The Olympic Games in Paris are over, and let’s thank the world of sports for providing some major showbiz-level queer drama. Pearls were clutched over the drag queen’s Last Supper, which actually turned out to be the Feast of Dionysus. Tears were shed when Celine Dion made a moving comeback singing Edith Piaf’s “L’hymne a L’amour” atop the Eiffel Tower. And how about that French pole vaulter?
But the real thrill for theater queens occurred during the opening ceremonies when NBC broadcast the latest trailer for the upcoming film version of Wicked. All of a sudden, we’re teased with new footage of Ariana Grande as Glinda and her real-life boyfriend Ethan Slater as Boq, all underscored by Cynthia Erivo’s flawless “Defying Gravity” vocals. The film doesn’t open until November 22, and the wait will be cruel and inhuman gay punishment.
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Bigger is better in Kristin Chenoweth’s latest role
Speaking of Wicked, all queer eyes were on the Colonial Theater in Boston this month as Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz debuted his latest musical, The Queen of Versailles, starring original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth. Based on the 2012 documentary of the same name, the musical focuses on real-life working-class girl turned socialite Jacqueline Siegel and her bust-to-boom-to-bust-again quest to build the largest home in the United States.
Word of mouth is great, and the reviews are solid, with Variety heaping praise on Chenoweth’s performance, saying the Tony winner “exudes exuberant humor and don’t-screw-with-me-fellas moxie.” With a full season ahead, it looks like this queen won’t arrive until the 2025-26 season.
Emerson Colonial Theatre, Boston. Performances through August 25.
It’s a tough “Job,” but somebody’s gotta do it
If psychological drama is more your speed than a megamusical that climaxes with streamers cascading over the audience, head to Broadway’s Hayes Theater for Job, a superbly acted two-hander starring Peter Friedman as a therapist with a secret and Sydney Lemmon as an overworked tech employee stacked with her own big reveal.
Playwright Max Wolf Friedlich has crafted an edge-of-your-seat story where perspectives blur the facts amid flashbacks that may push you out of your typical theatergoing comfort zone. The play is sensorily crafted with jarring lighting (Mextly Couzin) and sound design (Cody Spencer). After two successful Off-Broadway runs, Job‘s migration to the intimate Hayes Theater proves that Broadway theatergoers appreciate substance as much as style.
“Job is really about our modern relationship with labor,” Friedlich said in a recent interview. “First and foremost, it’s a play about how Millennials and Gen Z see work and see their role in the world.” And without dropping any spoilers, the play also tackles the terror of the dark web.
Hayes Theater, New York City. Performances through September 29.
A million dreams of “The Greatest Showman” musical to come true
It’s been seven years since “This is Me” from the 2017 musical The Greatest Showman became an instant queer anthem. And news from last week’s D23, the Walt Disney Company’s biennial fan convention, confirmed rumors that the mouse is moving forward with plans to develop the PT Barnum musical biopic as its newest screen-to-stage project. But Broadway show queens will have to wait a while to see it live. According to The New York Post, the musical will be directed by Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin, The Prom, Mean Girls) and debut in Bristol, England, in 2026 before playing the West End.
Casting call
Back in New York, the new theater season continues to shape up and hopefully will be gayer than last year’s Straight White Way offerings.
Musical mayhem — Queer funny lady Marla Mindelle (2023 Lucille Lortel Award-winner for Titaníque) will be doing quadruple duty as book writer, co-composer, co-lyricist, and star in the upcoming musical The Big Gay Jamboree, set to begin performances September 14 at Off-Broadway’s Orpheum Theater.
Willkomen, gays! — Broadway’s Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is about to get a whole lot gayer when a trio of queer performers — Adam Lambert, Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), and Calvin Leon Smith (Fat Ham) — step into the roles of The Emcee, Sally and Cliff in the immersive revival of Cabaret beginning September 16.
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Eddie Redmayne leads a dazzling & dangerous ‘Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club’
Eddie Redmayne delivers an elastic performance set in an immersive space that reimagines the Kander and Ebb musical for a new generation.
It’s only a day away — The sun will come out this December when everyone’s favorite EGOT-winning moderator of The View, Whoopi Goldberg, steps into the role of Miss Hannigan (beginning December 11) when the national tour of Annie plays a one-month stop at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Strange but true — Fans of Netflix‘s Stranger Things can expect the Broadway transfer of the London hit Stranger Things: The First Shadow, helmed by noted gay director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, Matilda). The sci-fi drama is set to premiere at Broadway’s Marquis Theater in April 2025.
Up close and personal
In the world of lowercase cabaret venues, queer audiences can look forward to a bigger than usual bang for their cover charge this month with some of our favorite stars headlining:
Basic b*tch — Jeff Hiller (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, American Horror Story NYC), best known for his breakout role as Bridget Everett’s gay bestie in HBO’s Somebody, Somewhere, is bringing his solo show Jeff Hiller is Basic to Joe’s Pub on August 14.
Stage drama — Two-time Tony nominee Christopher Sieber (Spamalot, Shrek, The Prom) will be hitting the boards of 54 Below on August 19 and 20 before starting rehearsals for the highly anticipated Broadway premiere of Death Becomes Her. For those who can’t make it to New York City, the August 20 show will be livestreamed.
Tranvestigation —Oh, Mary! co-star Bianca Leigh tells her personal story of a trans woman who dreams of becoming a Shakespearean actor, only to find herself a high-priced dominatrix at the soon-to-be-shuttered Laurie Beechman Theatre on August 25. “When it was announced that the Beechman was closing,” Leigh said, “I knew that I had to seize the opportunity to perform on this iconic stage one last time.”
#Broadwaytok
Nothing brightens our day more than an Alex Wong dance video. The former So You Think You Can Dance? all-star has amassed 2.7 million followers on TikTok for his energetic moves, proving that you don’t need to be on a Broadway stage to live your dream. Following the recent social media craze of choreo excerpts (have you seen the trending cuts from Cats: “The Jellicle Ball” and The Great Gatsby?), Wong and fellow dancer Melissa Becraft took on choreo inspired from the long-running hit Chicago.
@alexdwong Replying to @mrshughes38002 @melissabecraft here u go 😜🕺 dc: @Dev the menace #dance #musicaltheatre #broadway #chicago #ohyes ♬ original sound – giikee
Featured photo: (l to r) Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Hiller, Marla Mindelle. Photos: Shutterstock, key art courtesy of “The Big Gay Jamboree.”
Additional contribution by Matthew Wexler.
