“Queer Musicals” explores the shows that changed musical theatre’s attitudes on LGBTQ characters and issues

Nowadays, one can frequently see LGBTQ characters on stage, in both plays and musicals, without their fates being doomed to tragedy. This wasn’t always the case, but the portrayal of queer characters and situations in Broadway and off-Broadway shows has been going on since the earliest days of the English-speaking theatre. The theatre, foremost among the performing arts, has offered a safe haven — or at least a higher modicum of tolerance — to its LGBTQ employees.

But which musicals, particularly, have changed public perceptions of queer lives? That is the question answered by Robert W. Schneider in his new book Queer Musicals: Boy Meets Boy to Jagged Little Pill, part of British publisher Methuen Drama’s series on “Essential Musicals”. In it, Schneider picks 10 musicals which, he explains, “moved the needle,” expanding society’s view of its LGBTQ members and enhancing the numbers and portrayals of queer characters on stage. 

Schneider starts with an introductory chapter explaining the selection process for the musicals in this volume. He also puts queer musicals in the context of their times, creating four eras. In the “Amuse Us” era, from the beginnings of musical theatre into the 1950s, drag and burlesque were popular, stereotyped characters like the Nance and serious female-impersonating entertainers abounded, and some musicals sported sexual innuendo in lyrics and a goodly amount of exposed male flesh.

The “Avoid Us” era, from the 1950s to the 1980s, featured queer characters who either had to die or be banished from “normal” society by the end of the play, but also saw the beginnings of off-Broadway’s burgeoning portrayals of queer life.

The “Assist Us” era, from the 1980s to the 2000s, coincided with the AIDS crisis, with both musical and non-musical plays presenting the epidemic and its effects on society.

Finally, the “Accept Us” era of the early 21st Century broadened the scope of queer theatre, with shows presenting gay and lesbian lives and giving serious attention to the trans community. Schneider’s history lesson is presented in a non-pedantic, entertaining manner and provides a welcome background to the stories of the ten musicals selected.

The shows covered are:

Boy Meets Boy (1975), an off-Broadway musical that was the first to put a gay relationship front and center on stage

La Cage aux Folles (1983), the first Broadway musical to make a gay relationship central to the story, which became the first financially successful Broadway musical with gay themes

The Knife (1987), an off-Broadway musical that was the first to feature a transgender protagonist

Falsettos (1992), the first musical to deal with the impact of AIDS on individuals and families

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998), the first musical to become a worldwide phenomenon with both LGBTQ and straight audiences, with a main character whose gender reassignment surgery had been botched

bare (2000), an off-Broadway musical that was the first to deal with the topic of gay teens

Kinky Boots (2013), the first Broadway musical to deal with the topic of queer self-acceptance

Fun Home (2014), the first Broadway musical to put a lesbian character and her sexual awakening front and center

The Prom (2018), the first Broadway musical to deal with the topic of lesbian teens

Jagged Little Pill (2020), the first Broadway musical to spark debate about the erasure of queer characters

In the chapters devoted to each of these musicals, Schneider dives into the backstage drama behind their creations. Some of his stories will have you rolling your eyes in disbelief; others are quite funny (and maybe a little bitchy). His speculation on why some shows succeeded where others failed gives a good behind-the-scenes look at theatre politics. And he puts each of the shows in the context of their times, both politically and as entertainment.

In short, Robert W. Schneider has come up with a witty, informative look at the evolution of queer musicals, one that will be of interest to both ardent theatre lovers like me and to those looking for an entertaining read. I heartily recommend putting Queer Musicals on your autumn reading or Christmas gift shopping list!

Queer Musicals: Boy Meets Boy to Jagged Little Pill, by Robert W. Schneider, Methuen Drama