Gulp! The Gay Beach Musical at Compass Performing Arts Center

Buffalo United Artists is proud to present the Western New York Premiere of the rarely seen landmark 1970s queer musical comedy Gulp! The Gay Beach Musical.

Book by John Glines and Stephen Greco

Music by John Glines

Lyrics by John Glines and Robin Jones

Set on the beach at Coney Island on Gay Liberation Day – June 28th, the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The story follows a closeted lifeguard whose life is saved by five unabashedly eccentric characters: his soon-to be lover, a wacky orthodox priest, a ditzy journalist, a hunky construction worker, and a show queen from Shirley’s Temple on Flatbush Avenue.

Their drives, dreams, pasts and futures collide in a riot of coincidences, filled with music, romance and off-the-wall humor.

Buffalo United Artists production of Gulp! The Gay Beach Musical is more than a revival; it is an act of preservation. As one of the earliest examples of queer musicals in the history of the American musical, Gulp! predates landmark works such as La Cage aux Folles, Rent, and Fun Home, yet it has remained largely forgotten.

With no commercial cast recording and decades since its last full production, this groundbreaking work has been at risk of disappearing from our theatrical legacy. Our production team has worked to restore the musical as faithfully as possible, while introducing it to a new generation of audiences. By honoring its creators and preserving their artistic vision, we hope to secure Gulp! its’ rightful place in the canon of influential queer musicals and ensure that its story continues to live far beyond Buffalo.

PERFORMANCE DATES

September 11 at 7:30 September 12 at 5:00 September 18 at 7:30 September 19 at 5:00 September 20 at 5:00 September 25 at 7:30 September 26 at 5:00 September 27 at 5:00

BUA, now celebrating its 34th Season, is a self-supporting collective of professional theater artists working to present provocative and relevant work that examines the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer experience. BUA began performing in January 1992.