The American film actress Kerry Washington (“Django Unchained”) joined the cast adaptation of the Broadway musical “Graduation” commissioned by Netflix. It is reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The plot of the film is about the adventures of Broadway actors who have lost their former popularity. Heroes learn that in one of the schools in a conservative town in Indiana, a school graduation was canceled, because a local high school student decided to come in the evening with her lover's company. Artists go to the province to help the schoolgirl (and at the same time - to remind myself again).

The project has already involved Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Ariana Grande, James Corden, Aquafina, Keegan-Michael Key and Andrew Rennells. It is known that Streep will play the role of two-time winner of the Tony Prize for actress Dee Dee Allen, and the image of her stage partner Barry Glickman will be embodied by the Englishman James Corden.

Another on-screen pair of Broadway artists - Angie Dickinson and Trent Oliver - will be played by Kidman and Rennels. According to the plot, it is this four that unites to rehabilitate their career. Ariana Grande got the role of Indiana's beloved schoolgirl named Alyssa.

The film will be directed by Ryan Murphy, director of American Horror Story and Pose. By the way, for him this topic should be especially close: Murphy is openly gay and is married to photographer David Miller.

In February 2018, the director signed a five-year contract with the streaming service. The deal is valued at $ 300 million. In addition to Graduation, Murphy is developing a Ratched series for Netflix based on the novel Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the more common name for the Russian-speaking audience is “Flying Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”) starring Sarah Paulson . The creators of the project will emphasize the history of nurse Ratched, who personified the power in the picture of the same name by Milos Forman.

As part of a Netflix contract, Murphy has already directed the politician's multi-part satirical comedy with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Platt. The drama series "Hollywood" is also being prepared for release.

Six-time nominee for Tony

Before appearing on Broadway, the musical of Jack Virtel, Chad Begelin, Bob Martin and Matthew Sklar "Graduation" went on stage at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. The production premiered in 2016, and two years later, Graduation moved to Broadway to the Longacre Theater.

The musical received mostly positive reviews from critics. So, theatrical observer of the Vatriety publication Mark Rizzo notes that the performance conforms to the traditions of the American musical theater: “Melodious songs, a funny libretto and vivid performance of this loudly declared cheerful, bright and playful musical that makes you remember what a real Broadway spirit and recklessness is, which most likely, more than one generation of fans of this genre will like it ”.

Critics also noted the topicality of the musical, consistent with trends in American society. “The production is partly satire, ... partly a lesson in tolerance, reminding us that there is a place for balloons at the graduation party for everyone, even in conservative Indiana. Perhaps these two components are not always organically intertwined, especially in an uneven second act, but the production has enough humor and enthusiasm to smooth out the roughness, ”wrote David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2019, the production received six nominations for Tony. Based on the musical, the writer Sondra Mitchell, in collaboration with the creators of the play, wrote the eponymous youth novel.

Nevertheless, according to the Broadway World portal, the audience’s ratings are significantly different from the reviews of the critics: the audience rated the production 4.4 points out of 10 possible.

Although Graduation is dedicated to social issues, serious passions unfold on the stage. Parents, school employees, graduates themselves are all involved in the LGBT scandal. The abolition of graduation is insisted by the association of parents and teachers (the equivalent of the parent committee in American realities). On the side of the main character Emma, ​​only the principal of the school, Mr. Hawkins, remains (in the Netflix film he will be played by Keegan-Michael Key).

He complains about the violation of the law to the state prosecutor. However, even the decree according to which the prom should take place does not mean that the plans of the heroes will be realized. Even Emma’s partner, Alyssa, is not ready to come out: she cares about the reaction of her parents.

Actors support Emma with the usual methods - attracting the attention of the public. They communicate with the girl’s classmates, and also convince their parents to adopt gay children. It is noteworthy that the main antagonist in the play does not appear as a separate influential ill-wisher, but as a collective - that is, society.