LGBTQ+ Representation in the 2017 Broadway Season
For a long while, Broadway has been considered somewhat of a haven for the LGBTQ+ community (the past few years, though, have been monumentally lacking). For this post, I’m making a list of LGBTQ+ representation currently on Broadway. This will not include fanon opinions or implied LGBTQ+ characters. I’m talking about characters who either say “I am LGBTQ+/not cis/not straight” outrightly or are seen/discussed as being in a relationship with a same-gender character. I will also only be discussing musicals, as plays have very, very limited accessibility.
Shows that I have not seen before and/or do not have enough information/knowledge to confirm one way or another are labeled with a question mark. If you know about any LGBTQ+ representation in these shows, please reblog with that information, and I’ll update this post accordingly! Also, if I have missed or somehow misinterpreted any representation, please send me an ask, or something, just tell me, and I’ll make the appropriate changes!
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Nope.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - No.
Chicago - All straight and cis here.
Come From Away - A lot of non-straight characters are in this show! Two of the most prevalent supporting characters are an interracial gay couple! Also, LGB (sadly, no transgender/nonbinary/or otherwise non-cis characters are ever mentioned) family members are mentioned by various other characters. No discussion of non-cis people, though, and all non-straight characters are supporting, not lead.
Dear Evan Hansen - :/// None.
Falsettos - The best! The greatest! The lead character is a Jewish gay man who is in love with another Jewish gay man! Also! An interracial lesbian couple!! The most representation of LGBTQ+ people on Broadway since Fun Home. (Still no non-cis people, though.)
Groundhog Day: The Musical - There is a very minor gay character in this show.
Kinky Boots - Yes! The secondary main character, named Lola, is a self-described “drag queen”–which, of course, is not, under any circumstances, the same as a trans woman–who mostly uses she/her pronouns and, if my memory is correct, is attracted to men and women.
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 - Nope, nope, nope. (Apparently, at one point, Dave Malloy may have confirmed Anatole to be bisexual, but this is never explicitly mentioned or confirmed in the show itself).
School of Rock: The Musical - Yes! The parents of one of the main characters are gay!
The Book of Mormon - There is a gay male supporting character who eventually overcomes his internalized homophobia and leads a self-accepting life.
The Phantom of the Opera - Not at all.
Simply put, there’s a lot of work to be done on Broadway, in relation to LGBTQ+ representation, as well as representation overall.