Monday, June 4, 2018

LBGTQ+ Tropes in Musical Theater

Happy Pride month!

Reviews for the film Love, Simon have commented on the rarity of a "happy ending" for a gay couple on screen. That made me curious to see how LGBTQ+ characters have fared in musical theater (and a few operas for good measure). Once I started counting I couldn't stop. Cis men make up the bulk of representation. Some die tragically. Some are simply comic relief. A surprising number end up in a happy pairing by the curtain.

I'm still tweaking the formatting and may re-upload this if I can make it easier to read. Who did I miss?

I'm looking for a show in which an LGBQ+






Cis Male Ends Up
Cis Female ends up
Trans Character ends up
Coupled
Single
Dead / Widowed
Coupled
Single
Dead
Coupled
Single
Dead / Widowed
A New Brain
An American in Paris
by Murder
Bad Girls the Musical
A Letter to Harvey Milk
Nick and Nora
Pricilla Queen of the Dessert
As One (Opera)
Bombay Dreams (murder)
All Shook Up (bi man / woman)
Applause (mentions a date but we never meet him)
Brokeback Mountain (opera)
Falsettoland
Aspects of Love
Eating Raoul (I think the women's basketball player)
Splendora
Bring It On
Possibly Rent (Angel to AIDS)
Avenue Q
Be More Chill
Candide
First Lady Suite (on the verge of breaking up)
Chicago


Hedwig
Possibly Rocky Horror (murder)
Coco (he mentions a partner though I'm not sure if we meet him)
Book of Mormon
Carrie
If Then (though they break up in one timeline)
Color Purple


Triassic Parq

Everybody's Talking About Jamie
Cabaret
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
It Shoulda Been You
Fun Home (ambiguous)

Far From Heaven
A Catered Affair (broken up with off stage partner)
Harvey Milk (two operas and a musical about him)
Loving Repeating
Grand Hotel

First Date
A Chorus Line
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Rent (though they break up twice)
Hairspray (the coach and the matron)

Full Monty, The
Come From Away
Thrill Me
The Prom
Holiday Inn

Heathers (the fathers possibly)
Drowsy Chaperone
Urinetown: The Musical
What Makes Sammy Run (revision)
LaChuisa's Wild Party

La Cage Aux Folles
Elf - a chorus boy mentions a boyfriend who is never seen.
by Suicide

Lippa's Wild Party

La Chuisa's Wild Party
Fellow Travelers (opera)
Bare: A Pop Opera

Producers, The

Legally Blonde
Flower Drum Song (2000?)
Fun Home

Zanna Don't (and turned straight by magic!)

Lysistrata Jones
Hello Again
Grey Gardens
On a Clear Day 2016
High School Musical
Yank!
Pal Joey (revised book)
Kid Victory
by AIDS related illness
Producers, The
Kinky Boots
Angels in America Opera - Roy Cohn
Prom Queen
Lady in the Dark
Boy from Oz
Rock of Ages
Last Session, The
Falsettoland
Spring Awakening
Lippa's Wild Party
Rent
Sugar (Some Like It Hot)
Little Miss Sunshine
Taboo (Leigh Bowery)
The Kid
Little Fish (abused by his ex)
Undead
Victor / Victoria
Mean Girls
Dance of the Vampires
Zanna Don't
Road Show
Lestat
A Year with Frog and Toad (it's canon!)
School of Rock

and Married!
Seesaw

Boy Meets Boy
Sherry!

Company (one of the husbands is bi and married to a woman)
Something Rotten?

Dance a Little Closer
Starlight Express

If / Then
Taboo (George)

In Transit
title of show

It Shoulda Been You


Jerry Springer the Opera
War Paint

Spamalot
Wedding Singer


When Pigs Fly!


and Pining for a Straight Man!


Altar Boyz


Billy Elliott


Glory Days


Hair


Man of No Importance


Trevor



Update 6/5/18: Thanks to the folks who've already given me great suggestions including American Psycho, Crazy Just Like MeCruel Intentions, Curtains, Jersey BoysMamma Mia, Putnam County Spelling Bee, Side Show (the revival), Tales of the City and The Life.

And on film only: Across the Universe, The Big Gay Musical, Were the World Mine and the recent remake of Beauty and the Beast. 

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