The "Queering" of Broadway -- Agree or Disagree?

There exists a debate that in the last few year Broadway has become a ground of "gay" humor and inneuendo, and is fixated on a "queer" agenda. As a result, the argument goes, mainstream audience are turning on their backs on live theatre as the recipent of their discretionery entertainment dollar.

Do you agree or disagree, and why?

I think that, if anything, Broadway has started reaching out to larger audiences, moving from what was once perceived as the exclusive province of gay men. True, there are some polar examples like Mario Cantone who play their homosexuality as their key feature, but I think we've come a long way from Joshua Logan's productions.

omg ... there was something queer about josh logan's productions???

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Well no offense but High school students aren't making up the majority of the theatre going audience. Well maybe in Rent, Brooklyn and Wicked...JK. Really they're not buying tickets. It's the baby boomers and older. And honestly it has nothing to do with homosexuality. Actually most people going to theatre are New Yorkers and are pretty liberal. There may be a few tourists here and there but Generally NJ, NY and parts of PA are known as liberal. The reason why theatre has declined is a combination of many things. Remember Theatre as a form started to decline a bit in the 70's, once the golden age was over. That was long before widespread homosexual acceptance was made light of in any medium. It was the creation of Television and Rock and ROll that started it. People started staying home to get entertained and the music people were hearing no longer reflected what the radio played and what was consider top on the charts. So Broadway became this elistist thing. Actually with more pop musicals it's becoming a hint more popular than it was in the 80's. Besides it's now too damn expensive to go to the theatre for families and many middle class people. THAT'S what's keeping people away.

Updated On: 5/21/05 at 01:02 AM

But in a few years, high school students will be the majority.

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i shudder at the thought of the world in 15 years ... ha

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Not that there's anything wrong with it!

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I go to James B. Conant hs

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Suburb on chicago

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I don't think I'm reading the question incorrectly..it's pretty self explanitory. I certainly wasn't offended by anything.

Succesful Gay themed shows:

Take Me Out
Rent
La Cage Aux Follies
The Boy From Oz (Thanks to Hugh's popularity on this one)
Avenue Q
and many more.

Theatre has always been more accepting of homosexuality than mainstream films. I totally disagree with that comment, as gay themed plays have been on Broadway before anyone in a Hollywood film played a noteably gay role.
If people were turning their backs, wouldn't Rent have closed a long time ago?

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Well, beyond every other argument, Broadway theatre attendance has been UP each of the the last four years (since (9-11), so, so much for any argument saying the "gays" are driving people away. MORE are coming to theatre now than before, despite the prices.

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I think it has two sides and everyone had touched on them both

one
its true the vast majority of male actores on Broadway are gay, you do have a few str8 ones (cough) Matt Morrison (cough)

and B

Todays shows do tend to take a 'gay' theme to them, I was up in NYc in March and saw 6 shows, out of them one did NOT have a dealing with a gay theme somewhere in the plot, (it was Little Women) All shook up, La cage, Rent, Momma Mia, Hairspray. This month I bought 4 new cast albums of them 1 does not deal woth it. Oddly enough it was LW again, sorry but I do concider Alter Boyz a gay theme (i haven't seen the show so I do not know, but listening to the music, there are some places that make me question it (someone that knows it better may be able to answer that for me) the other was Spamalot, and I'm sorry but there is an entire song devoted to lancalot coming out, and then he get married in the end. Thats just gay. The fourth was Forbiden b-way SVU, and thats questionable..

I have 1 more cast album ordered and its All shook up


So yes Broadway is turning gayer, when I saw Rent, behind me was a gay couple and it was there first show together, they were from Oklahoma, beside me was a father and son, from Texas, they squirmed when Angel and Collins kissed and blah blah blah, so they left at intermission.

It could be argued that a certain person cast in LW causes the story to be gayified if you fell like it but lets not


ANd please explain what you meant???

Theatre will never be the same until the gays are out.



ok off the soap box

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