This Disney Musical is for the Gays

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY:  This musical has been kicking around for quite a few years. Written and directed by Connor McPherson and featuring songs with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, it first played London’s West End in 2017, off-Broadway in 2018, and eventually made it to Broadway in 2020 where it played five performances before Covid closed them down for two years. Well, it’s finally coming to California. The show is set on the shores of Lake Superior in the winter of 1934 during the Great Depression, where we meet a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life, and hope. Experience this production that the New York Times calls “profoundly beautiful,” and brought to vivid life by an extraordinary company of actors and musicians. Dylan’s songs are cleverly interspersed and well-performed. Hollywood Pantages 5/14 – 6/2; San Francisco Golden Gate 7/30 – 8/18.

THELMA AND LOUISE;  DYKE REMIX:  San Diego’s LGBTQ+ Diversionary Theatre is consistently stylish and presents well-mounted productions. In their current production, Thelma and Louise drive their 1966 Ford Thunderbird Convertible off the edge of the Grand Canyon. Suspended in mid-air, the two discover their authentic selves and embark on a queer odyssey that defies conventions and dares to ask: “Why do strong female characters always die?” Aided by a kick-ass Riot Grrrl band, T and L attempt to sort out their new identities, how those identities impact their relationships with each other, and seek out the gay happy ending they’ve always deserved.  The show won the 2021 Richard Rogers Award for Musical Writing, and this theatre company always justifies a drive to San Diego.  5/9 – 6/2.

COME FROM AWAY: This award-winning musical is set in Gander, Newfoundland, starting on 9/11/01.  All US planes were ordered to land at the nearest airport, and the residents of tiny Gander suddenly found themselves hosting about 7,000 guests who were on some 36 planes.  The book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein have a folk feel and are catchy and enjoyable, but it is the staging that is really the star of the show. About 20 people play passengers and the residents of Gander, changing characters with the addition of a hat or jacket.  The delight is that it all happens so quickly and smoothly. This month it is playing numerous smaller venues in California including Santa Barbara’s Granada Theatre 4/30-5/1; Performing Arts Center of SLO 5/2; Modesto’s Gallo Center for the Arts 5/3 – 4; Hollywood Pantages 5/7 – 12; and Palm Desert’s McCallum Theatre 11/26-12/1.

DISNEY’S ALADDIN:  Okay, before you start yelling “Why is he hyping a Disney musical in a gay magazine,” I can only urge you to give this show a try. I saw it on Broadway and then caught it again in Orlando when it was on tour. I will hopefully see it again this month in Costa Mesa. The songs are by Alan Menkin at his best, and the staging is a constant delight (including a lot of vest-only muscular torsos).  On Broadway, the “You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me” number, including three different costumes for the ensemble and a lengthy tap number, received a standing ovation. That’s the only time I have ever seen that happen. The national tour wraps up with Freson’s Saroyan Theater 5/1 – 5 and Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center 5/7 – 12.