'The Boys in the Band': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Netflix adaptation of hit Broadway play
In 1968, 'The Boys in the Band', a play by Mart Crowley premiered Off-Broadway. It was termed a "theatrical gamechanger", putting gay men's lives onstage, at a time when most gay men preferred to keep their sexual orientation a secret. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the seminal queer play came the critically acclaimed 2018 Broadway adaptation with stars like Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Matt Bomer. Now the Tony-winning cast from the revival has reunited, with the help of Ryan Murphy, for their Netflix debut, which will expand on the world of Mart Crowley’s play to include scenes on the streets of Manhattan and in Julius, one of the oldest gay bars still operating in NYC.
Murphy, while announcing the Netflix project on April 18, 2019, via Instagram wrote: "Last summer, 'The Boys in the Band' were on Broadway, breaking house records at The Booth. This summer, 'The Boys In the Band' will be filming a Netflix movie event. The incomparable Joe Mantello, who directed the Broadway revival, will direct the film adaptation... Everyone in the cast was out and proud…and feeling so blessed to mark the 50th anniversary of Mart’s landmark play."
Release date
The film will premiere on Netflix on September 30.
Plot
In 1968 New York City — when being gay was still considered to be best kept behind closed doors — a group of friends gathers for a raucous birthday party hosted by Michael, a screenwriter who spends and drinks too much, in honor of the sharp-dressed and sharp-tongued Harold. Other partygoers include Donald, Michael's former flame, now mired in self-analysis; Larry, a randy commercial artist living with Hank, a school teacher who has just left his wife; Bernard, a librarian tiptoeing around fraught codes of friendship alongside Emory, a decorator who never holds back; and a guileless hustler hired to be Harold's gift for the night. What begins as an evening of drinks and laughs gets upended when Alan, Michael's straight-laced college roommate, shows up unexpectedly and each man is challenged to confront long-buried truths that threaten the foundation of the group's tight bond.
Cast
Jim Parsons as Michael
Jim Parsons is known for playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory'. He has received several awards for this breakout character, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. He also played supporting roles in films like 'Hidden Figures', 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile' and most recently played the leading role of Henry Willson, a talent agent, in the Netflix miniseries 'Hollywood', another Ryan Murphy production.
Zachary Quinto as Harold
Zachary Quinto is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist TV series 'Heroes', Spock in the 'Star Trek' franchise and most recently, Charlie Manx, in the AMC series 'NOS4A2'. He was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in 'American Horror Story: Asylum'. His other notable film roles include 'Margin Call', 'What's Your Number?', 'Snowden' and 'Hotel Artemis'.
Matt Bomer as Donald
Matt Bomer made his television debut on the long-running soap opera 'All My Children'. In 2009, he took on the lead role of con-artist and thief Neal Caffrey in the 'White Collar'. Bomer has also featured in films like 'In Time', 'Magic Mike' and 'Magic Mike XXL'. In 2015, he won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for playing a closeted writer of The New York Times in the drama television film 'The Normal Heart'. Most recently, he portrayed Larry Trainor in the DC Universe series 'Doom Patrol', and starred in 'The Sinner' as Jamie Burn.
The cast also includes Brian Hutchison as Alan, Andrew Rannells as Larry, Tuc Watkins as Hank, Michael Benjamin Washington as Bernard, Robin de Jesus as Emory, and Charlie Carver as the "Cowboy".
Creators
Filmmaker Joe Mantello directed the upcoming movie adaptation, based on the play by Mart Crowley, who died earlier this year. Ryan Murphy produced the film with David Stone and Ned Martel.
Trailer
Jim Parsons' character, Michael, starts off about how it is to live as a gay man in 1960s New York that always sees him on the run. With his birthday coming up, he is having an existential crisis of sorts and is comforted by Matt Bomer's Donald. His friends, all gay men, turn up for his party which starts off relatively well. But when Alan, his one-time college roommate, who Michael suspects is closeted turns up, the party soon takes a darker turn. Michael proposes a game where everyone has to call someone they truly love and confess their love.
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