‘Girlfriend’ takes queer love back to the ’90s — with a happy ending
Welcome to Curtain Call, our mostly queer take on the latest openings on Broadway and beyond.With a book by Todd Almond and the pop-culture legendary songs of Matthew Sweet’s 1991 album of the same name, Girlfriend trades in the nostalgia of a simpler time… even when things weren’t so simple, especially for two closeted teens in Nebraska.No social media or even ubiquitous home internet existed in 1993, when the one-act, two-character musical is set — on the one hand, that eliminated the possibility of cyberbullying, but on the other, it was easier for a young, rural gay man to feel alone.
Girlfriend puts a positive spin on early queer love with the help of a live band rendering Sweet’s catchy melodies, recalling indie gay films of the ‘90s without the typical tragic ending.
After its 2010 premiere in Berkeley, California, and runs in New York, Los Angeles, and D.C., Girlfriend now premieres in Chicago at PrideArts, with Artistic Director Jay Españo at the helm.Related: WATCH: Holy Schitt!
Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Shakespeare converge on BroadwayGirlfriend is a simple story: two boys fall in love the summer after high school graduation.
