''Naked Boys Singing!'' is a musical
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
that features traditional American
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
-style music performed by eight actors who sing and dance
naked
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and not ...
. The
campy
Camp is an aesthetic and sensibility that regards something as appealing or amusing because of its heightened level of artifice, affectation and exaggeration, especially when there is also a playful or ironic element. ''Camp'' is historically ...
musical comedy premiered at the
Celebration Theatre
The Celebration Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company in Los Angeles, founded in 1982. The company is located in West Hollywood, on the west end of Theatre Row, and specializes in works representing the LGBTQ+ experience.
History
Ce ...
in
West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757.
History
Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...
, California, on March 28, 1998. The show opened
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
in July 1999, and was subsequently transferred numerous times across New York City. A Las Vegas production at the
Erotic Heritage Museum
The Erotic Heritage Museum (EHM) is a space with dedicated to the history of erotica, located in Las Vegas. The grand patron of the museum is Harry Mohney, founder of Déjà Vu
''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is the phenomenon of feeling ...
opened in September 2021.
Productions
The show opened
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at the
Actors' Playhouse on July 22, 1999, with book and direction by
Robert Schrock
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
, musical direction by
Stephen Bates
Stephen James Bates (born 23 November 1992) is an Australian politician who was the member for Brisbane from 2022 to 2025 as a member of the Australian Greens. He was elected in the 2022 Australian federal election, defeating sitting Liberal m ...
, and choreography by
Jeffry Denman
Jeffry Denman is an American actor, director, choreographer and author.
Early life
Denman was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, and graduated from the SUNY Buffalo, University of Buffalo as a Musical Theatre Dance major.
Career
He made his Br ...
, originally produced by
Jamie Cesa,
Jennifer Dumas,
Hugh Hayes
Hugh Hayes (died 5 September 1928) was a unionist politician in Ireland.
Hayes lived in Lurgan. A Presbyterian, he qualified as a solicitor in 1882.''Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919–1945'', edited by M. Stenton and ...
,
Tom Smedes
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name.
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tom'' (1973 film), or ''The Bad Bunch'', a blaxploitation film
* ''Tom'' (2002 film) ...
, and
Carl D. White.
The show transferred to Theatre Four in March 2004, and gained attention when producers offered discounts to those attending the
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The convention is one of a series of Republican National Convention, historic quadrennial meetings at w ...
.
The show transferred again in 2005 to
New World Stages
New World Stages is a five-theater, Off-Broadway performing arts complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue.
...
Stage Four, until closing on January 28, 2012.
Productions of ''Naked Boys Singing!'' have been performed throughout the United States, with international shows in Norway, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Japan, Italy, South Africa, and Australia.
Shortly after the original off-Broadway production closed, Producer/Directors Tom and Michael D'Angora decided to transfer their Provincetown adaption of ''Naked Boys Singing!'' to the off-Broadway stage, with a revival at
Theatre Row's Kirk Theatre on April 5, 2012.
A production at the
Erotic Heritage Museum
The Erotic Heritage Museum (EHM) is a space with dedicated to the history of erotica, located in Las Vegas. The grand patron of the museum is Harry Mohney, founder of Déjà Vu
''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is the phenomenon of feeling ...
in Las Vegas opened in September 2021.
Synopsis
The show has no plot; it contains 15 songs, about various issues, such as gay life, male nudity,
coming out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
,
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...
and love.
Musical numbers
Cast
Awards and nominations
* 1998 Back Stage West "Garland Award" for musical score (Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Shelly Markham, Jim Morgan, David Pevsner, Rayme Sciaroni, Mark Savage, Ben Schaechter, Robert schrock, Mark Winkler and Bruce Vilanch)
* 1998 LA Weekly Theatre Award nomination: Musical of the Year
* 2010
Broadway.com Audience Award nomination: Favorite Long-Running Off-Broadway Show
* 2011 Off-Broadway Alliance nomination: Best Long-Running Show
* 2021
BroadwayWorld
BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City, New York. Launched in 2003, the site covers Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and international theater productions, with sections devoted to particular countries, cities, or regi ...
winner: Best Las Vegas Musical
Film adaptation
The show was adapted into a film of the same name, released in 2007.
Cast and songs
*
Kevin Alexander Stea – Naked Maid
*
Joe Souza
Joseph Souza (born October 5, 1970) is an American actor and singer. He is a graduate from The Hartt School and is best known for his appearances in the film version of the Off-Broadway musical, ''Naked Boys Singing'', various turns in television ...
– Bliss of a Bris
*Phong Truong (also called Ethan Le Phong) – Window to the Soul
*Jason Currie – Entertainer
*Joseph Keane – Perky Little Porn Star
*Anthony Manough – Muscle Addiction
*Andrew Blake Ames – Jack's Song
*Vincent Zamora – Window to Window
*Jaymes Hodges – Nothin' but the Radio On
*Salvatore Vassallo – Conductor
References
External links
''Naked Boys Singing!'' Las Vegas*
*
* {{Rotten Tomatoes, qid=Q6960446, title=Naked Boys Singing! {{noitalics, (2007 film)
1999 musicals
Off-Broadway musicals
Original musicals
Nudity in theatre and dance
LGBTQ-related musicals
American plays adapted into films
All-male revues