Way back when I was in high school, the movie Boys in the Band sparked by an Off Broadway play, was one of my first introductions into what life in the LGBT community was like. Not that we used or even knew the term LGBT etc. etc. back then.
To the fifteen-year-old I was at the time, the movie seemed dark and depressing, the characters miserable.
Fast forward almost fifty years and we have Boys in the Band on Broadway. The characters are still deeply troubled men but — I’m not fifteen anymore.
I know no one is happy with themselves 24/7, that we all deal with voices from our past that make us cringe, and that this snapshot of gay life isn’t the only picture possible.
This isn’t 1970 and things have changed — which I think is the point of this revival.
Plus, and this is what made me pull out my credit card, have you seen the cast?
Jim Parsons would be enough to get me in a seat at the Booth Theatre on his own, but he’s not on his own. Sharing the stage we have, the new and improved Mr. Spock, Zachary Quinto, the original Elder Price from the Book of Mormon, Andrew Rannells, and my personal favourite since he played a not-so-recovered thief in White Collar, Matt Bomer. The only reason there isn’t a string of exclamation marks behind Matt’s name is because I’m restraining myself 🙂
If you’re anywhere near New York in the near future, plunk yourself down in the Booth Theatre. Each and every one of these actors gives a stellar performance and there are a lot more laughs than I remembered 🙂
AimerBoyz 
Yep, that’s a stellar cast. I also saw the movie when I was just out of high school. I understand that the movie probably displayed how many gay men felt in that era, when homophobia was rampant and the threat of violence was very real. But for me as a kid, it was horribly depressing. It was not what I needed to help me through the years to come.
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Totally agree. As a straight girl I thought the movie was depressing, I can only imagine how it seemed to you as a young man.
Fortunately, that was a window in time. One that hopefully will never be opened again.
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That is lovely cast, indeed!!! 🙂
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I’m irredeemably shallow when it comes to good looking men 🙂
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You’re not the only one! I was laughing at myself and a bit embarrassed after the fact that You wrote such a cool post on the different perspectives that life experience and time can bring to our intake of a play….or anything, really. I also liked how You talked about plays…etc., being just a slice of someone’s life and that there is much more to the story than what that telling shows. You made think and I totally agreed, but never saw that play so all I left was a comment on how beautiful the cast is. And I felt really shallow later!!! 🤣🤣🤣!
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Haha! We’re not shallow, we’re art lovers. Living art 🙂
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Right???!!! 🤗
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Hi, Aimer – Unfortunately, I am nowhere near New York (other than being in the same continent). But I would love to hear what you think of the performance once you see it. Keep us posted!
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It was a great performance, Donna.
As always, Jim Parsons was amazing. Compelling performances from everyone. We had a bit of trouble at the airport with a cancelled flight, but the aggravation was worth it. So glad I got the chance to see it.
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