30.08 / 21:09
Entertainment
musicals
‘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.