Saturday Church tells the story of Ulysses—New York City kid, devoted son and the fiercest acolyte at his aunt’s church. A chance encounter on the subway introduces him to the world of Saturday Church, a thrilling sanctuary for LGBTQ+ youth. Caught between these two worlds, Ulysses wrestles with family, faith and identity as he strives to find the place where he can love and be loved—in all his fabulousness. This new musical captures the exhilaration of the ballroom scene and the profound power of faith, with a score that soars from the transcendence of gospel to the liberating vibrations of house music. Saturday Church boldly asks, “is faith only for the Holy?” and, more importantly, “are there any queens in the house?!!!!”
As Ulysses works through the tensions and pressures towards the perhaps-inevitable conciliatory hugs and celebratory voguing, the scenes and songs that depict Ulysses’ developing relationship with Raymond feel the most credible and the most endearing. That may be because they seem to come closest to what those kids who walk through the church’s red door each week may actually be like, or at least what they most realistically hope for.
The new musical “Saturday Church,” playing at New York Theater Workshop, defends this idea. Though somewhat predictable in narrative, the show offers a bounty of infectious music and electric performances. It reminds audiences that theater is an act of liturgy.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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