‘Boys the Band’ Director Joe Mantello on His All-Gay Cast and the ‘Virgia Woolf’ That Would’ve Been

Contents:

• HOW JOE MANTELLO RENEWED ‘THE BOYS THE BAND’, A ONCE-REVILED GAY CLASSIC, FOR A NEW GENERATN
• THE BOYS THE BAND: JOE MANTELLO ON BRGG GAY HISTORY BACK TO LIFE
• ‘AMERIN HORROR STORY: NYC’ FALLY HAS A STRONG GAY MA CHARACTER
• IS JOE MANTELLO GAY? WHY HE LIV WH PL MARLOW?
• ‘BOYS THE BAND’ DIRECTOR JOE MANTELLO ON HIS ALL-GAY CAST AND THE ‘VIRGIA WOOLF’ THAT WOULD’VE BEEN
• ¿JOE MANTELLO GAY?
• ‘HOLLYWOOD’S’ MOST HEARTBREAKG PERFORMANCE: HOW JOE MANTELLO WENT OM BROADWAY LEGEND TO RYAN MURPHY’S MEDEFYING GRAVITYSAEED ADYANI/NETFLIXARGUABLY BROADWAY’S MOST SUCCSFUL DIRECTOR (HEARD OF “WICKED”?), JOE MANTELLO WASN’T LOOKG TO ACT WHEN RYAN MURPHY REACHED OUT. NOW HE’S MAKG EVERYONE WATCHG NETFLIX CRY. KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED MAY 04, 2020 12:25PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 03, 2020 5:14AM EDT RYAN MURPHY, THE KG MIDAS OF ALL THAT IS BUZZY AND TRAILBLAZG ENTERTAMENT, HAD ZEROED ON HIS NEXT BIG PROJECT. AS , PERHAPS, HIS BIGGT PROJECT: AN DAC REVISNIST HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD’S GOLN AGE, ONE WHICH WALLS TO CLN AND DIVERSY CMBLED 70 YEARS BEFORE PROGRS ACTUALLY WAS MA—ROCK HUDSON, OUT AND PROUD? IT WAS HEAD TO NETFLIX, WH ALL S NETFLIX MONEY, NETFLIX STAR POWER, NETFLIX DIENCE, AND ALL OTHER ERSTWHILE NETFLIX DAZZLE.MURPHY HAD WRTEN ONE OF THE SERI’ MOST PLEX AND HEARTBREAKG ROL WH A CERTA PERFORMER MD: ACTOR AND BROADWAY DIRECTOR—AS THE BROADWAY DIRECTOR—JOE MANTELLO. HIS REACTN: “OH, YOU KNOW, I HONTLY THK YOU N FD SOMEONE BETTER...” NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY MANTELLO SAYS MURPHY FIRST APPROACHED HIM ABOUT HOLLYWOOD, WHICH PREMIERED ON NETFLIX FRIDAY—MANTELLO ON BOARD—WHILE THE TWO OF THEM WERE WORKG ON NETFLIX’S FILM ADAPTATN OF THE BOYS THE BAND, THE PRICKLY 1968 GAY PERD PIECE HE DIRECTED TO A TONY AWARD FOR BT REVIVAL OF A PLAY LAST YEAR. HE REPRISED HELMG DUTI FOR THE STREAMG SERVICE, RNG THE PRODUCTN’S HISTORIC, STAR-STUDD ORIGAL ST OF ALL OUT GAY ACTORS, CLUDG JIM PARSONS, MATT BOMER, AND ANDREW RANNELLS. MURPHY SENT THE FIRST FEW SCRIPTS OF HOLLYWOOD TO MANTELLO, WHO HAD ONLY ACTED SPORADILLY SCE WNG A TONY FOR HIS 1993 BROADWAY BUT AS LOUIS IRONSON, THE NROTIC GAY ANTIHERO WHO ABANDONS A LOVER BATTLG AIDS, ANGELS AMERI: MILLENNIUM APPROACH. HE ONLY APPEARED TWICE MORE ON BROADWAY, AND ROL THAT WERE PERSONALLY MEANGFUL TO HIM: AS NED WEEKS, THE BARN-BURNG AIDS ACTIVIST 2011’S THE NORMAL HEART, AND AS TOM WGFIELD, THE TORTURED DREAMER WHOSE WGS ARE CLIPPED THE 2017 REVIVAL OF THE GLASS MENAGERIE.  FOR HOLLYWOOD, MURPHY WAS EYEG HIM FOR THE ROLE OF DICK SAMUELS, A HARD-LE STUD EXECUTIVE WH A WHE-KNUCKLE GRIP ON THE PANY’S PURSE STRGS. IN THE SERI’ SEND EPISO, A WI-EYED NEW DIRECTOR (DARREN CRISS’ RAYMOND ASLEY) PCH A STAR VEHICLE FOR CHE-AMERIN ACTRS ANNA MAY WONG (LRA KSIEC), WHICH DICK SQUASH ON THE SPOT. NO MOVIE HEADLED BY AN ACTOR OF LOR WOULD EVER MAKE MONEY AT THE BOX OFFICE. NOBODY WANTS TO SEE . “I WAS LIKE, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF ME A LN YEARS FOR THIS,” MANTELLO LGHS, REMEMBERG WHAT HE TOLD MURPHY: “‘CAN YOU HELP ME SEE WHAT YOU SEE?’”WHAT MURPHY SAW WAS WHERE THE CHARACTER WAS GOG. AS THOSE AROUND DICK RISK EVERYTHG TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM, THE TI WASH OVER HIM, TOO, AND HE BEGS TO QUTN AND REGNIZE THGS ABOUT HIMSELF THAT HE NEVER ACCSED OR NSIRED. AT 57-YEARS-OLD, HE REALIZ HE IS GAY. NOT ONLY THAT, HE DON’T WANT TO LIVE A WORLD, LET ALONE WORK AT A STUD, WHERE THAT HAS TO STAY HIDN OR BE THE SOURCE OF SHAME. HIS STUD POSN AFFORDS HIM POWER, AND HE WAS GOG TO E —AND THIS IS NO RNY B OF HYPERBOLE—TO CHANGE HOW PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD.“RYAN SAID BE PATIENT, AND I TSTED HIM,” MANTELLO SAYS. ASKED IF HE LIK ACTG, MANTELLO STARTS MUMBLG TO HIMSELF, “INTERTG… DO I LIKE … HMM..” LANDG ON AN APPRECIATN OF THE MARARIE AS HIS ANSWER. “IT WAS ALSO ABOUT TAKG ON THE CHALLENGE OF SOMETHG THAT SRED ME.”  ADVERTISEMENT WHEN MANTELLO HALF-JOKED TO MURPHY THAT HE ULD PROBABLY FD SOMEONE BETTER FOR THE PART, WHAT HE DIDN’T MENTN IS THAT HE PROBABLY ULD HAVE ALSO PROVID HIM A LIST OF NTENRS, TOO. HE’S WORKED WH THEM ALL. THERE ARE PROBABLY SEVERAL METRICS SOMEONE ULD E TO QUANTIFY WHAT NSTUT A SUCCSFUL THEATER DIRECTOR. MANTELLO LIKELY SATISFI ALL OF THEM, WH SUPERLATIV. NATURALLY, THERE’S MERCIAL SUCCS. TO THAT END, MANTELLO DIRECTED WICKED. IT WASN’T THE MOST PLEASANT CREATIVE EXPERIENCE OF HIS REER. “THERE WERE PLITED PERSONALI VOLVED, AND I WAS YOUNGER AND I WAS TRYG TO ASSERT MYSELF,” HE ONCE SAID. NOHELS, MA $1 BILLN FASTER THAN ANY MIL BROADWAY HISTORY. IT’S NOT HIS ONLY H TO FY GRAVY. HE HELMED JULIA ROBERTS’ BLOCKBTER BROADWAY BUT AND THE SOLD-OUT MATTHEW BRORICK-NATHAN LANE THE ODD COUPLE RNN. BOYS THE BAND WAS A WILD H WHEN RAN LAST YEAR.IF CRIL ACLAS IS THE METRIC, THE TWO TONY AWARDS HE HAS FOR DIRECTG (2003’S TAKE ME OUT AND 2004’S ASSASSS) SPEAK TO THAT. BUT TROPHI ARE ONE THG. THE HOSANNAHS THAT WERE SUNG FOR THE HUMANS, OTHER DERT CI, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WH SUE MENGERS, THE OTHER PLACE, NOVEMBER, AND THE RZ ARE ANOTHER. THE 2018 REVIVAL OF THREE TALL WOMEN HE DIRECTED WAS NSIRED A RELIG PILGRIMAGE FOR CULTURALLY MD NEW YORKERS. ADVERTISEMENT OR WHAT ABOUT PROLIFICY? MANTELLO HAS MOUNTED 31 PRODUCTNS ON BROADWAY SCE GETTG DIRECTORIAL FEET WET WH 1994’S SHORT-LIVED WHAT’S WRONG WH THIS PICTURE?  IT WAS THE STEPPG STONE TO THE PROJECT THAT WOULD FE HIS EARLY REER AS A DIRECTOR, AND MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON HIS LIFE: TERENCE MCNALLY’S LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSN!, ABOUT EIGHT GAY MEN WHO GATHER ONCE A SUMMER DURG THE AIDS PLAGUE. MCNALLY DIED MARCH OF PLITNS DUE TO THE RONAVIS. LIKE EVERYTHG THE DAYS, THE PANMIC AND THE ENSUG GLOBAL SHUTDOWN LAID AN UNEASY BACKDROP TO OUR NVERSATN. IT’S WHY WE WERE ALSO GLAD FOR A REASON TO BE LGHG. LIKE ALL GAY MEN ON THAT PARTICULAR MONDAY, PLEASANTRI ME THE FORM OF GOSSIP OVER THE PREV NIGHT’S 90TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE NCERT TO STEPHEN SONDHEIM, A NEARLY THREE-HOUR JOY SLOG OF PERFORMANC OM THE LIK OF BERNATTE PETERS, PATTI LUPONE, AND MERYL STREEP THAT STARTED AN HOUR LATE, FOLLOWG A FIREWORKS SHOW OF TECHNIL SNAF. “IT WAS PRETTY AMAZG,” HE LGHS, “ONCE FALLY STARTED…”HE’S LLG OM THE HAMPTONS, WHERE HE RETREATED WH HIS BOYIEND AFTER BROADWAY SHUT S DOORS FELY. AT THE TIME, HE HAD DONE NE PREVIEWS OF A REVIVAL OF WHO’S AAID OF VIRGIA WOOLF? THAT HE WAS DIRECTG STARRG LRIE METLF. THE PRODUCTN WAS THE FIRST TO ANNOUNCE AN OFFICIAL COVID-DUCED CLOSURE. METLF WAS NTRACTED TO RETURN TO FILMG ABC’S ROSEANNE SP-OFF THE CONNERS THE FALL, ASSUMG PRODUCTN IS ALLOWED TO RUME, AND DIDN’T MAKE FANCIAL SENSE TO LAY THE LIMED N FELY.  “THERE WERE PLITED PERSONALI VOLVED, AND I WAS YOUNGER AND I WAS TRYG TO ASSERT MYSELF”— JOE MANTELLO ON DIRECTG 'WICKED' MANTELLO SAYS HER MARTHA IS THE BT PERFORMANCE SHE’S EVER GIVEN, MAKG ALL THE MORE GUTTG THAT NEVER OFFICIALLY OPENED.  ADVERTISEMENT IT’S HIGH PRAISE OM THE THE MAN WHO DIRECTED METLF TO HER SEND TONY AWARD 2018 (THREE TALL WOMEN), HELPED HER HONE A REVELATORY HILLARY CLON LAST YEAR (HILLARY AND CLTON), AND WAS AT THE HELM FOR TWO MORE OF HER GREATT STAGE ROL (2008’S NOVEMBER AND 2013’S THE OTHER PLACE). OH, AND HE’S ON RERD THE PAPER OF RERD CROWNG HER 1984 PERFORMANCE BALM GILEAD “THE BT STAGE ACTG HE’S EVER SEEN.” HER TURN WHO’S AAID… WAS THAT GOOD.“IT MIGHT E BACK ANOTHER FORM FOR A BRIEF N SOMEWHERE,” HE SAYS. “WHO KNOWS? OBVLY ’S VERY DISAPPOTG, BUT THE SCHEME OF THGS, YOU KNOW, ’S NOT THE WORST THG GOG ON THE WORLD AT THE TIME.” IT IS ROUGHLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SEASON WHEN HOLLYWOOD’S BT SCENE TAK PLACE. IT PLAYS NTRAST TO THE RT OF THE SERI, WHICH MOV AT AN VIGORATG PLACE AS THE TROOPS RALLY TO ENACT CHANGE AND PUT ON THE PROVERBIAL SHOW. THE ACTN SLOWS. THE ARMY OF EXTRAS AND JAW-DROPPG SETS TAKE A FEW MUT OFF. THE MERA TURNS TO MANTELLO’S DICK AND HOLLAND TAYLOR’S ELLEN KID, A STG EXECUTIVE AND HIS BT IEND, ACTG A TWO-HANR HER LIVG ROOM. THEY’VE SHARED A PROFOUND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER FOR S, ATTACHED AT THE HIP AS THEY ASCEND THE STUD RANKS. SHE MAK A PASS AT THE BACHELOR. THEY’RE BOTH GETTG OLR. MAYBE ’S TIME THEY TRY TO BE SOMETHG MORE? HE REBUFFS HER ADVANCE, HEARTBROKEN THAT HE MAY HAVE EMBARRASSED HER, JT AS SHE IS THAT SHE MAY HAVE ED THEIR IENDSHIP. SHE ASKS HIM IF HE’S GAY. HE DON’T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER. “I JT N’T BE WH ANYONE.” HE SH OUT, EXG WHAT MIGHT BE THE MOST HEARTBREAKG, BT ACTED SCENE THE SERI.  ADVERTISEMENT “I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHO HAVE MA A SERI OF PROMIS THEIR LIV,” MANTELLO SAYS. “I NEVER REALLY EVEN THOUGHT OF HIM AS BEG CLOSETED AS MUCH AS HE JT SHUT DOWN THAT PART OF HIS HEART. IT WAS ALL ABOUT WORK, AND WAS ALL ABOUT A KD OF A BOTTOM LE MENTALY OF WHAT'S BT FOR THE STUD. ‘I'M JT GONNA SHUT DOWN THAT PART OF MY PERSONAL LIFE.’”MANTELLO’S OWN G-OUT PROCS ME WH S OWN STGGL, OF URSE. BUT ALSO ME MUCH EARLIER LIFE. HE GREW UP ROCKFORD, ILLOIS, THE OLST OF THREE BROTHERS A CATHOLIC FAY. THERE WERE TIM THEN THAT HE WOULD RATTLE G ABOUT THE CHURCH’S ATTUS TOWARDS THGS LIKE HOMOSEXUALY, NOT SURE WHERE ME OM OR IF HE WAS EVEN AWARE OF HIS OWN INTY YET. “FOR SOME REASON, I WAS EPLY ASHAMED OF THE THEATER EARLY ON,” HE RELLED A 2013 TERVIEW. “I THK HAD TO DO WH THIS GROWG SENSE I WAS GAY, ALTHOUGH I ULDN’T HAVE PUT A WORD TO BACK THEN. WHERE I GREW UP, BOYS PLAYED SPORTS. WHEN MRS. WDSOR WROTE MY YEARBOOK, ‘HAVE YOU EVER NSIRED A REER THE THEATER?’ WAS LERALLY LIKE SHE WROTE THE WORD ‘FAGGOT.’”HE ATTEND THE NORTH CAROLA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, WHERE HE TIMAT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO GO OM STRAIGHT TO “MAYBE I’M BISEXUAL” TO INTIFYG AS GAY. HE ARRIVED NEW YORK 1984, AND VOLUNTEERED FOR THE GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS’ “BUDDY SYSTEM,” VISG AND RG FOR HIV/AIDS PATIENTS WHO WERE DISOWNED OR ABANDONED BY FAY AND IENDS.  ADVERTISEMENT “I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHO HAVE MA A SERI OF PROMIS THEIR LIV. I NEVER REALLY EVEN THOUGHT OF HIM AS BEG CLOSETED AS MUCH AS HE JT SHUT DOWN THAT PART OF HIS HEART.”— JOE MANTELLO ON HIS 'HOLLYWOOD' CHARACTER, DICK “I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THE SENSE THAT I NEVER FELT HELD BACK BEE OF MY SEXUALY,” HE SAYS. “TO HAVE DONE ANGELS AMERI WHEN I WAS—OH GOD HOW OLD WAS I—THIRTYSOMETHG. IT WAS NEVER A QUTN. IT WASN'T SOMETHG I STGGLED WH.” COLLABORATG THE LAST FEW YEARS WH RYAN MURPHY, HE’S BEEN FASCATED WH THE WAYS WHICH THE CREATOR’S REER AND JOURNEY THROUGH HOLLYWOOD WAS IMPACTED BY HIS SEXUALY. ARRIVG AT A PLACE OF POWER, HE’S HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW, SOMETHG THAT MANTELLO SAYS IMPRS AND TOUCH HIM. “AS SAYS THE HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT, SOMETIM YOU JT GOTTA GET THE ROOM. AND FOR A LONG TIME, PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE ACCS TO THE ROOM. COMG OM THE THEATER, I NEVER FELT SHUT OUT OF THE ROOM BEE OF MY SEXUALY, CERTALY.” “FOR LOTS OF OTHER REASONS THAT ARE FAIRLY TYPIL…” HE LGHS. “BUT NOT BEE OF MY SEXUALY.”  ADVERTISEMENT ANY TIME AN OUT GAY PERSON ACHIEV A CERTA LEVEL OF POWER AND OPPORTUNY HOLLYWOOD, THEIR SEXUALY TENDS TO DOMATE NVERSATN AS A POT OF FASCATN—A CERTA “HOW DID THEY DO ?” MARVELG AT OVERG THE ODDS. BUT ’S A PARTICULAR TOPIC OF TERT WH MANTELLO, A REVERSAL OF NORM, BEE OF HIS PROFSNAL OUTPUT MORE THAN HIS PRIVATE LIFE.HAVG STARRED TONY KHNER’S ANGELS AMERI PLAYS, DIRECTED TERRENCE MCNALLY’S LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSN!, STARRED LARRY KRAMER’S THE NORMAL HEART, AND DIRECTED MART CROWLEY’S THE BOYS THE BAND, HE’S THE SGULAR POSN OF HAVG PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE BRGG TO LIFE WHAT ARE LARGELY NSIRED THE FOUR SEMAL GAY PLAYS OF THEATER. IT’S AN LIBLE MARK TO LEAVE ON THE MUNY AND ON CULTURE—AND A DISTCTN THAT MANTELLO IS TOO HUMBLE TO ENGAGE WH TOO SERLY, OUTSI OF PRAISG THE BRAVERY AND NTRIBUTN OF THE PLAYWRIGHTS FOR WHICH HE “BEME JT A VSEL.”BUT WORKG ON HOLLYWOOD AND THE BOYS THE BAND BACK-TO-BACK DID PROVOKE CERTA THGS. THE BOYS THE BAND HAS, SCE S FIRST MOUNTG 1968, EVOLVED TO A LIGHTNG-ROD WORK, WH SOME BALKG AT S CHARACTERS’ NAKED SELF-LOATHG ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. HOLLYWOOD IS SET TWENTY YEARS PRR, DREDGG UP CULTURAL ATTUS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY THEN. DIGGG THROUGH HISTORY EXVAT IAS ABOUT WHAT GAY SHAME AND SELF-HATRED MEANS TODAY.“I ALWAYS THK 'S TERTG TO UNRSTAND A KD OF AN ARCHEOLOGIL WAY, OUR HISTORY AND WHAT WE EMERGED OM, BEE SOME WAY I FEEL THAT WE HAVE HERED SOME OF THAT SHAME,” HE SAYS. “IT DON'T MEAN THAT 'S THERE AND 'S PRENT OUR DAILY LIV. BUT IS BUILT TO THE FABRIC OF THE WORLD SOME WAY.” “IT IS CHANGG AND WILL NTUE TO CHANGE, AND THE WORLD WILL MOVE FORWARD, BUT IS STILL THERE. SO, YOU KNOW WORKG ON SOMETHG LIKE BOYS THE BAND, I THOUGHT, WELL, THE SPECIFICS ARE VERY DIFFERENT, BUT THE DYNAMICS DIDN'T SEEM ALL THAT DIFFERENT TO ME.” ADVERTISEMENT BOYS THE BAND IS DONE FILMG AND WAS AIMG FOR A FALL AWARD-SEASON RELEASE, THOUGH MANTELLO ADMS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT’S GOG TO HAPPEN NOW THAT A GIANT QUTN MARK HAS BEEN TATTOOED OVER THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY. (THOUGH HE HAS BEEN ASKG.) HE DO SAY THAT HE THKS THE MOVIE IS VERY, VERY GOOD, WH THE STARRY ST LIVERG EVEN BETTER PERFORMANC THAN THEY DID ON STAGE.IT’S TERTG TO NSIR, THE NTEXT OF A NVERSATN TIMED TO HOLLYWOOD, THAT BOYS THE BAND MARKS ONLY THE SEND FEATURE FILM THAT THE CELEBRATED THEATER DIRECTOR HAS HELMED. IF THE PERSON THAT MANTELLO IS MOST OFTEN PARED TO IS MIKE NICHOLS, WHERE THEY DIVERGE IS THE LATTER’S JOURNEY OM THE BOARDS TO THE BIG SCREEN, TO MUCH FANFARE AND CELEBRY ATTENTN—FANFARE THAT MANTELLO NOTORLY CHEWS.“I THK PEOPLE ALWAYS SEEM MYSTIFIED THAT WHEN YOU REACH A POT THEATER, THEY THK OF AS A STEPPG STONE TO WHAT IS ULTIMATELY THE PRIZE, WHICH IS DIRECTG A MOVIE,” HE SAYS. “I JT NEVER FELT THAT.”HIS ONLY PREV GO AT , DIRECTG THE 1997 ADAPTATN OF LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSN! SOURED HIM ON THE DTRY. THE BUDGET WAS MCULE. THEY SHOT OUTSI MONTREAL AND HAD ONLY 21 DAYS TO DO ,  DURG 18 OF WHICH RAED. THE STUD OFFERED LTLE SUPPORT. WHEN HE AND MURPHY BROUGHT BOYS THE BAND TO BROADWAY, MURPHY HTED THAT THE GOAL WAS TO DO A MOVIE VERSN AFTER, WHICH MANTELLO BSHED OFF TO NCENTRATE ON THE TASK AT HAND. WHEN BEME A REALY, HOWEVER, HE LOVED THE EXPERIENCE. IT’S GOOD TO BE THE ORB OF RYAN MURPHY, TURNS OUT. “I WOULD LOVE TO DO AGA. WE WILL SEE,” HE LGHS, SUDNLY REMEMBERG THE CIRCUMSTANC UNR WHICH WE’RE TALKG. “NOW I MIGHT HAVE TO, WHAT WH BROADWAY CLOSED…” KEV FALLON
• ‘BOYS THE BAND’ DIRECTOR JOE MANTELLO ON HIS ALL-GAY CAST AND THE ‘VIRGIA WOOLF’ THAT WOULD’VE BEEN
• THE BOYS IN THE BAND: ENTIRELY GAY ST 'SPEAKS TO THE CHANGED WORLD'
• ‘BOYS THE BAND’: JOE MANTELLO AND ZACHARY QUTO ON THE REMPTN OF A NOTOR GAY PLAY

HOW JOE MANTELLO RENEWED ‘THE BOYS THE BAND’, A ONCE-REVILED GAY CLASSIC, FOR A NEW GENERATN

Gay actors Jim Parsons, Zachary Quto, Andrew Rannells, and Matt Bomer — along wh the rt of the Broadway st — reprised their rol the Netflix movie produced by Ryan Murphy. The bar, loted New York Cy’s Greenwich Village, has been servg gay men sce the 1950s and is ltle changed om when the Mattache Society had their famo “sip-s” the Sixti as a form of civil disobedience to ga the legal right to drk bars openly.

THE BOYS THE BAND: JOE MANTELLO ON BRGG GAY HISTORY BACK TO LIFE

The movie’s but this month (on September 30th on Netflix) is also a btersweet moment for Mantello sce, a year which we’ve lost so many people, two other men who shaped his life also died quick succsn: trailblazg gay playwrights Terrence McNally on March 24th and Larry Kramer on May 27th. When Crowley first offered his play the late Sixti, gay men were not only rarely seen Amerin culture, they were forbidn to display their liv public, and were regularly arrted, beaten, shunned, and fired om their jobs if they dared to do so.

‘AMERIN HORROR STORY: NYC’ FALLY HAS A STRONG GAY MA CHARACTER

As the story go, Crowley wrote The Boys the Band as a kd of dare after New York Tim cric Stanley Kffmann stigated gay playwrights (such as Tennsee Williams, Edward Albee, and William Inge) 1966 a piece tled “Homosexual Drama and Its Disguis, ” for craftg the nflicts of gay men through heterosexual characters their works and therefore makg “admirably ‘normal’ people” look bad. So that way, Boys is Crowley’s openly gay versn of Who’s Aaid of Virgia Woolf: a dner party that quickly explos, wh wty shrapnel blastg all s path.

IS JOE MANTELLO GAY? WHY HE LIV WH PL MARLOW?

Dpe takg up the task of puttg gay characters on stage for public spectn, for s after was ially produced, many were embarrassed of the negative “self-loathg” stereotyp and the f-bombs (that would be the word “faggot”) hurled repeatedly.

‘BOYS THE BAND’ DIRECTOR JOE MANTELLO ON HIS ALL-GAY CAST AND THE ‘VIRGIA WOOLF’ THAT WOULD’VE BEEN

His first “fix” was to st openly gay actors all the rol, somethg that was celebrated simply for the fact that uld be done at this pot time. “If I saw a whe actor as Emory, Joe and I would have had a really long talk first, ” says Michael Benjam Washgton, who has also spent the last five years producg a play about gay civil rights in Bayard Rt. Mart Crowley’s The Boys the Band bears a unique distctn as a gay classic that many gays love to hate — whether or not they actually have seen the play onstage, or watched William Friedk’s 1970 film adaptatn.

Sce s origal, revolutnary 1968 Off-Broadway productn, the play’s reputatn as a il but tic reprentatn of gay male liv and relatnships has preced to any nversatn about queer stigma, visibily, and self-loathg. The group of gay men who gather an Upper East Si Manhattan apartment to celebrate a birthday spend more time cuttg each other down than cuttg ke.

The play found an eager new dience wh director Joe Mantello’s Tony-wng 2018 productn, boastg an all-gay st filled wh out-and-proud A-list actors, cludg Jim Parsons, Zachary Quto, and Matt Bomer.

¿JOE MANTELLO GAY?

And the reputatn that the play has of “this moment of self-loathg gay men, ” whatever that is, that feels current, as well. And the piece — que blatantly and more than once — the words “generate” and “perverts” were ed to scribe gay men.

‘HOLLYWOOD’S’ MOST HEARTBREAKG PERFORMANCE: HOW JOE MANTELLO WENT OM BROADWAY LEGEND TO RYAN MURPHY’S MEDEFYING GRAVITYSAEED ADYANI/NETFLIXARGUABLY BROADWAY’S MOST SUCCSFUL DIRECTOR (HEARD OF “WICKED”?), JOE MANTELLO WASN’T LOOKG TO ACT WHEN RYAN MURPHY REACHED OUT. NOW HE’S MAKG EVERYONE WATCHG NETFLIX CRY. KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED MAY 04, 2020 12:25PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 03, 2020 5:14AM EDT RYAN MURPHY, THE KG MIDAS OF ALL THAT IS BUZZY AND TRAILBLAZG ENTERTAMENT, HAD ZEROED ON HIS NEXT BIG PROJECT. AS , PERHAPS, HIS BIGGT PROJECT: AN DAC REVISNIST HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD’S GOLN AGE, ONE WHICH WALLS TO CLN AND DIVERSY CMBLED 70 YEARS BEFORE PROGRS ACTUALLY WAS MA—ROCK HUDSON, OUT AND PROUD? IT WAS HEAD TO NETFLIX, WH ALL S NETFLIX MONEY, NETFLIX STAR POWER, NETFLIX DIENCE, AND ALL OTHER ERSTWHILE NETFLIX DAZZLE.MURPHY HAD WRTEN ONE OF THE SERI’ MOST PLEX AND HEARTBREAKG ROL WH A CERTA PERFORMER MD: ACTOR AND BROADWAY DIRECTOR—AS THE BROADWAY DIRECTOR—JOE MANTELLO. HIS REACTN: “OH, YOU KNOW, I HONTLY THK YOU N FD SOMEONE BETTER...” NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY MANTELLO SAYS MURPHY FIRST APPROACHED HIM ABOUT HOLLYWOOD, WHICH PREMIERED ON NETFLIX FRIDAY—MANTELLO ON BOARD—WHILE THE TWO OF THEM WERE WORKG ON NETFLIX’S FILM ADAPTATN OF THE BOYS THE BAND, THE PRICKLY 1968 GAY PERD PIECE HE DIRECTED TO A TONY AWARD FOR BT REVIVAL OF A PLAY LAST YEAR. HE REPRISED HELMG DUTI FOR THE STREAMG SERVICE, RNG THE PRODUCTN’S HISTORIC, STAR-STUDD ORIGAL ST OF ALL OUT GAY ACTORS, CLUDG JIM PARSONS, MATT BOMER, AND ANDREW RANNELLS. MURPHY SENT THE FIRST FEW SCRIPTS OF HOLLYWOOD TO MANTELLO, WHO HAD ONLY ACTED SPORADILLY SCE WNG A TONY FOR HIS 1993 BROADWAY BUT AS LOUIS IRONSON, THE NROTIC GAY ANTIHERO WHO ABANDONS A LOVER BATTLG AIDS, ANGELS AMERI: MILLENNIUM APPROACH. HE ONLY APPEARED TWICE MORE ON BROADWAY, AND ROL THAT WERE PERSONALLY MEANGFUL TO HIM: AS NED WEEKS, THE BARN-BURNG AIDS ACTIVIST 2011’S THE NORMAL HEART, AND AS TOM WGFIELD, THE TORTURED DREAMER WHOSE WGS ARE CLIPPED THE 2017 REVIVAL OF THE GLASS MENAGERIE.  FOR HOLLYWOOD, MURPHY WAS EYEG HIM FOR THE ROLE OF DICK SAMUELS, A HARD-LE STUD EXECUTIVE WH A WHE-KNUCKLE GRIP ON THE PANY’S PURSE STRGS. IN THE SERI’ SEND EPISO, A WI-EYED NEW DIRECTOR (DARREN CRISS’ RAYMOND ASLEY) PCH A STAR VEHICLE FOR CHE-AMERIN ACTRS ANNA MAY WONG (LRA KSIEC), WHICH DICK SQUASH ON THE SPOT. NO MOVIE HEADLED BY AN ACTOR OF LOR WOULD EVER MAKE MONEY AT THE BOX OFFICE. NOBODY WANTS TO SEE . “I WAS LIKE, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF ME A LN YEARS FOR THIS,” MANTELLO LGHS, REMEMBERG WHAT HE TOLD MURPHY: “‘CAN YOU HELP ME SEE WHAT YOU SEE?’”WHAT MURPHY SAW WAS WHERE THE CHARACTER WAS GOG. AS THOSE AROUND DICK RISK EVERYTHG TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM, THE TI WASH OVER HIM, TOO, AND HE BEGS TO QUTN AND REGNIZE THGS ABOUT HIMSELF THAT HE NEVER ACCSED OR NSIRED. AT 57-YEARS-OLD, HE REALIZ HE IS GAY. NOT ONLY THAT, HE DON’T WANT TO LIVE A WORLD, LET ALONE WORK AT A STUD, WHERE THAT HAS TO STAY HIDN OR BE THE SOURCE OF SHAME. HIS STUD POSN AFFORDS HIM POWER, AND HE WAS GOG TO E —AND THIS IS NO RNY B OF HYPERBOLE—TO CHANGE HOW PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD.“RYAN SAID BE PATIENT, AND I TSTED HIM,” MANTELLO SAYS. ASKED IF HE LIK ACTG, MANTELLO STARTS MUMBLG TO HIMSELF, “INTERTG… DO I LIKE … HMM..” LANDG ON AN APPRECIATN OF THE MARARIE AS HIS ANSWER. “IT WAS ALSO ABOUT TAKG ON THE CHALLENGE OF SOMETHG THAT SRED ME.”  ADVERTISEMENT WHEN MANTELLO HALF-JOKED TO MURPHY THAT HE ULD PROBABLY FD SOMEONE BETTER FOR THE PART, WHAT HE DIDN’T MENTN IS THAT HE PROBABLY ULD HAVE ALSO PROVID HIM A LIST OF NTENRS, TOO. HE’S WORKED WH THEM ALL. THERE ARE PROBABLY SEVERAL METRICS SOMEONE ULD E TO QUANTIFY WHAT NSTUT A SUCCSFUL THEATER DIRECTOR. MANTELLO LIKELY SATISFI ALL OF THEM, WH SUPERLATIV. NATURALLY, THERE’S MERCIAL SUCCS. TO THAT END, MANTELLO DIRECTED WICKED. IT WASN’T THE MOST PLEASANT CREATIVE EXPERIENCE OF HIS REER. “THERE WERE PLITED PERSONALI VOLVED, AND I WAS YOUNGER AND I WAS TRYG TO ASSERT MYSELF,” HE ONCE SAID. NOHELS, MA $1 BILLN FASTER THAN ANY MIL BROADWAY HISTORY. IT’S NOT HIS ONLY H TO FY GRAVY. HE HELMED JULIA ROBERTS’ BLOCKBTER BROADWAY BUT AND THE SOLD-OUT MATTHEW BRORICK-NATHAN LANE THE ODD COUPLE RNN. BOYS THE BAND WAS A WILD H WHEN RAN LAST YEAR.IF CRIL ACLAS IS THE METRIC, THE TWO TONY AWARDS HE HAS FOR DIRECTG (2003’S TAKE ME OUT AND 2004’S ASSASSS) SPEAK TO THAT. BUT TROPHI ARE ONE THG. THE HOSANNAHS THAT WERE SUNG FOR THE HUMANS, OTHER DERT CI, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WH SUE MENGERS, THE OTHER PLACE, NOVEMBER, AND THE RZ ARE ANOTHER. THE 2018 REVIVAL OF THREE TALL WOMEN HE DIRECTED WAS NSIRED A RELIG PILGRIMAGE FOR CULTURALLY MD NEW YORKERS. ADVERTISEMENT OR WHAT ABOUT PROLIFICY? MANTELLO HAS MOUNTED 31 PRODUCTNS ON BROADWAY SCE GETTG DIRECTORIAL FEET WET WH 1994’S SHORT-LIVED WHAT’S WRONG WH THIS PICTURE?  IT WAS THE STEPPG STONE TO THE PROJECT THAT WOULD FE HIS EARLY REER AS A DIRECTOR, AND MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON HIS LIFE: TERENCE MCNALLY’S LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSN!, ABOUT EIGHT GAY MEN WHO GATHER ONCE A SUMMER DURG THE AIDS PLAGUE. MCNALLY DIED MARCH OF PLITNS DUE TO THE RONAVIS. LIKE EVERYTHG THE DAYS, THE PANMIC AND THE ENSUG GLOBAL SHUTDOWN LAID AN UNEASY BACKDROP TO OUR NVERSATN. IT’S WHY WE WERE ALSO GLAD FOR A REASON TO BE LGHG. LIKE ALL GAY MEN ON THAT PARTICULAR MONDAY, PLEASANTRI ME THE FORM OF GOSSIP OVER THE PREV NIGHT’S 90TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE NCERT TO STEPHEN SONDHEIM, A NEARLY THREE-HOUR JOY SLOG OF PERFORMANC OM THE LIK OF BERNATTE PETERS, PATTI LUPONE, AND MERYL STREEP THAT STARTED AN HOUR LATE, FOLLOWG A FIREWORKS SHOW OF TECHNIL SNAF. “IT WAS PRETTY AMAZG,” HE LGHS, “ONCE FALLY STARTED…”HE’S LLG OM THE HAMPTONS, WHERE HE RETREATED WH HIS BOYIEND AFTER BROADWAY SHUT S DOORS FELY. AT THE TIME, HE HAD DONE NE PREVIEWS OF A REVIVAL OF WHO’S AAID OF VIRGIA WOOLF? THAT HE WAS DIRECTG STARRG LRIE METLF. THE PRODUCTN WAS THE FIRST TO ANNOUNCE AN OFFICIAL COVID-DUCED CLOSURE. METLF WAS NTRACTED TO RETURN TO FILMG ABC’S ROSEANNE SP-OFF THE CONNERS THE FALL, ASSUMG PRODUCTN IS ALLOWED TO RUME, AND DIDN’T MAKE FANCIAL SENSE TO LAY THE LIMED N FELY.  “THERE WERE PLITED PERSONALI VOLVED, AND I WAS YOUNGER AND I WAS TRYG TO ASSERT MYSELF”— JOE MANTELLO ON DIRECTG 'WICKED' MANTELLO SAYS HER MARTHA IS THE BT PERFORMANCE SHE’S EVER GIVEN, MAKG ALL THE MORE GUTTG THAT NEVER OFFICIALLY OPENED.  ADVERTISEMENT IT’S HIGH PRAISE OM THE THE MAN WHO DIRECTED METLF TO HER SEND TONY AWARD 2018 (THREE TALL WOMEN), HELPED HER HONE A REVELATORY HILLARY CLON LAST YEAR (HILLARY AND CLTON), AND WAS AT THE HELM FOR TWO MORE OF HER GREATT STAGE ROL (2008’S NOVEMBER AND 2013’S THE OTHER PLACE). OH, AND HE’S ON RERD THE PAPER OF RERD CROWNG HER 1984 PERFORMANCE BALM GILEAD “THE BT STAGE ACTG HE’S EVER SEEN.” HER TURN WHO’S AAID… WAS THAT GOOD.“IT MIGHT E BACK ANOTHER FORM FOR A BRIEF N SOMEWHERE,” HE SAYS. “WHO KNOWS? OBVLY ’S VERY DISAPPOTG, BUT THE SCHEME OF THGS, YOU KNOW, ’S NOT THE WORST THG GOG ON THE WORLD AT THE TIME.” IT IS ROUGHLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SEASON WHEN HOLLYWOOD’S BT SCENE TAK PLACE. IT PLAYS NTRAST TO THE RT OF THE SERI, WHICH MOV AT AN VIGORATG PLACE AS THE TROOPS RALLY TO ENACT CHANGE AND PUT ON THE PROVERBIAL SHOW. THE ACTN SLOWS. THE ARMY OF EXTRAS AND JAW-DROPPG SETS TAKE A FEW MUT OFF. THE MERA TURNS TO MANTELLO’S DICK AND HOLLAND TAYLOR’S ELLEN KID, A STG EXECUTIVE AND HIS BT IEND, ACTG A TWO-HANR HER LIVG ROOM. THEY’VE SHARED A PROFOUND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER FOR S, ATTACHED AT THE HIP AS THEY ASCEND THE STUD RANKS. SHE MAK A PASS AT THE BACHELOR. THEY’RE BOTH GETTG OLR. MAYBE ’S TIME THEY TRY TO BE SOMETHG MORE? HE REBUFFS HER ADVANCE, HEARTBROKEN THAT HE MAY HAVE EMBARRASSED HER, JT AS SHE IS THAT SHE MAY HAVE ED THEIR IENDSHIP. SHE ASKS HIM IF HE’S GAY. HE DON’T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER. “I JT N’T BE WH ANYONE.” HE SH OUT, EXG WHAT MIGHT BE THE MOST HEARTBREAKG, BT ACTED SCENE THE SERI.  ADVERTISEMENT “I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHO HAVE MA A SERI OF PROMIS THEIR LIV,” MANTELLO SAYS. “I NEVER REALLY EVEN THOUGHT OF HIM AS BEG CLOSETED AS MUCH AS HE JT SHUT DOWN THAT PART OF HIS HEART. IT WAS ALL ABOUT WORK, AND WAS ALL ABOUT A KD OF A BOTTOM LE MENTALY OF WHAT'S BT FOR THE STUD. ‘I'M JT GONNA SHUT DOWN THAT PART OF MY PERSONAL LIFE.’”MANTELLO’S OWN G-OUT PROCS ME WH S OWN STGGL, OF URSE. BUT ALSO ME MUCH EARLIER LIFE. HE GREW UP ROCKFORD, ILLOIS, THE OLST OF THREE BROTHERS A CATHOLIC FAY. THERE WERE TIM THEN THAT HE WOULD RATTLE G ABOUT THE CHURCH’S ATTUS TOWARDS THGS LIKE HOMOSEXUALY, NOT SURE WHERE ME OM OR IF HE WAS EVEN AWARE OF HIS OWN INTY YET. “FOR SOME REASON, I WAS EPLY ASHAMED OF THE THEATER EARLY ON,” HE RELLED A 2013 TERVIEW. “I THK HAD TO DO WH THIS GROWG SENSE I WAS GAY, ALTHOUGH I ULDN’T HAVE PUT A WORD TO BACK THEN. WHERE I GREW UP, BOYS PLAYED SPORTS. WHEN MRS. WDSOR WROTE MY YEARBOOK, ‘HAVE YOU EVER NSIRED A REER THE THEATER?’ WAS LERALLY LIKE SHE WROTE THE WORD ‘FAGGOT.’”HE ATTEND THE NORTH CAROLA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, WHERE HE TIMAT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO GO OM STRAIGHT TO “MAYBE I’M BISEXUAL” TO INTIFYG AS GAY. HE ARRIVED NEW YORK 1984, AND VOLUNTEERED FOR THE GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS’ “BUDDY SYSTEM,” VISG AND RG FOR HIV/AIDS PATIENTS WHO WERE DISOWNED OR ABANDONED BY FAY AND IENDS.  ADVERTISEMENT “I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHO HAVE MA A SERI OF PROMIS THEIR LIV. I NEVER REALLY EVEN THOUGHT OF HIM AS BEG CLOSETED AS MUCH AS HE JT SHUT DOWN THAT PART OF HIS HEART.”— JOE MANTELLO ON HIS 'HOLLYWOOD' CHARACTER, DICK “I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THE SENSE THAT I NEVER FELT HELD BACK BEE OF MY SEXUALY,” HE SAYS. “TO HAVE DONE ANGELS AMERI WHEN I WAS—OH GOD HOW OLD WAS I—THIRTYSOMETHG. IT WAS NEVER A QUTN. IT WASN'T SOMETHG I STGGLED WH.” COLLABORATG THE LAST FEW YEARS WH RYAN MURPHY, HE’S BEEN FASCATED WH THE WAYS WHICH THE CREATOR’S REER AND JOURNEY THROUGH HOLLYWOOD WAS IMPACTED BY HIS SEXUALY. ARRIVG AT A PLACE OF POWER, HE’S HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW, SOMETHG THAT MANTELLO SAYS IMPRS AND TOUCH HIM. “AS SAYS THE HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT, SOMETIM YOU JT GOTTA GET THE ROOM. AND FOR A LONG TIME, PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE ACCS TO THE ROOM. COMG OM THE THEATER, I NEVER FELT SHUT OUT OF THE ROOM BEE OF MY SEXUALY, CERTALY.” “FOR LOTS OF OTHER REASONS THAT ARE FAIRLY TYPIL…” HE LGHS. “BUT NOT BEE OF MY SEXUALY.”  ADVERTISEMENT ANY TIME AN OUT GAY PERSON ACHIEV A CERTA LEVEL OF POWER AND OPPORTUNY HOLLYWOOD, THEIR SEXUALY TENDS TO DOMATE NVERSATN AS A POT OF FASCATN—A CERTA “HOW DID THEY DO ?” MARVELG AT OVERG THE ODDS. BUT ’S A PARTICULAR TOPIC OF TERT WH MANTELLO, A REVERSAL OF NORM, BEE OF HIS PROFSNAL OUTPUT MORE THAN HIS PRIVATE LIFE.HAVG STARRED TONY KHNER’S ANGELS AMERI PLAYS, DIRECTED TERRENCE MCNALLY’S LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSN!, STARRED LARRY KRAMER’S THE NORMAL HEART, AND DIRECTED MART CROWLEY’S THE BOYS THE BAND, HE’S THE SGULAR POSN OF HAVG PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE BRGG TO LIFE WHAT ARE LARGELY NSIRED THE FOUR SEMAL GAY PLAYS OF THEATER. IT’S AN LIBLE MARK TO LEAVE ON THE MUNY AND ON CULTURE—AND A DISTCTN THAT MANTELLO IS TOO HUMBLE TO ENGAGE WH TOO SERLY, OUTSI OF PRAISG THE BRAVERY AND NTRIBUTN OF THE PLAYWRIGHTS FOR WHICH HE “BEME JT A VSEL.”BUT WORKG ON HOLLYWOOD AND THE BOYS THE BAND BACK-TO-BACK DID PROVOKE CERTA THGS. THE BOYS THE BAND HAS, SCE S FIRST MOUNTG 1968, EVOLVED TO A LIGHTNG-ROD WORK, WH SOME BALKG AT S CHARACTERS’ NAKED SELF-LOATHG ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. HOLLYWOOD IS SET TWENTY YEARS PRR, DREDGG UP CULTURAL ATTUS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY THEN. DIGGG THROUGH HISTORY EXVAT IAS ABOUT WHAT GAY SHAME AND SELF-HATRED MEANS TODAY.“I ALWAYS THK 'S TERTG TO UNRSTAND A KD OF AN ARCHEOLOGIL WAY, OUR HISTORY AND WHAT WE EMERGED OM, BEE SOME WAY I FEEL THAT WE HAVE HERED SOME OF THAT SHAME,” HE SAYS. “IT DON'T MEAN THAT 'S THERE AND 'S PRENT OUR DAILY LIV. BUT IS BUILT TO THE FABRIC OF THE WORLD SOME WAY.” “IT IS CHANGG AND WILL NTUE TO CHANGE, AND THE WORLD WILL MOVE FORWARD, BUT IS STILL THERE. SO, YOU KNOW WORKG ON SOMETHG LIKE BOYS THE BAND, I THOUGHT, WELL, THE SPECIFICS ARE VERY DIFFERENT, BUT THE DYNAMICS DIDN'T SEEM ALL THAT DIFFERENT TO ME.” ADVERTISEMENT BOYS THE BAND IS DONE FILMG AND WAS AIMG FOR A FALL AWARD-SEASON RELEASE, THOUGH MANTELLO ADMS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT’S GOG TO HAPPEN NOW THAT A GIANT QUTN MARK HAS BEEN TATTOOED OVER THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY. (THOUGH HE HAS BEEN ASKG.) HE DO SAY THAT HE THKS THE MOVIE IS VERY, VERY GOOD, WH THE STARRY ST LIVERG EVEN BETTER PERFORMANC THAN THEY DID ON STAGE.IT’S TERTG TO NSIR, THE NTEXT OF A NVERSATN TIMED TO HOLLYWOOD, THAT BOYS THE BAND MARKS ONLY THE SEND FEATURE FILM THAT THE CELEBRATED THEATER DIRECTOR HAS HELMED. IF THE PERSON THAT MANTELLO IS MOST OFTEN PARED TO IS MIKE NICHOLS, WHERE THEY DIVERGE IS THE LATTER’S JOURNEY OM THE BOARDS TO THE BIG SCREEN, TO MUCH FANFARE AND CELEBRY ATTENTN—FANFARE THAT MANTELLO NOTORLY CHEWS.“I THK PEOPLE ALWAYS SEEM MYSTIFIED THAT WHEN YOU REACH A POT THEATER, THEY THK OF AS A STEPPG STONE TO WHAT IS ULTIMATELY THE PRIZE, WHICH IS DIRECTG A MOVIE,” HE SAYS. “I JT NEVER FELT THAT.”HIS ONLY PREV GO AT , DIRECTG THE 1997 ADAPTATN OF LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSN! SOURED HIM ON THE DTRY. THE BUDGET WAS MCULE. THEY SHOT OUTSI MONTREAL AND HAD ONLY 21 DAYS TO DO ,  DURG 18 OF WHICH RAED. THE STUD OFFERED LTLE SUPPORT. WHEN HE AND MURPHY BROUGHT BOYS THE BAND TO BROADWAY, MURPHY HTED THAT THE GOAL WAS TO DO A MOVIE VERSN AFTER, WHICH MANTELLO BSHED OFF TO NCENTRATE ON THE TASK AT HAND. WHEN BEME A REALY, HOWEVER, HE LOVED THE EXPERIENCE. IT’S GOOD TO BE THE ORB OF RYAN MURPHY, TURNS OUT. “I WOULD LOVE TO DO AGA. WE WILL SEE,” HE LGHS, SUDNLY REMEMBERG THE CIRCUMSTANC UNR WHICH WE’RE TALKG. “NOW I MIGHT HAVE TO, WHAT WH BROADWAY CLOSED…” KEV FALLON

Led by Fran (Sandra Bernhard), they want their acronym to the LGBTQ muny given a spotlight The Native, the gay newspaper where Go works. And Frankie and Johnny the Clair Lune, the smash mils Wicked and 9 to 5, the Ryan Murphy-directed film adaptatn of Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart, which Mantello starred on Broadway, and much year, Mantello entered the world of televisn, which he adms is still "unknown terrory, " a big way, givg a breathtakg performance Murphy's Hollywood as a closeted gay stud executive who slowly to terms wh his sexualy. He also directed Netflix's film of Mart Crowley's groundbreakg play The Boys the Band, about a group of gay and bisexual men who gather for a birthday party where bchy quips explo and emotns lli.

He s rememberg the night he wnsed Crowley accept the Tony Award for Bt Revival of a Play for The Boys the Band, a work that over the urse of 50 years has divid the LGBTQ+ muny over s portrayal of gay people.

‘BOYS THE BAND’ DIRECTOR JOE MANTELLO ON HIS ALL-GAY CAST AND THE ‘VIRGIA WOOLF’ THAT WOULD’VE BEEN

I know that when I was growg up, if I had seen ne out gay actors a movie, would have accelerated my own [g out] Mantello is one of four ver stori for 2020's Out100 issue, which is prised of 100 of the most fluential LGBTQ+ nam mic, fashn, culture, advocy, and more. Here we have provid Joe Mantello’s Age, Height, and Joe Mantello Girliend’s name, so exame the article and unrstand all statistics approximately Joe Joe Mantello Gay? ” beme yet another panmic sualty when closed before even began April, Mantello’s terrific new film versn of the late Mart Crowley’s 1968, acid-tongued gay cult classic play “The Boys the Band” should lsen the blow.

Though Mantello was jt five years old when “Boys” first premiered Off-Broadway, ’s William Friedk’s ntroversial 1970 film versn that later troduced him to Crowley’s eye-openg visn of gay life. “I went to North Carola School of the Arts, and I saw for the first time there, probably early on when I was a sophomore, and I found terrifyg, but I also loved , ” Mantello, a New Yorker, said a phone terview om his quarante hiaway Palm Sprgs.

” Jog forc wh producer Ryan Murphy, Mantello enlisted that very same group for this year’s movie versn: Jim Parsons, Zachary Quto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Charlie Carver, Tuc Watks, Rob Jús, Michael Benjam Washgton, and Brian Hutchson all return to rurrect this groundbreakg dark edy about a group of gay bti (and, some rners, enemi) who assemble for a ght birthday party. However, like many gay dienc new to Crowley’s world of bchy, self-loathg queens and their firecracker quips, Mantello didn’t necsarily see himself the story. While prsure was high on Crowley’s origal text to speak to all the hidn issu surroundg gay male life the late 1960s, jt before Stonewall and well ahead of the HIV/AIDS epimic, “The Boys the Band, ” Mantello said, don’t have to do that anymore.

THE BOYS IN THE BAND: ENTIRELY GAY ST 'SPEAKS TO THE CHANGED WORLD'

“It was a misnceptn that [Crowley] was tryg to wre about all gay men, bee he was the first, and this was the only gay play, and not jt another gay play.

I would say unfair scty over the years, [bee] I don’t thk would be possible for him to wre somethg enpassg every aspect of gay men’s liv. Puttg together an all-gay st for the play was a happy accint, Mantello said, and cultivated a special alchemy between the performers, who have veloped a unique rapport after llaboratg on “Boys the Band” for more than three years. Mantello and producer Ryan Murphy dned “gay actors, straight actors, and everythg between” for the play, Mantello said, but “ worked out that all ne of the actors are gay.

‘BOYS THE BAND’: JOE MANTELLO AND ZACHARY QUTO ON THE REMPTN OF A NOTOR GAY PLAY

Even the gay members of the st, spe the fact that they were the gay play of the time, the prs a lot of them had to rema closeted. “The Boys the Band” arriv at an ongog moment of scty over straight actors takg on gay rol, om “Call Me by Your Name, ” to this year’s “Ammone, ” and on TV this year’s “Love, Victor. ” Comedian and out-gay actor Billy Eichner ma headl earlier this year for announcg he’d play queer mp in Pl Lyn, a bid to revolutnize who tells LGBTQ stori.