“Inspired” is the word for casting Jim Parsons as Michael, the vitriolic host of a totally misbegotten birthday party. Equally fortuitous is getting Joe Mantello to direct the first Broadway revival of Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band,” which opened Thursday at the Booth Theatre, half a century after its Off Broadway world premiere in 1968.
Parsons brings so much benign goodwill to the role of the self-loathing homosexual Michael that you might think the character’s nastier retorts to his assembled gay guests have been toned down or cut completely from the original script.
On the contrary, you have to wait only half an hour for Mantello to literally put the spotlight on Michael’s hidden evil streak in a coup de theatre that is as theatrically astounding as it is revealing of the character’s core problems. And kudos, too, to Hugh Vanstone’s lighting design.
Until this ferocious moment arrives, Parsons is a fairly genial host, albeit one too obsessed about his repertoire of sweater changes, his overly opulent apartment, his cracked crab hors d’oeuvres and, of course, his truly tragic hair loss.
“The Boys in the Band” is one of those rare modern plays that takes place in real time. As with “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” we are invited to witness the assembled characters as they confront their various demons, and the intermissions serve to embellish and elongate that sense of an event.
Mantello eschews the traditional intermission for “Boys.” At first, this decision appeared to be a mistake. Two hours is not quite enough time to introduce all the characters, watch them spill their respective sins, and then recover enough to arrive at some resolution.
The payoff with Mantello’s approach, however, is well worth it. Shortly after the birthday-boy Harold (Zachary Quinto) makes his very belated entrance — where the intermission usually takes place — Michael reaches for his first of many drinks after having been on the wagon for months.
Roseanne Barr recently tweeted that she made her racist comment after having consumed Ambien, to which the makers of the sleeping aid responded that their drug had its side effects but one of them was not racism. Could it be that vodka and gin doesn’t make you nasty and racist, but they do strip away the civilizing forces that prevent us from spouting such offensive crap in public? Just ask Mel Gibson.
“The Boys in the Band,” after its groundbreaking initial success in 1968, quickly spawned an undeserved reputation as the anti-gay gay-themed play. (Vito Russo’s tome “The Celluloid Closet” led the negative drum beat.)
Crowley countered that there were healthy homosexuals in the world; they just hadn’t been invited to his “Boys” party. Actually, from the behavior on display at the Booth Theatre, some of Crowley’s queers appear very healthy and well-adjusted, considering the homophobic circumstances of 1968.
Under Mantello’s insightful direction, Michael’s biggest problem looks to be his adverse reaction to alcohol, as well as his compunction to attend Mass on Sunday and several other days of the week. If he could just lay off the twin addictions of booze and communion, there’s definitely hope for this Michael.
While Parsons is a revelation, so too is Michael Benjamin Washington, who brings real pathos to the party’s sole black guest, Bernard. His monologue phoning a childhood fantasy uncovers several layers of bigotry that have been endured, hidden away, but not forgotten. Likewise, Matt Bomer keeps finding unexpected levels of anxiety in playing what is arguably the play’s blandest character, the quintessential best friend Donald.
Elsewhere, the starry ensemble offer heartfelt homages to the original performances, captured in the 1970 film. Perhaps there’s no other effective way to play the wisecracking “Jew pockmark fairy” Harold (Quinto) or the hyper-effeminate Emory (Robin de Jesus) or the hetero-acting Hank (Tuc Watkins) or the promiscuous Larry (Andrew Rannells) or the hustler Cowboy (Charlie Carver) or the unexpected guest Alan (Brian Hutchison), who may or may not be gay but is both freaked out and attracted to what he sees at his college friend’s party.
The difference in these performances is that 50 years later, the actors in this production are all proudly out and many of them are rightfully stars. Especially effective is Mantello’s handling of everybody’s entrance, designed to surprise and induce applause, which is very much deserved on all counts.
This “Boys” revival wisely keeps the play’s setting in 1968, even though David Zinn’s scenic and costume design doesn’t play up the iconic flamboyance of that period. In a wicked nod to that distant past, Michael’s overly red and mirrored apartment recalls the décor of the upscale hustler’s bar Rounds, long shuttered, on East 53rd Street and 2nd Avenue.
In 1968, the characters of “Boys” were what my college-age crowd reviled with the taunt “don’t trust anyone over 30.” Crowley and now a whole cast of men who weren’t even alive when “Boys” first appeared have captured that generational divide so indicative of the era. When Alan first arrives at the party, the seismic shift in the gay men as they quickly put on their collective straight face is worth the price of admission, and should be seen by anyone who doesn’t know the devastating effects of the closet. That this moment in the play is also outrageously funny is why Crowley’s play continues to enlighten and entertain.
The theater season that just ended brought us the other most famous gay-themed plays, and after tripping through the cult of gay victimhood in “Angels in America” and “Torch Song (Trilogy),” “The Boys in the Band” is a bracing call to take responsibility for who you are. Whenever one of the characters in “Boys” descends into bathos, there’s always the sardonic sage Harold (“Well, I for one need an insulin injection”) to slap him back to reality.
28 Stars Who Need Only a Tony to EGOT, From Julie Andrews to Kate Winslet (Photos)
The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is the greatest honor in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it -- if they manage to score a Broadway success.
Julie Andrews (1935 - )
Emmys (2): Variety Musical Series, "The Julie Andrews Hour" (1973); Nonfiction Series, "Broadway: The American Musical" (2005)
Grammys (2): Recording For Children, "Mary Poppins" (1965); Spoken Word Album for Children, "Julie Andrews' Collection Of Poems, Songs, And Lullabies" (2010)
Oscar: Actress, "Mary Poppins" (1964)
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Cher (1946 - )
Emmy: Variety, Music or Comedy Special, "Cher: The Farewell Tour" (2003)
Grammy: Dance Recording, "Believe" (1999)
Oscar: Actress, "Moonstruck" (1987)
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Common (1972 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "13th" (2017)
Grammys (3): R&B Song, "Love of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop)" (2002); Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, "Southside" (2007); Song Written For Visual Media, "Glory" (2015)
Oscar: Original Song "Selma" (2014)
Kate Winslet (1975 - )
Emmy (2): Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, "Mildred Pierce" (2011) and "Mare of Easttown" (2021)
Grammy: Spoken Word Album for Children, "Listen to the Storyteller" (1999)
Oscar: Actress, "The Reader" (2008)
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Hildur Guðnadóttir (1982 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special, "Chernobyl" (2019)
Grammys (2): Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, "Chernobyl" (2020); "Joker" (2021)
Oscar: Best Original Score, "Joker" (2020)
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Barbra Streisand (1942 - )
Emmys (3): Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and Performers, "My Name Is Barbra" (1965); Variety, Music or Comedy Special and Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Barbra: The Concert" (1995)
Grammys (8): Vocal Female Performance and Album of the Year, "The Barbra Streisand Album" (1963); Vocal Female Performance, "People" (1964) and "My Name Is Barbra" (1965); Song of the Year and Pop Female Vocal Performance, "Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" (1977); Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, "Guilty" (1980); Pop Female Vocal Performance, "The Broadway Album" (1986)
Oscars (2): Actress, "Funny Girl" (1968); Original Song, "A Star Is Born" (1976)
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Brian Grazer (1951 - )
Emmys (3): Miniseries, "From the Earth to the Moon" (1998); Comedy Series, "Arrested Development" (2004); Drama Series, "24" (2006)
Grammy: Music Film, "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week the Touring Years" (2016)
Oscar: Best Picture (producing), "A Beautiful Mind" (2001)
Ron Howard (1954 - )
Emmys (2): Miniseries (producing), "From the Earth to the Moon" (1998); Comedy Series (producing), "Arrested Development" (2004)
Grammy: Music Film, "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week the Touring Years" (2016)
Oscars (2): Best Picture and Director, "A Beautiful Mind" (2001)
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James Moll (1963 - )
Emmy: Informational Special, "Survivors of the Holocaust" (1996)
Grammy: Long Form Music Video, "Foo Fighters: Back And Forth" (2011)
Oscar: Documentary Feature (producing), "The Last Days" (1998)
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Michael Giacchino (1967 - )
Emmy: Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore), "Lost" (2005)
Grammys (3): Score Soundtrack Album for Visual Media, "Ratatouille" (2007) and "Up" (2009); Instrumental Composition, "Married Life" (2009)
Oscar: Original Score, "Up" (2009)
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Randy Newman (1943 - )
Emmys (3): Music and Lyrics, "Cop Rock" (1991); Main Title Theme Music, "Monk" (2004); Original Music and Lyrics, "Monk" (2010)
Grammys (6): Instrumental Composition, "The Natural" (1984); Instrumental Composition Written for Visual Media, "A Bug's Life" (1999); Song Written for Visual Media, "When She Loved Me" (From Toy Story 2) (2000); "If I Didn't Have You" (From Monsters, Inc.) (2002); "Our Town" (From Cars) (2006); Score Soundtrack Album for Visual Media, "Toy Story 3" (2010)
Oscars (2): Original Song, "Monsters, Inc." (2001); Original Song, "Toy Story 3" (2010)
John Williams (1932 - )
Emmys (3): Musical Composition, "Heidi" (1969); Music Composition for a Special Program, "Jane Eyre" (1972); Original Main Title Theme Music, "Great Performances" (2009)
Oscars (5): Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score, "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971); Original Score, "Jaws" (1975) and "Star Wars" (1977) and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) and "Schindler's List" (1993)
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Burt Bacharach (1928)
Emmy: Single Program - Variety or Musical, "Singer Presents Burt Bacharach" (1971)
Grammys (6): Instrumental Arrangement, "Alfie" (1967); Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "Promises, Promises" (1969); Score Written For A Motion Picture or a TV Special, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969); Song of the Year, "That's What Friends Are For" (1986); Pop Collaboration With Vocals, "I Still Have That Other Girl (1998); Pop Instrumental Album, "At This Time" (2005)
Oscars (3): Original Song and Score for a Motion Picture (not a Musical), "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969); Original Song, "Arthur" (1981)
Trent Reznor (1965- )
Emmy: Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special, "Watchmen" (2019)
Grammys (3): Best Metal Performance, "Wish" (1992); Best Metal Performance, "Happiness in Slavery" (1995); Score Soundtrack for Visual Medium, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2012)
Oscar: Original Score, "The Social Network" (2010)
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Atticus Ross (1968 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special, "Watchmen" (2019)
Grammy: Score Soundtrack for Visual Medium, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2012)
Oscar: Original Score, "The Social Network" (2010)
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Ludwig Göransson (1984 - )
Emmy: Record of the Year and Song of the Year, "This Is America" (2018); Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, "The Mandalorian" (2018)
Grammys (3): Score Soundtrack for Visual Medium, "Black Panther" (2019)
Oscar: Original Score, "Black Panther" (2018)
Martin Scorsese (1942 - )
Emmys (3): Directing for a Drama Series, "Boardwalk Empire" (2011); Nonfiction Special (producing) and Directing of a Nonfiction Special, "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" (2012)
Grammy: Long Form Music Video, "No Direction Home" (2005)
Oscar: Director, "The Departed" (2006)
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George Burns (1896 - 1996)
Emmy: Performance in Informational Programming, "A Conversation With..." (1990)
Grammy: Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording, "Gracie - A Love Story" (1990)
Oscar: Supporting Actor, "The Sunshine Boys" (1975)
Photo: Allan Warren
John Addison (1920-1998)
Emmy: Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore), "Murder, She Wrote" (1985)
Grammy: Original Score From A Motion Picture Or Television Show, "Tom Jones" (1963)
Marilyn Bergman (1929 - ) and Alan Bergman (1925 - )
Emmys (3): Music Composition for a Special (Dramatic Underscore), "Sybil" (1977); Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics, "Barbra: The Concert" (1995); Music and Lyrics, "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies: America's Greatest Movies" (1999)
Grammys (2): Song of the Year, Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, "The Way We Were" (1974)
Oscars (3): Original Song, "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968); Original Song, "The Way We Were" (1973); Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score, "Yentl" (1983)
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Sid Ramin (1919 - )
Daytime Emmy: Design Excellence for a Daytime Drama Series, "All My Children" (1983)
Grammy: Sound Track Album From Motion Picture or Television, "West Side Story" (1961)
Oscar: Scoring of a Musical Picture, "West Side Story" (1961)
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Caitrin Rogers (1983 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Informational Programming - Long Form, "The Tillman Story" (2012)
Grammy: Best Music Film, "Twenty Feet From Stardom" (2015)
Oscar: Best Documentary Feature, "Twenty Feet From Stardom" (2014)
Peter Ustinov (1921-2004)
Emmys (3): Single Performance - Lead or Support, "Omnibus" (1958); Single Performance by Lead Actor in a Drama, "Barefoot in Athens" (1967); Single Performance by Lead Actor, "A Storm in Summer" (1970)
Grammy: Recording For Children, "Peter and the Wolf" (1959)
Oscars (2): Supporting Actor, "Spartacus" (1960) and "Topkapi" (1964)
Photo: Allan Warren
Robin Williams (1951-2014)
Emmys (2): Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin" (1987); Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "ABC Presents: A Royal Gala" (1988)
Grammys (5): Comedy Recording, "Reality...What A Concept" (1979); "A Night at the Met" (1987); Comedy Recording, "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1988); Recording for Children, "Pecos Bill" (1988); Spoken Comedy Album, "Robin Williams - Live 2002"
Oscar: Supporting Actor, "Good Will Hunting" (1997)
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Morgan Neville (1967 - )
Emmy: Historical Documentary, "Best of Enemies" (2016)
Grammy: Best Music Film, "Twenty Feet From Stardom" (2015)
Oscar: Documentary Feature, "Twenty Feet From Stardom" (2015)
Jon Blair (1950 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Historical Programming - Long Form, "Reporters at War" (2005)
Grammy: Best Concept Music Video, "Land of Confusion" (1987)
Oscar: Documentary Feature, "Anne Frank Remembered" (1995)
Alex Gibson
Emmy: Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, "John Adams" (2008)
Grammy: Best Score Soundtrack Album, "The Dark Knight" (2008)
Oscar: Sound Editing, "Dunkirk" (2017)
So who has made the cut? Here are all of the stars who have achieved EGOT status, from Audrey Hepburn to Whoopi Goldberg.
A select group of entertainers can round out their trophy cases with a competitive win from the Broadway League
The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is the greatest honor in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it -- if they manage to score a Broadway success.
Robert Hofler, TheWrap's lead theater critic, has worked as an editor at Life, Us Weekly and Variety. His books include "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson," "Party Animals," and "Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange, How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos." His latest book, "Money, Murder, and Dominick Dunne," is now in paperback.