THE BOYS IN THE BAND Broadway Revival - Spring 2018?

[Cfried]

Posted: 6/22/17 at 8:42pm

Ryan Murphy has optioned the rights to The Boys in the Band and plans to stage a 50th anniversary revival on Broadway next spring. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Will-Ryan-Murphy-Stage-a-50th-Anniversary-Production-of-THE-BOYS-IN-THE-BAND-20170622

 

Updated On: 6/22/17 at 08:42 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 12:14am

I hope he gets Mantello to direct. I have hoped that if it was ever revived Mantello would be at the helm.

Updated On: 9/16/17 at 12:14 AM

[godlessondheimite]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 9:55am

I can almost guarantee Finn Wittrock will be in it. Who else among Ryan Murphy's usuals? Denis O'Hare as Michael? Chris Colfer for Emory and x-treme aging makeup?

SH*T, I would watch that.

Updated On: 6/23/17 at 09:55 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 9:59am

Lea Michele as the band!

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 10:00am

Just thinking about Murphy's favorites, and it could be amazing: Matt Bomer, Cheyenne Jackson, Denis O'Hare, Jim Parsons, Max Greenfield, Darren Criss, Neil Patrick Harris, Ricky Martin, Andrew Rannells, John Stamos...

 

Not that all would fit, but he certainly has an arsenal of men he goes back to for many, many roles.

Updated On: 6/23/17 at 10:00 AM

[EM55]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 10:14am

I just want a promise from someone there will be a shirt for purchase that says "That's French....with a cedilla"

[Valentina3]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 10:21am

I wonder if they'll change any of the characters to suit the taste of today's audience. Don't get me wrong - I love the movie, and have met every single type of gay men represented in the show/movie in real life, but there's just so much more happiness and pride to be found now.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 10:32am

I love this play. It's such an insightful time capsule. Ryan Murphy makes me nervous though.

[GottaHaveAGimmick]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 11:18am

EM55 said: "I just want a promise from someone there will be a shirt for purchase that says "That's French....with a cedilla"

 

And also, "Oh Mary, don't ask."

 

[godlessondheimite]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 11:30am

ChildofEarth said: "Just thinking about Murphy's favorites, and it could be amazing: Matt Bomer, Cheyenne Jackson, Denis O'Hare, Jim Parsons, Max Greenfield, Darren Criss, Neil Patrick Harris, Ricky Martin, Andrew Rannells, John Stamos...

 

Not that all would fit, but he certainly has an arsenal of men he goes back to for many, many roles.

 

"

Whatever else you can say about him, the Ryan Murphy Hollywood harem is incredible. Half of them could rotate playing the Cowboy.

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 11:35am

I saw the play in London a few months ago and it hasn't aged well at all

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 11:42am

imeldasturn said: "I saw the play in London a few months ago and it hasn't aged well at all"

 

Hasn't that become kind of the point? At the time, it held up a mirror to the very real self-hatred coursing through the gay community. Whenever I watch the movie or read certain parts of the script, I think of how lucky we all are that people like this (whether they meant to or not) changed society. 

[EM55]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 12:23pm

GottaHaveAGimmick said: "EM55 said: "I just want a promise from someone there will be a shirt for purchase that says "That's French....with a cedilla"

 

And also, "Oh Mary, don't ask."
 

And "Cope with some ice Donald"  lol.
 

 

"

 

[Owen22]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 9:46pm

imeldasturn said: "I saw the play in London a few months ago and it hasn't aged well at all"

I'm guessing you mean the Park Theatre's production? That production was pretty dismally acted (except for Mark Gatniss and Daniel Boys). When you don't have a great Michael the whole production can go south.  And Gatniss's boyfriend whoever he was, was NOT a great Michael.

 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 9:59pm

ChildofEarth said: "Just thinking about Murphy's favorites, and it could be amazing: Matt Bomer, Cheyenne Jackson, Denis O'Hare, Jim Parsons, Max Greenfield, Darren Criss, Neil Patrick Harris, Ricky Martin, Andrew Rannells, John Stamos...

 

Not that all would fit, but he certainly has an arsenal of men he goes back to for many, many roles.

 

"

Also, his favorites Finn Wittrock, Evan Peters AND Jacob Artist

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 11:38pm

Saw the London production as well, happy I got to see it on stage, but it really is an awful bitter play. Was never a fan of the movie. I think my big issue was by the time I came out ( 1984 ) I'd never met anyone that was portrayed in the play that way in real life. Not to say they didn't exist. 

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 6/23/17 at 11:53pm

Robbie2 said: "ChildofEarth said: "Just thinking about Murphy's favorites, and it could be amazing: Matt Bomer, Cheyenne Jackson, Denis O'Hare, Jim Parsons, Max Greenfield, Darren Criss, Neil Patrick Harris, Ricky Martin, Andrew Rannells, John Stamos...

 

Not that all would fit, but he certainly has an arsenal of men he goes back to for many, many roles.

 

"

Also, his favorites Finn Wittrock, Evan Peters AND Jacob Artist "

 

 

I'm hoping he chooses gay men to fill the roles, which is why I didn't mention Evan Peters. Is Finn? I don't know who Jacob Artist is - and no idea why I thought Stamos was gay when he's not.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 2:27am

Mart Crowley, who wrote this play was Natalie Wood's personal assistant and she  encouraged him when he was writing it.  He wrote it while he was working for her and she fully supported him.  I would love to see a re-staging of this play.

 

Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood and Matt Crowley, author of The Boys in the Band

Updated On: 6/29/17 at 02:27 AM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 3:02am

Darren Criss is also not gay. Jonathan Groff is a Ryan Murphy regular though!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 4:33am

Regarding the recent London production I couldn't make up my mind whether it was the writing or the acting but I think anyone going in expecting to see a rediscovered masterpiece will be disappointed. A period piece, yes, and an interesting one for documenting the attitudes of the time and perhaps setting where we are now in context.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 6:58am

A few years ago I spoke with Larry Luckinbill. He is straight and was recruited by Mart (not Matt) Crowley to play Hank in the play/film. It was an incredible experience for him in many ways. His agent advised him not to take the role, fearing it would kill his career. He took it anyway and did lose some jobs, but did not care. He appeared on talk shows and became a spokesman for tolerance. However, much of the rest of the cast did not fare as well. (See the documentary Making the Boys).

Instead of a revival, I would like to see a new play based on the fallout of The Boys in The Band, from Larry's perspective, as an actor caught up in something controversial and powerful.

Updated On: 6/24/17 at 06:58 AM

[EM55]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 8:12am

Scripps2 said: "Regarding the recent London production I couldn't make up my mind whether it was the writing or the acting but I think anyone going in expecting to see a rediscovered masterpiece will be disappointed. A period piece, yes, and an interesting one for documenting the attitudes of the time and perhaps setting where we are now in context.

"

I had a similar concern when reading about the revival, while I love the play and the film version, and I will undoubtedly see the production happily,  I am not sure we live in a general society that "gets" campy anymore (how is Emory going to read to the masses today?), plus I think period pieces work better overall when there is a redeeming quality to the outcome if that makes sense. Not just hey here is a slice of time with people who werent likable for a myriad of  reasons and kind of stayed that way lol. 

I'm not sure if I feel it is not the right time for it or if I feel it hasn't fully held up....I'm conflicted. While I love it, it hasn't held up for me like Falsettos or Angels in America for instance...but then again I don't think it was ever meant to be a social commentary piece as much as a character study. 

Time will tell. 

Updated On: 6/24/17 at 08:12 AM

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 9:52am

why not??...all revivals have the desire to reimagine the original  so why not BITB?...If it happens i will make the trip back to NYC...i have a personal history with one of the original cast members...:)

[newintown]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 11:18am

To those indulging in dream casting, remember that no one in this show is past his early 30s. Denis O'Hare could play one of their fathers.

Even with a cast of tv celebs, I suspect that this won't be universally well received. It conveys a simplistic and unattractive message about gay life that straights still like to hear, but not many gay folk do.

[godlessondheimite]

Posted: 6/24/17 at 11:39am

newintown said: "To those indulging in dream casting, remember that no one in this show is past his early 30s. Denis O'Hare could play one of their fathers.
"

I saw it on the West End and many of the actors were well past their 30's. And I don't think a little thing like "age-appropriate" casting is going to stop Ryan Murphy. 

But I also agree with people saying it hasn't aged well and won't attract a broad audience. I can't see it being more than a limited-run pet project.

Updated On: 6/24/17 at 11:39 AM