you in on it?

Emma! You know me.

Do I?

What is this?

What are we?

- No, you know what we are.
- No, I don't.

Do you know what it was like

standing there in that stupid dress
alone in the gym,

knowing that people got together
and planned the best way to hurt me?

- That must've been awful.
- It was.

But the worst part…

The worst part was that you didn't come
even though you knew what happened.

You didn't come and try and hold my hand
or take me out of there.

- I couldn't, okay?
- Why?

You know what my mother is like.

She's a complete and total control freak.

I'm gonna go public and tell my story.

- Will you do it with me?
- I want to. I...

Yeah, wanting to isn't enough.

I believe you have feelings for me.

But I can't do this anymore.
It hurts too much.

Are you breaking up with me?

I guess I am, yeah.

Bye.

I saw it on CNN. They said that
Edgewater, Indiana overflows with bigotry.

Hey, look.
It's that guy from Talk to the Hand.

Hey, guys. I was just taking a walk,
enjoying the sweet scent of Americana.

We're not interested.

I feel like
there's an ideological divide between us,

but if we got to know each other,
we could bridge it, right?

So I'll start.

I'm Trent. I'm an actor.

My instrument was forged
in the fiery furnace that is Juilliard.

I'm sure your drama teachers
told you about that institution.

- We don't have a drama program.
- Explains your general lack of empathy.

Let's start with you.

- Me?
- Yes. Why do you hate gay people?

- Hey, I'm a good person, right, Shelby?
- Yeah. Yeah, we all are.

- We go to church.
- Yeah, we're Christian.

Well, I'm sure there are a lot of rules
in the Bible that you break every day.

Well, that's different.

Is it?

You can't cherry-pick the Bible,
choosing which parts you want to believe.

We don't do that.

Uh, you don't?

Then what's this?

What?

Hey!

What?

Really?

- You know, you kind of make sense.
- What are you talking about?

Oh, come on. You guys don't even feel,
like, slightly bad for Emma?

- I mean, you guys used to hang out.
- That was before she turned gay.

Maybe she was always gay.

Exactly, because that's the way
God made her, Shelby.

- Come on. What?
- Whatever.

- Hey! It's the Godspell kids!
- Hey, Trent. What's going on?

- You guys'll back me up.
- With what?

He's just trying to confuse us.
Because my stepdad always says...

Stepdad?
Do you mean your parents are divorced?

Yeah, and?

Well, divorce is a big no-no.

Yes!

Please.

- Hi, everyone.
- Hi!

It's okay, it's okay.
He knows what we're up to.

And I'm on board,
as long as Emma's comfortable with it.

Well, she's outta luck,
'cause we got nothin'.

Uh, it's not over yet. Dee Dee.

- I have arranged a TV appearance for her…
- Mmm!

…on Eddie Sharpe.

She's booked
for tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m.

Not the house in the Hamptons.

Yes.

Hello, Eddie, it's Dee Dee,
your brutalized ex-wife.

But I'm calling
on another matter entirely.

What I did…

Was I put her interest ahead of my own.

I expect nothing in return.

I have no agenda
other than to ease someone else's burden.

Oh, Dee Dee,
that is incredibly generous of you!

I know!

Hang on. What kind of audience
are we talking about here?

I mean, Eddie Sharpe on a weekday?
Fifteen, sixteen million!

- Dee Dee! You saved the day!
- Yeah, I did.

- I love giving back. It's my new thing.
- There you go!

- Emma!
- Hi.

Emma! You wait until you hear the news.

Dee Dee has got you booked
on Eddie Sharpe tomorrow at 8:00

with an audience of 16 million people!

Wow! That's amazing. Thank you.

Oh, I'm just…
I'm so happy to be able to help.

And I'm gonna take a stand.

And I want to thank you all
because without your love and support,

I never would have found the courage.

But, um, the reason I came
was to tell you that…

I'm going to do it my way.

I'm not going on TV.

- You owe me a house!
- Oh, my God.

- You owe me a house!
- Go, go!

- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
- Run! Run!

She owes me a house! She owes me my house!

I need my house.

She's a very passionate woman.

So here's what's gonna happen.

I'm gonna do my thing, and in the end,

there will be a kick-ass prom
in Edgewater, Indiana, for everybody,

regardless of who they happen to love.

I know it.

That… That would be wonderful.

And when that happens,
I want you to be my date.

Wait, but what about…

We broke up.

Just say yes.

There's no one in the world
I'd rather go with.

God. Don't make me cry.

Of course I will go with you.

We are going to the prom.

God.

I can't believe it.

Going to the prom.

Go on.

Hello, interweb.

My name is Emma Nolan,
and I'm 17 and I'm gay.

You might have heard
about the fake prom in Indiana.

That was me.

It was awful in every way,

and I spent a lot of time
feeling sorry for myself.

So I wrote a song
for all the people out there

who love someone in a way
that the world just doesn't understand.

I know we all have stories to tell,
and here's mine.

Hi, Emma.
I loved your video. Where do I start?

I think my parents always knew.

I felt so alone.
Nothing made sense until him.

She's the best thing in my life.

The only good thing.

But we're always hiding.

You're not the only one.

This is too much.
It's too much for my heart.

That's why I wanted you guys to see it.
I've never been more proud.

- So when is the prom?
- There's no money left.

- What? What do you mean?
- We already had a prom, remember?

There could be a miracle. It's early.

Okay, people,
it's Mickey and Judy time. Okay?

This is the part
where we roll up our sleeves

and we put on a prom
with our own bare hands.

- We are giving Emma the prom she deserves.
- Okay, wait a minute.

How much are we talking about?
What does a prom cost?

I mean,
it's not a school-sanctioned event,

so we have to pay
a rental fee on the gym.

DJ.

- Lighting.
- Sound system.

It's still thousands of dollars.

Right. Um…

Okay, here.

Charge that until it declines,
which will be soon.

I had to declare bankruptcy
after my self-produced Notes on a Scandal.

Yes. Well…

I don't have a credit card anymore
because I…

Well, I just…

But, anyway, you can have what I have
in my Venmo and there's my cash.

It's all yours.

- Thanks, Angie.
- Sure.

Okay. This is my card
from the Actors Federal Credit Union.

Just cross your fingers and swipe.

All right. Well, we're making
some progress here. This is a nice start.

Um…

We still have a long way to go.

- Dee Dee. Dee Dee?
- What?

Oh, come on. I know you've got
an American Express black card in there.

There's no limit on that baby.

Please, please, no.
I already gave a house.

Exactly, so this is nothing. Come on.

Eleanor.

Franklin.

Why does being good
cost so much… money?

Well done, Dee Dee.

- Yes!
- We're fully financed.

- Yeah!
- Okay, well, let's give this girl a prom!

- Yes!
- Okay, let's do it!

The students will want to see us
perform some sort of number.

So, look, I…
I've been thinking hard about this.

That thing
that you and I were talking about.

- I called your mother.
- What?

Yeah, I found her number in your phone.

How did you know my passcode?

Well, I guessed. 9481. Beyoncé's birthday.

Got it on the first try.

- Well, why would you do that?
- Because, Barry…

- I know you couldn't do it on your own.
- What did she say?

Well, I think
maybe you should let her tell you that.

Hi, Barry.

Okay. I'm gonna give you some space,
and I'll be in the faculty lounge, okay?

No. No, you…
You don't get to do this. Okay?

You don't get to show up
out of nowhere. Okay? No. Uh-uh.

I came all this way, Barry.

Well, you can just turn around
and go right back, okay?

You called me, didn't you?

That was you who called
and hung up, wasn't it?

I handled this all wrong, honey.
And I'm so sorry.

Okay. You just… stay…

When you told us what you were,
who you were,

your father and I, we were scared.

We hardly knew what gay meant.

We both thought
that somehow we had failed you,

like maybe it was our fault.

So it's okay now?

What I needed was a mother
who didn't know if it was okay

but loved me anyway.

You think you were scared?
How do you think I felt?

I know, Barry.
I failed you and I know.

That's gonna be on my heart
till the day I die.

But all I can say is
I was wrong and I'm sorry.

What about Dad? Is he here?

Uh, no. He's just not…

He's not there yet.

I'm sorry to say.

Oh, Barry.

Please forgive me.
I've missed you so much.

I missed you too.

I did.

I missed you too. I missed you.

- Aren't you tired of watching that?
- Eight million people have seen it.

I just don't understand it.

Well, I think it's brave.

The kids are saying
there's gonna be another prom.

Someone's offered to pay for it.

Who?

This is so generous of you guys.

We had to do something
after you broke the Internet.

It was crazy.
The numbers just kept going up,

and then the Indiana Star called,
and then the Washington Post...

Hello, everyone.

Can't have a prom without flowers.

So I will put these out on the table,

even though I'd rather just
give them all to you.

- Oh, my God!
- Is this for real?

Can I just say you guys are
the best middle-aged people I've ever met.

That is…

Oh, honey…

We need to talk to you
about something, okay? And I think it's…

It's important that you understand

the real reason
why we came here to visit you.

It wasn't for the Hoosier pie?

Well, I mean, um…

- We were in a show.
- A wonderful show.

Well, I mean…

And we got blasted by the critics.

They called us narcissists, and it hurt.

And it hurt
because I guess they were right.

So we looked around for a cause
that might give us some credibility.

Maybe get us some good press.

Like building
a house for Habitat for Humanity.

Then we realized that
we're not capable of building anything.

And then I found you on Twitter.

I mean, it was just dumb luck,
but meant to be.

Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but…

You're going to build something.

You're going to build a prom.

Stop it! Stop this, please!

Who gave you people
permission to be in here?

- I did.
- You should have consulted with the PTA.

Well, this is not a school event, so
I'm not obliged to get the PTA's approval.

I'm going to be
as clear as I possibly can.

Your beliefs are not our beliefs.

Hey, Emma. Can we talk to you?

I was a jerk, and I'm sorry.

You deserve to go to prom
just like any other kid.

What? I thought you hated me.
I thought you all hated me.

Oh, they hated you.

They hated you with a burning passion
stoked by centuries of intolerance

and the lack of a drama program.

I'm sorry, too, Emma.

You know, you explain things really well.
You should be, like, a teacher.

- Oh, you should be our drama teacher!
- Yes, please!

You should do it. Do it.

- You're hired!
- I'm a teacher!

- As a temp.
- Absolutely.

No, no, no! This is...
This is what I was afraid of.

- Mom!
- Let me finish!

No, you have got to stop talking
and just listen, okay?

People don't turn gay.

They are who they are.

No. You don't know what you're saying.

I do.

I do.

Look, I know how you were raised,
but… the world's a different place.

And sure, it's not great, but…

It's… it's better because of people
who have the courage to be who they are.

People like her.

I don't want to hurt you.

I don't want to hurt anyone.

I just want to be me.

So here goes.

- I love you, Emma Nolan.
- Oh, my God.

I love you too.

Alyssa… No, listen to me.

You are very young and you are confused.

You don't know what is…

I just don't want you to have a hard life.

It's already hard.

- Mom, I love you...
- No.

We'll…

We can talk about this tonight.
Okay? Okay?

- Okay.
- Okay. Okay.

Mom…

- Just breathe.
- Hey, why don't we decorate?

Yes, let's decorate.
Let's decorate everything.

- All right.
- I need you here.

We're gonna
make this place really pretty.

Look at that!

I'm so proud of you. Look at what you did.

I can't believe this.

I think we're early.

- Yeah, it looks like it.
- Mm-hmm.

You want to hit up the punch bowl?

No. There's only one thing
that I want to do.

Oh, my! Are you kidding me?

This is amazing.

- Our first prom-goers have arrived.
- Yeah.

- Girls, this is unbelievable.
- Oh, look at you. You're so beautiful!

You look incredible, sweetheart!

- Can you believe we pulled this off?
- I can't!

And kids are coming
from all over the state.

- We're letting them in in one minute.
- So let's do this right.

- Oh, my God!
- What?

I just got the call!

Tina Louise has shingles!

They want me to go on as Roxie Hart!

What'd you tell 'em?

- I said, "No way. I got a prom to go to."
- Attagirl!

No! Just kiddin'.

I'm on the red-eye tomorrow.
So let's get this party started!

Yeah!

Hi, guys. This is Mark.

Okay.

Why are you here?

We have a lot to talk about.

But I'm here…

Because there is one thing that matters
to me more than anything else.

You.

You are my daughter,

and I have loved you
since the moment I laid eyes on you,

and that is never going to change.
Ever. Okay?

- Okay. Okay.
- Okay.

Ooh!

- Okay. Okay.
- Okay. Okay.

- Go ahead.
- No, come on.

Okay.

What do you prefer? Gardenias or orchids?

- For what?
- Your corsage.

Gardenias.

All right.

- Don't let me destroy him.
- I'll try my best.

- Is this what not failing feels like?
- Yeah. I think it is.

- Pretty good, huh?
- Yeah!