{"id":69125,"date":"2018-05-31T22:25:44","date_gmt":"2018-06-01T02:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/starry-revival-of-the-boys-in-the-band-lends-gay-history-a-high-sheen-review\/"},"modified":"2018-05-31T22:25:44","modified_gmt":"2018-06-01T02:25:44","slug":"starry-revival-of-the-boys-in-the-band-lends-gay-history-a-high-sheen-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/starry-revival-of-the-boys-in-the-band-lends-gay-history-a-high-sheen-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Starry Revival of \u2018The Boys in the Band\u2019 Lends Gay History a High Sheen: REVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starry Revival of \u2018The Boys in the Band\u2019 Lends Gay History a High Sheen: REVIEW<\/b>
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The glass house on stage at the Booth Theatre seems to suggest the most shattering wounds are often self-inflicted, its plush red interior an assurance blood will be spilled. <\/span><\/p>\n

Director Joe Mantello\u2019s slick 50th-anniversary revival of groundbreaking gay<\/a> drama <\/span>The Boys in the Band<\/span><\/i> opened on Broadway tonight under circumstances author Mart Crowley might hardly have imagined in 1968.\u00a0<\/span>Its lineup of Hollywood stars \u2014 Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, and Jim Parsons, currently the highest-paid actor on TV \u2014 is more than just reason enough for fans to pony up for tickets. Witnessing a rising class of out A-listers sink their teeth into the self-loathing, shame, and desire that have coursed through generations of gay<\/a> identity is a truly transcendent experience \u2014 even if it doesn\u2019t quite tear up old scars. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The glossy Manhattan duplex (designed by David Zinn) serves as a vicious playground for tonight\u2019s birthday celebration. Michael (Parsons), our host, ticks about his preparations like a time bomb; Harold (Quinto), the droll eccentric of honor, is going to be awhile. Michael\u2019s onetime dalliance turned pal Donald (Bomer) is the first to arrive \u2014 and the first thing he needs is a shower. (Cue a grueling test of attention as he pads around in underwear for 10 minutes.)<\/span><\/p>\n

The twist: Michael\u2019s school chum Alan (Brian Hutchison) rings in distress, wanting to drop in. Problem is he\u2019s (supposedly) straight, and \u201cSquare City\u201d as Michael says, hardly the sort of fox welcome in this henhouse. Alan calls<\/a> back to beg off, but winds up changing his mind and walking in on a whole string of fairies frolicking in-sync to \u201cHeat Wave\u201d by Martha and the Vandellas. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alan sticks around after his initial shock, warming up to Hank (Tuc Watkins), a buttoned-up school teacher whose wedding ring belies the fact that he left his wife for Larry (tart standout Andrew Rannells). Any hope Michael has of keeping Alan in the dark vanishes in the wake of a flaming Emory (scene stealer Robin de Jesus), two poles of masculinity destined to combust.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brightened by its attractive stars, the production couches Crowley\u2019s snappy dialogue in a self-consciously retro light, making for easy consumption (Ryan Murphy is among the producers), while often resisting the play\u2019s darkest recesses. When Alan unleashes closeted rage on Emory, or Michael slurs racist quips at Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington), tension scarcely seems to burn hot before it\u2019s gone. That much of gay<\/a> culture creates diversion from pain may be part of the point, but here it can be tough to feel the sting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This may be in part because Harold and Michael, the story\u2019s primary vessels of suffering, are too adept at keeping everyone at arm\u2019s length here. \u201cWe tread very softly with each other,\u201d Harold tells Michael, \u201cbecause we both play each other\u2019s game too well.\u201d From his fashionably late entrance, the mask Harold dons for the world over his creams and salves \u2014 aloof, acerbic, affected \u2014 never drops. Quinto\u2019s high-camp performance, though entertaining, feels less flesh-and-blood than the rest, obscuring any real connections Harold may have to the assembled party. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Though it\u2019s Michael\u2019s fierce battle with self-loathing that causes him to self-destruct by lashing out at everyone else, Parsons exudes an innate self-assurance that betrays few hints of vulnerability until it comes flooding out all at once. Even as his character erupts with fury, alcohol rather than bundled up feeling seems to have flipped to switch. When Michael finally collapses in earnest sobs, it\u2019s more of a surprise than the crash of a downward spiral. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Still, it\u2019s easy to recognize that the venom on Michael\u2019s tongue, born of self-hate and unleashed by self-medication, continues to thrive in back channels, behind a half-century worth of progress. Gay men<\/a> \u2014 in or out of the closet \u2014 still struggle to face our fears and desires, lunging for each others\u2019 throats when the real enemy is already inside, or at every one of our doors. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we could just learn not to hate ourselves so much,\u201d Michael tells Donald after washing back a Valium. We\u2019re getting there, Michael. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Follow Naveen Kumar on Twitter: @Mr_NaveenKumar
<\/a><\/em>(photos: joan marcus)<\/p>\n

The post Starry Revival of \u2018The Boys in the Band\u2019 Lends Gay History a High Sheen: REVIEW<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Starry Broadway Revival of \u2018The Boys in the Band\u2019 Lends Gay History a High Sheen: REVIEW<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n