A very detailed discourse on THE BOYS IN THE BAND

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/18/18 at 9:28am

this was written by MATTHEW RETTENMUND for his blog BOYCULTURE...

 

What Is It? What Was It? What Does It Hope To Be?: Untucking THE BOYS IN THE BAND - boy culture http://www.boyculture.com/boy_culture/2018/04/boys-in-band-gay-movies-mart-crowley-lgbtq-broadway.html#disqus_thread

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 9:40am

I am bumping this up because i see NO discussion about this upcoming revival here on the Board...i will be seeing this play the week of June  15th...is anyone else going?...previews start on April 30th...

[springwillcome]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 9:45am

I admit that I don't know much about the show critically, only a quick glance at a summary when I first heard about it, but the cast looks amazing and I've been trying to see more plays this season as they're definitely what's been standing out, at least for me. However, broke college student and all that.....but I stopped by the box office last week and they said they're definitely doing standing room for this show, just probably not til after opening night, so I'm hoping to go for that. As long as that works out, I definitely plan on seeing this and am excited! Looking forward to hearing more from others once previews start next week

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 9:47am

What coulda have been/shoulda been.  Sadly, there seems to be no buzz nor interest in this production.  Many of my gay friends still have no clue its happening, even with the amount of TV promos airing, which would be their only exposure as they don't follow Broadway.  Yes, people are excited by the cast but I honestly don't think they will go out of their way to see this.  Scalpers got excited and overloaded their inventory with hundreds of tickets for most performances, so tons of excellent seats will be available on StubHub.  I will get my heavily discounted fabulous front orchestra seats the day I plan on seeing this production, which I do plan to see.  

[newintown]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 9:53am

It's been reported that Crowley made large cuts to the text; that, in addition to the previous work of some of the cast and the director inhibit my interest to see what (I think) promises to be a slick, glossy, and superficial reduction of the play.

There's a bizarre quote on the marquee of the Booth at present, stating that the play "inspired a revolution." Although it's true that the play debuted a year prior to the Stonewall riots, I can't imagine who in their right mind would attribute causality to this rather self-hating play. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it drove many viewers deeper into their closets in 1968.

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:03am

My husband and I bought our tickets back when they first went on sale. We're going on June 1.

[Capeguy]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:15am

I'm going May 7th. Gay life changed rapidly in the 70s.I can't help but wonder if this will come across as very dated or just as pre-Stonewall history. Nonetheless, with this cast and director -- it should be interesting. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:18am

newintown said: "It's been reported that Crowley made large cuts to the text;that, in addition to the previous work of some of the castand the director inhibit my interest to see what (I think) promises to be a slick, glossy, and superficial reduction of the play.

There's a bizarre quote on themarquee of the Boothat present, stating that the play "inspired a revolution." Although it's true that the play debuted a year prior to theStonewall riots, I can't imagine who in their right mind would attribute causality to this rather self-hating play. In fact, Iwouldn't be surprised if it drove many viewers deeper into their closets in 1968."

I can't motivate myself to be excited for this production much, either. Between the slick photoshoots (including the remarkably tone-deaf fashion shoot in the Times that blithely included the eye-popping prices of some pretty unremarkable clothes) and the blandly attractive cast and my own exhaustion over the Murphy Media Machine, to say nothing of the bending over backwards to cram the play into modern relevance, it just seems like a This Is Important production.

I'd love an in-depth analysis of how "revolutionary" this work was, rather than just putting it into a timeline where it gets followed by Torch Song Trilogy and the writer goes, "See?!"

[newintown]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:31am

Could not agree more, Kad.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:38am

[Kad]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:39am

This is something that should be up my alley, too. Maybe it'll surprise. But pretty much everything about the way this production is being presented just turns me off.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:50am

This is something that should be up my alley, too. Maybe it'll surprise. But pretty much everything about the way this production is being presented just turns me off.

Seems to be an opinion shared by many, even those excited by the cast and creative team.  Everyone mentions how much they do not like the film for its bitter nasty viewpoint of homosexual men and no one, aside from me, embraces it as a time-capsule of late 60s gay stereotypes.  Millenials who've seen the film, flat-out hate it.  It a complete disconnect from the gay subculture they grew up in.  There goes any hopes for a younger generation buying tickets.  

[newintown]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:52am

I love the play and the movie; I'm just wary of seeing a 21st century pop Cliff Notes/TV dramedy version.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 10:53am

I'm familiar with the material. The material is not the issue for me.

The issue is that this has not been marketed as a time capsule very effectively.

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 11:10am

I saw a fantastic revival in the West End last year and find the comments that this play has dated amusing. If anything the gay community has become more racist and self-loathing evidenced by No fats no Femmes No Asians and the whole Masc culture.

This play is as relevant today I hope they haven’t cut it to shreds, the gay community needs to have a long hard look at its self from the inside.

[newintown]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 11:23am

"No fats no Femmes No Asians and the whole Masc culture" have all been around for at least 40 years. Nothing new there.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 11:29am

The "masc" thing goes back at least to the turn of the century. It existed before the idea of homosexuality as we recognize it now was even commonplace.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 11:50am

Well, either a lot of people are interested, scalpers are potentially facing another Frozen situation, or the show is holding back a lot of seats to sell once the word of mouth hopefully does spill out? Could be a mix of all three.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 11:54am

I think there's genuine interest, for the names in the cast alone.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 12:01pm

Just because i feel like it:

 

Here's Natalie Wood visiting her close confidante/ex-personal assistant Mart Crowley on the set of the film version of his play, "The Boys in the Band".

I am interested in seeing the play, but I see no effort on the producer's part to market this as a "time capsule". I fear that many will go to see this assuming it takes place now, unless of course they (a) are already familiar with the material or (b) have taken the time to research it.

 



 

 

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 12:06pm

I was super excited for it for about a day and a half.  It was gonna be the show I paid full price for this year (that honor has gone to My Fair Lady...happy birthday to me!).  But, I find myself feeling the same as Kad and newintown.  I LOVE the play (in script form, never seen a production) and the movie.  I think a case can surely be made that it sparked a revolution in terms of gay theater...but this feels unessential to me right now.  

[Tom5]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 12:19pm

I never saw a stage production because I knew nothing could ever match the film and it could only register as a letdown. (Fantastic photo)

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 12:55pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "This is something thatshouldbe up my alley, too. Maybe it'll surprise. Butpretty much everything about theway this production is being presented just turns me off.

Seems to be an opinion shared by many,even those excited by the cast and creative team. Everyone mentions how much they do not likethe film for its bitter nasty viewpoint of homosexual menand no one, aside from me, embraces it as a time-capsule of late 60s gay stereotypes. Millenials who've seen the film, flat-out hate it. It a complete disconnect from the gay subculture they grew up in. There goes any hopes for a younger generation buying tickets."

No they just are so narcissistic and don't have the self awareness to see absolutely nothing has changed and it's a complete joke to even suggest that it has.

If they don't see it, they don't get out often.

 

Updated On: 4/27/18 at 12:55 PM

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 12:58pm

Gizmo6 said: "I saw a fantastic revival in the West End last year and find the comments that this play has dated amusing. If anything the gay community has become more racist and self-loathing evidenced by No fats no Femmes No Asians and the whole Masc culture.

This play is as relevant today I hope they haven’t cut it to shreds, the gay community needs to have a long hard look at its self from the inside."

Exactly.

I have said it many times before, there is no such thing as a gay 'community'.

It is more an extremely dysfunctional family than a community.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/27/18 at 1:06pm

I can't speak to the production, which is being marketed oddly, admittedly (and I'm suspicious of cutting almost 30 minutes), but invite anyone to doubt the play's cultural impact to read the wonderful, deeply moving intro to the last edition of the published play, written by Tony Kushner.  Kushner admits there would be no "Angels" without "Boys," and make a strong case for Crowley's bravery, not the opposite. Hey, a lot of people were mad Kushner was a Hillary Clinton supporter, so I can expect "so Kushner likes the play, so?"  But Kushner did write a truly revolutionary play, and his willingness to honor what came before is powerful and poignant. Just my take.  

 

I'll go out on a limb: With Quinto as Harold, I suspect this production will feel more Harold-centric and less about Michael. If you read the text, Harold is the man ahead of the time, or rather the character breaking out of the world Michael deplores. Harold speaks with a sociopolitical savvy that will land as very contemporary. Just read his lines in act two. He's absolutely a gay man with agency and perspective on Michael's angst.  Quinto, attractive, charismatic, may be the event here. Just a guess. But I bet we get to his entrance much quicker, with cuts, and thus a text-based reason for my guesswork.

Updated On: 4/27/18 at 01:06 PM