The historical and absurdly quotable (Oh Mary don’t ask.) 1968 Mart Crowley play The Boys in the Band will be prancing back into our lives starring ther cast of the Broadway revival on NETFLIX on September 30.
Based on the Tony Award-winning play that changed a generation, The Boys in the Band follows a group of nine gay men who gather for a birthday party in 1968 New York City – only to find the drinks and laughs interrupted when a visitor from the host’s past turns the evening upside down.
Starring Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesús, Brian Hutchison, Michael Benjamin Washington, and Tuc Watkins. Produced by Ryan Murphy. Directed by Joe Mantello. Based on the groundbreaking work of Mart Crowley.
Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Tuc Watkins, and the rest of the cast of the upcoming Broadway production of Matt Crowley’s The Boys in the Band got together for a photo shoot and shot a featurette talking about the play’s significance and what it means today.
From the producers about the play:
“The significance of The Boys in the Band cannot be underestimated. In 1968, Mart Crowley made theatrical history by giving voice to gay men onstage, in this uncompromising, blisteringly honest, and wickedly funny play,” said Ryan Murphy. “The play was groundbreaking in its exploration of how gay men treated each other and how they were made to feel about themselves. And while some attitudes have thankfully shifted, it’s important to be reminded of what we have overcome and how much further we still have to go.”
David Stone adds, “Everything has changed. And nothing has changed.”
Tickets for the 15-week revival are on sale now via Telecharge
Matt Crowley’s groundbreaking 1968 play”The Boys in the Band” will be revived for a limited Broadway engagement for it’s 50th Anniversary and will bedirected by two-time Tony winner Joe Mantello. and starring five openly gay actors: Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Matt Bomer, and Tuc Watkins.
The cast will also include Tony nominee Robin De Jesús as Emory, Brian Hutchison as Alan, and Michael Benjamin Washington as Bernard. The role of Cowboy remains to be cast.
Not to spoil the 50 year old plot line but in The Boys in the Band, an affluent, thirty-year-old gay man named Michael has invited a number of his homosexual friends to his stylish New York City apartment for a birthday party honoring their gay Jewish friend, Harold. The group includes Donald; Michael’s present lover; Emory, a portrait of the effeminate gay stereotype; Hank, once married and the father of two children but now living with Larry; Bernard, a gay black man; and a male prostitute who is Emory’s birthday gift to Harold. Michael’s former college friend, Alan, who is married and hostile toward homosexuals, crashes this party. Alan soon recognizes the stereotypical Emory as a homosexual, is offended by his behavior, and punches him; however, Alan is later surprised to discover that the others also are gay, especially Hank, who Alan thinks is heterosexual. The action of the play culminates in a party game that Michael designs; each guest must telephone the one person he truly believes he has loved and confess his deepest feelings. Michael intends for this game to reveal Alan’s latent homosexuality, but Alan’s telephone call goes to his wife. The play ends with Harold characterizing Michael as a gay man consumed by self-loathing.
The production marks The Boys in the Band’s Broadway premiere. Originally scheduled to run for five performances at a small Off-Broadway venue, the play became an overnight sensation, and—after transferring to a bigger theatre—ran for over 1,000 performances. The show went on to have an acclaimed run in London and was adapted into a film by William Friedkin in 1970. But it never played on Broadway.
The TBITB is scheduled to play the Booth Theatre April 30–August 12, 2018.
The production is being produced by Ryan Murphy and veteran Broadway producer David Stone.
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