Ryan J. Haddad’s Broadway dream role, cast recording obsessions, & onstage chemistry
Dark Disabled Stories. Co-starring Deaf actor Dickie Hearts and disabled actor Alejandra Ospina, the trio guides audiences through the challenges and triumphs of navigating life in New York City, dating, and the occasional kinky hook-up.
Haddad, whose past shows include Hi, Are you Single? and Falling for Make Believe, possesses uncanny comedic timing and dry wit and creates what Queerty critic Ryan Leeds called “a remarkable theatrical experience.”The theater experience has also been reimagined to become more inclusive for every type of audience member by providing integrated access, including American Sign Language, captioning, and audio description at every performance.“We’ve been starved for stories about us,” Haddad told the New York Times. “What I’m telling, what I’m giving is a really honest portrait.
And it’s a portrait of me.”Queerty caught up with Haddad between performances (the show has been extended twice and runs through April 9) to get his quick take on queerness, dream roles, and other inspiring theatermakers.The key to humor is…Self-awareness.The gayest thing about me…I went to see Donna Murphy in Dear Worldon my night off and then listened to “I Don’t Want to Know” on repeat for 24 hours.
As I type these answers, I am listening to the original Broadway cast recording of Merrily We Roll Along in anticipation of the Broadway revival. [An Off-Broadway transfer starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez.]A teaser of the story I’d love to include in Dark Disabled Stories, Part II…On a subway platform one afternoon, all of these people who did not appear to be disabled piled into an elevator and didn’t leave any space for me, so I waited.
