Everything you need to know about the unauthorized ‘Heated Rivalry’ musical
The theatrical event of the summer for any gay man with a pulse is here.
Mark
It’s not every day you get a chance to see a musical that follows a “starry-eyed golden boy” on his “journey from power center to power bottom,” but that’s exactly what visitors can expect from Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical.
The silly but steamy spoof musical, which runs in New York City through the fall, is quickly becoming the must-see theatrical event of the year, especially for fans of its source material… and gay men with a pulse.
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According to its synopsis and initial reviews, there’s a bop-infused score, tons of wigs and quick changes, hot tableaus, scene-stealing cameos, and enough material to leave viewers wet. With tears. Of course.
OK, we’re listening!!!
Here’s everything you need to know about Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical.
What’s it about?
Um, if you’re asking this, where have you been?!
The musical parody (which debuted back in the spring as a series of concert performances) spoofs the first season of Crave’s Heated Rivalry, which captivated girls, gays, theys, and even grandmas after it hit HBO Max last year.
Based on Rachel Reid’s sports romance book series Game Changers, the series follows the years-long will-they, won’t-they rivalry and relationship between two professional ice hockey players: the shy and submissive Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) of the Montreal Metros and ice-cold Russian bad boy, Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) of the Boston Raiders.
Spoiler alert: There’s tons of yearning, a little bit of hockey, and lots of butts. “Global phenomenon” is not a phrase we throw around lightly, but let’s just say there’s a reason why a second season was fast tracked.
Watch.
Who’s in it?
This production might be “unauthorized” — read: not at all connected to or endorsed by Reid or the television series — but it’s far from amateur.
The onstage and behind-the-scenes crew includes a who’s-who of Broadway and New York theater scene royalty, including Jay Armstrong Johnson, who portrays the broody and dominating Ilya and Jimin Moon as the adorable Shane. Rounding out the cast are Ryann Redmond, Cherry Torres, and Ryan Duncan.
The books, music, lyrics, and orchestrations were written by Dylan MarcAurele, whose past works include The Real Housewives of NYC: The Musical and the MEG4N musical, which starred RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Rosé. On top of that, the hilarious show is directed by Alan Kliffer, the former artistic director at Asylum NYC and a warm-blooded Canadian. How’s that for dramaturgy?!
Where is it running?
The show is playing now through September 7th, showtimes vary, at The Culture Club (530 W. 27th Street, 6th Floor) in New York City’s beloved gayborhood, Chelsea.
Which means you can easily stop by one of GayCities’ favorite bars, like The Eagle, Boxers, or Gym Sportsbar after.
Tickets generally run between $89 and $199, and you can snag them online.
Is it good?
Welp, during previews and weeks before its official opening on May 26, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody was extended due to “popular demand.”
Past audience members on Instagram are even calling it “the best gay show [they’ve] ever seen,” and according to Harper’s Bazaar writer Rosa Sanchez, it’s “even hotter and gayer” than the original series.
And if you’re wondering if the dudes are just as hot, we’ll let these especially shirtless promotional pictures do the talking.
Learn more about Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody here.
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