Photo Flash: First Look at Circle Theatre's Chicago Premiere of THE VIEW UPSTAIRS

THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, a musical by Max Vernon, is inspired by real life events of the 1973 arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant gay bar in New Orleans, and pays tribute to many of the patrons that frequented the venue. Now accepted as a targeted anti-gay attack, the arson resulted in the deaths of 32 people and was, until the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting, the deadliest assault on a gay club in U.S. history.

In THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, Wes, a young fashion designer from 2017, buys an abandoned building in the French Quarter of New Orleans and finds himself transported to the UpStairs Lounge in 1973. As this forgotten community comes to life, Wes embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-exploration that spans two generations of queer history. THE VIEW UPSTAIRS asks what has been gained and lost in the fight for equality, and how the past can help guide all of us through an uncertain future.

June 22 - July 22, 2018. Previews Friday, June 22, Saturday, June 23 and Monday, June 25 at 8 pm ($20 for preview seats). Regular schedule Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 pm. The Broadway, Pride Arts Center 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. Tickets: $30.00. Monday Industry nights $20. Tickets on sale now at www.circletheatrechicago.org.

All photos by Cody Jolly Photography

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