COVER STORY: QUEERS ON BROADWAY
Broadway has long been a guiding light for the Queer community, bringing folks from across the world to New York in pursuit of a life on stage. In the late 20th Century, while mainstream film and television were presenting caricatures and stereotypes of Queer life, Broadway was fleshing out characters with depth. Characters like Paul in A Chorus Line and Georges and Albin from La Cage aux Folles were accused of “mainstreaming homosexuality for mass consumption.” Still, much of the Queer representation across platforms were largely cisgender, white, and male.
Further uptown in Harlem, was a counterculture to the Great White Way: the birthplace of ballroom. Black and Latine queens, kings, and their respective drag houses were inventing what would become the blueprint for musical performance that we see in pop culture today. 21st Century Broadway would later introduce characters like Angel Dumott Schunard in RENT and Lola from Kinky Boots that would pave the way for drag queens to be embraced by the Broadway stage. Theatre legends like Eartha Kitt and Bernadette Peters have served as inspiration for drag queens for generations with their larger than life personalities and booming vocals, creating a lasting synergy between the two mediums.
The Broadway ecosystem in 2026 is a carefully weaved tapestry of all that has come before, with a fresh twist. Adaptations and revivals dominate the historic midtown theaters in ways that give theater traditionalists a run for their money, literally. This Pride Month, LADYGUNN brought twelve of Broadway’s brightest stars of this season together for an afternoon of glamour and community. We took over beloved East Village gay bar, The Boiler Room, to celebrate the red hot moment that Broadway is having in the current cultural landscape.
CATS: The Jellice Ball has taken one of the most polarizing musicals of all time and turned it into a celebration of ballroom, past and present. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original anthropomorphic felines are reimagined as the drag queens and kings of our wildest dreams. Choreography duo Omari Willes and Arturo Lyons were behind the magnetic movement in the show, and were approached by Bill Rauch (CATS co-director) and Josie Kearns (production dramaturg and gender consultant) to make reimagine CATS as a celebration of queerness.
Broadway has long been a guiding light for the Queer community, bringing folks from across the world to New York in pursuit of a life on stage. In the late 20th Century, while mainstream film and television were presenting caricatures and stereotypes of Queer life, Broadway was fleshing out characters with depth. Characters like Paul in A Chorus Line and Georges and Albin from La Cage aux Folles were accused of “mainstreaming homosexuality for mass consumption.” Still, much of the Queer representation across platforms were largely cisgender, white, and male.
Further uptown in Harlem, was a counterculture to the Great White Way: the birthplace of ballroom. Black and Latine queens, kings, and their respective drag houses were inventing what would become the blueprint for musical performance that we see in pop culture today. 21st Century Broadway would later introduce characters like Angel Dumott Schunard in RENT and Lola from Kinky Boots that would pave the way for drag queens to be embraced by the Broadway stage. Theatre legends like Eartha Kitt and Bernadette Peters have served as inspiration for drag queens for generations with their larger than life personalities and booming vocals, creating a lasting synergy between the two mediums.
The Broadway ecosystem in 2026 is a carefully weaved tapestry of all that has come before, with a fresh twist. Adaptations and revivals dominate the historic midtown theaters in ways that give theater traditionalists a run for their money, literally. This Pride Month, LADYGUNN brought twelve of Broadway’s brightest stars of this season together for an afternoon of glamour and community. We took over beloved East Village gay bar, The Boiler Room, to celebrate the red hot moment that Broadway is having in the current cultural landscape.
CATS: The Jellice Ball has taken one of the most polarizing musicals of all time and turned it into a celebration of ballroom, past and present. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s original anthropomorphic felines are reimagined as the drag queens and kings of our wildest dreams. Choreography duo Omari Willes and Arturo Lyons were behind the magnetic movement in the show, and were approached by Bill Rauch (CATS co-director) and Josie Kearns (production dramaturg and gender consultant) to make reimagine CATS as a celebration of queerness.
“We asked ‘how could we make this into something that speaks to a generation of today and tomorrow?’ And then The Jellice Ball just came to mind. It’s a nightclub. Yes, it’s a gay bar. It’s a ball.” shares Omari. While the source material served as an outline in the show’s development, creating the ball was the goal. “It was ballroom in the forefront, with the original score and choreography in the back and then just merged them together.” explains Arturo.
The production takes the original setting of a London alleyway to New York City, with Emma Sofia’s Shimbleshanks aka “The Railway Cat” dressed as an MTA conductor gone glam with high heeled boots and a skunk striped wig. With a background in NYC’s nightlife and go-go dancing scene, Emma feels right at home in her ensemble, which have named themselves The House of Philion. “It feels like this is the perfect intersection of all avenues of my life.” she shares. “I’m really honored to be a part of it and to get to use my platform to inform people and to educate people of this history that I’m a guest of.”
She speaks to the importance of honoring the legacy of ballroom, nodding to the presence of ballroom MC pioneer Junior Labeija and Leiomy Maldonado, the “Wonder Woman of Vogue” who plays the elusive cat McCavity in the production. Musical theater legend André De Shields is another member of the ensemble, rounding out this one of a kind group that is multifaceted in not only age, but shape, size, race and entrypoint into the work.
“The thing about ballroom is everyone walks in a different category. So you’re all uniquely made in your own right, in your own talent.” shares Omari on helping each ensemble member find their unique movement in the show. “Each character and moment brings a different feeling, a different kind of excitement. I’ve never experienced something like it before.” Arturo adds, speaking to the celebration of individuality that the show brings to Broadway. In an industry that has historically erased Black and brown artists, especially those in bigger bodies, CATS: The Jellice Ball revolutionizes the medium and affirms that those who are different are here to stay.
The Rocky Horror Show is a mainstay musical haven for the weird and eccentric. Richard O’Brian’s cult classic movie and stage show can be found every Friday night across the country with respective shadow casts in the smallest of towns, and is currently being presented on the Broadway stage by Roundabout Theatre Company. Featured in the ensemble is NYC indie darling Boy Radio, who serves as a Lead Phantom and occasional understudy for Rocky and Frank-In-Furter.
Boy Radio was 13 when he first discovered the film. “It was the first movie musical that wasn’t based on realism,” he reveals. “To get into something that was not only just rock music, but obscure sci-fi alien, extreme fashion, crazy makeup, silly characters. I remember thinking I’d found something that I wasn’t supposed to and I fell in love with it.” The boldness, silliness, and unapologeticness of Rocky Horror speaks Radio’s aesthetic as an artist, and the “don’t dream it, be it” mantra deeply resonates with his creative voice. As The Rocky Horror Picture Show celebrates its 50th anniversary, its continued success and Broadway revival prove that there is still a deep craving for stories that shock and slay, unabashedly. With artists like Boy Radio on the stage, it is a failproof night-out that will leave you shivering with antici…pation.
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The Rocky Horror Show’s social media accounts, along with the accounts of many other current Broadway hits, is marketing mastermind Austin Spero. Spero was first tapped by Cole Escola to run social media for Oh! Mary’s Off-Broadway run, and he has been booked and busy ever since. Having worked on other shows including John Proctor Is The Villain and Liberation, He has made a name for himself as the go-to voice in theatrical marketing. “The way that marketing campaigns tick is what really excites me.” Austin admits “I’ve always been so deep in internet culture. I love theater, I love to write, I love to create, and I love to produce. And this is just the way that all my skills can come together in a way that feels exciting to me.”
A day of work for Spero is an example of the fast-paced New York career that aspiring Gen-Z theater administrators dream of. “I start the day by taking a lay of the land in the social media world. Then I think about the large stories that we’re trying to tell. What is the story of both this piece as an independent entity, but also as part of the New York City institution, what makes this an event, what makes this exciting to people.” Running from theater to theater capturing content with talent, he has gained a wide understanding of the industry at large and the artistry behind it. By night, Austin Spero turns into Reese Havoc, drag queen extraordinaire. “Thinking about the queer nightlife world I come from, the New York City theater scene is so wild because it intersects. Even looking over to see Emma right now, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my girl. We have been in the clubs and to both be working on Broadway in wildly different ways, it’s so cool.”
Alongside Austin ushering in a new generational voice for Broadway is the ensemble of & Juliet. Set to soundtrack chart topping Max Martin hits, the story presents an alternate ending of the infamous tragedy. Instead of committing suicide at the discovery of her lover, Romeo’s, death, Juliet moves forward on a journey of self discovery and friendship. There is a universality that comes along with a show like & Juliet, which uses pop culture hits and one of theater’s most famous scripts as a vehicle for an empowering story about independence, the de-centering of romantic relationships, and finding your voice outside of societal expectations, all of which are themes that the Queer community knows all too well.
“We have so many people from all over the world who don’t even know anything about the story, and it opens people’s minds and hearts up to so many different diverse characters.” shares Michael Iván Carrier, who plays May in the production. The character of May identifies as non-binary, and is the love interest of François, currently played by Nathan Levy. “It’s like we’re tricking them into coming in here and experiencing lives that aren’t theirs because they know a cute Britney Spears song. They leave learning something.”
Gianna Harris, the current Juliet, shares the new perspective she has gained on the source material through this show. “Playing Juliet has really put into perspective how powerful, confident, and strong willed she is. Looking at the original text of Romeo and Juliet, she always took control over the situation and told Romeo what to do the whole time.”
The juxtaposition of young, queer and racially diverse performers like Gianna, Michael, and Levy taking on the old-English world of The Bard is another reminder of the transformation happening in the industry. Levy shares the following advice for up and coming queer musical theater performers of color “Take up space. Don’t feel like you have to be traditional with everything. I feel like Broadway is so particular, but I feel like we’ve been breaking those boundaries, so let’s continue with the new wave, the new generation.”
Also Queering historical text is J. Harrison Ghee, the current Hermes in Hadestown. The retelling of Greek Tragedy Eurydice has been selling out houses on Broadway for the last seven years, and was key in ushering the wave of adaptation to the mainstream Broadway world. Similar to & Juliet, Hadestown grants the character of Eurydice more agency than the original ingénue of the Greek Tragedy, making it her choice to pursue life in the underworld. Hermes serves as a narrator and guide throughout the story. Previously mentioned André De Shields originated Broadway’s Hermes, and the role has been taken on by a wide array of talents since.
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“They didn’t know they needed Hermes high kicks.” Ghee spills about their unique spin on their character. Having played Lola in Kinky Boots over a decade ago on Broadway and the touring production, Ghee is no stranger to intricate footwork. With an 8-piece band to accompany the ensemble’s booming vocals, it is only natural for movement to serve as an element of the storytelling. “My Hermes is active. I’m twirling the umbrella, tossing it in the air. My Hermes is all over the place and it delights and excites people and it excites me to get to do that.” When asked about the importance of weaving Queerness into these classics, Ghee reminds us that the Queer community is here to stay in future retellings. “It’ll never stop. Representation matters. People need to see themselves in every form, and it is a privilege to get to stand in my truth every night and show people that anything is possible.”
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The parody musical has always lived on the fringes in the greater scope of Broadway and musical theater at large. Midelle, Rousouli, and Blue first met working at LA’s Rockwell Table and Stage dinner theater working on parodies of other famous films and shows including The Devil Wears Prada, Scream, and Troop Beverly Hills. One night over drinks (a gin martini for Rousouli and a sauvignon blanc for Mindelle.) They had the idea of creating their own spin on Titanic. Titanique has had a handful of lives prior to their current star-studded Broadway production at the St. James Theater.
“Deep in my little gay soul, I always dreamt that it would go mainstream, but there were a lot of obstacles that came along with putting out your own stuff, and not having a huge movie studio behind you or real money.” admits Rousouli. The DIY beginnings of the trio have paid off and then some, garnering the attention of Celine’s inner circle. “I watched hundreds and hundreds of hours of Céline.” Mindelle reveals. “It’s like the horror movie 1984 and you’re trapped with your deepest, darkest fear. Mine was Céline Dion, not because I’m scared of her, but because I love her so much and wanted to do her justice so badly.”
Loud and proud icon Frankie Grande joins the stacked Broadway cast of Titanique as The Captain, real life actor Victor Garber, and the iconic Luigi of Nintendo fame. “Marla’s comedy is something that you only see once a generation, someone that smart that can command a room of 1400 people by herself on stage. Her leadership is what makes me know that I can do it every night.” shares Frankie. As a longtime mainstream voice for the Queer community, he reminds us of the importance of telling joyous Queer stories like Titanique. “Finding places of community, safety, joy and celebration are going to be more important now than ever. We can’t just constantly be in battle mode. Humans can’t survive that way. We have to remember what we’re fighting for and we are fighting for queer joy and that is what we celebrate every night during our performances.”
As productions cycle in and out of these historic Manhattan theaters, we must continue to fill them with stories that celebrate Queerness in all of its forms. This current moment is proof that the classics and canonical works can be both honored and transformed to encapsulate the experiences of those once deemed too different. In these times of personal and political turmoil, what we need more than ever are spaces of celebration where all are welcome. It’s safe to say that Broadway is in good hands with the twelve artistic visionaries that we packed into The Boiler Room this Pride Month.
Source: https://www.ladygunn.com/cover/queers-on-broadway/
Credits:
Writer + Producer / Bri Ng Schwartz
Photos / Shane Reynolds
Styling + Editor in Chief / Phil Gomez
Styling Assist / Alex Murphy
MUA / Gabriel Barse & Daddy Doll
MUA Assist / Julieta Bellina, Emily Cohen & Leo Kyle
Hair / Isaac Davidson & Henry De La Paz
Motion / Stevo
PA / Asher Oliver , Michael Villanueva
Creative Producer / Dakota Griffin, The 199x New York
Founder / Koko Ntuen
Location / The Boiler Room