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Things We Saw Today: First Trailer for The Boys in the Band, Adapted From the Groundbreaking Gay Drama, Is Big on Star Power

THE BOYS IN THE BAND (2020) Jim Parsons as Michael, Robin De Jesus as Emory, Michael Benjamin Washington as Bernard and Andrew Rannells as Larry. Cr. Scott Everett White/NETFLIX ©2020

I don’t think every out gay actor is in The Boys in the Band, but it certainly feels like it from the first sprawling, dramatic trailer for the Ryan Murphy-produced film, set to land on Netflix on September 30. This adaptation of the groundbreaking play promises to deliver a juicy, painful, and fun take on the stage show, and a cast full of actual gay men is also amazing in terms of representation both onscreen and off.

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Check out the trailer here:

The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley first debuted on broadway in 1968, portraying the lives of gay men with honesty and frankness that had never been seen before. It was part of the spark of a new era, putting the lives of gay men out there unapologetically, a year before the Stonewall riots began the gay rights and gay pride movement in full.

The Netflix adaptation, directed by Joe Mantello (also an out man) and brings together the same all-star cast that starred in the 50th anniversary Broadway revival in 2018. The cast includes Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Carver, Brian Hutchison, Jim Parsons, Andrew Rannells, Robin de De Jesús, Michael Benjamin Washington, and Tuc Williams.

In particular, I really love seeing Jim Parsons find his groove in a project like this after toiling so long as Sheldon Cooper. That’s not to say that Parsons wasn’t great as Sheldon, he undoubtedly was, and even when the Big Bang Theory was a sexist mess, he was always brilliant as a performer. It’s wonderful to see Parsons, who came out during the run of BBT, thriving in juicier roles that are obviously more meaningful to him.

Overall this cast is incredible and the story they are telling is vitally important in any era. This looks like something I’ll definitely be excited to check out at the end of the month.

(image: Netflix)

Here are a few other things we saw today:

What did you see this fine Wednesday? It is Wednesday, right?

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Author
Jessica Mason
Jessica Mason (she/her) is a writer based in Portland, Oregon with a focus on fandom, queer representation, and amazing women in film and television. She's a trained lawyer and opera singer as well as a mom and author.

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