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Good Company Theatre Presents the Utah Premiere of “The View UpStairs” A New Musical

Upstairs (Good Company Theatre)
Upstairs (Good Company Theatre)
Upstairs (Good Company Theatre)

Good Company Theatre will kick off International LGBTQ Pride Month with the new musical The View UpStairs, by theatre wunderkind Max Vernon.

Fashion influencer Wes is tired of living in New York City. Being broke in Brooklyn is so passé. So, he buys a burnt out building in his hometown of New Orleans. As he tours his new purchase, it comes to life with patrons from the UpStairs Lounge. It turns out his building was a gay bar in the 1970s, and Wes has been transported back to 1973. The lounge was a community center, a church, a cruising spot, and more. The patrons are like family, and they sing him through what it was like to be in “the life” during the early stages of the Gay Liberation Movement. Wes soon realizes that for all the advances in equality, some stories have been lost.

“The real UpStairs Lounge was a beacon for queer folks,” reflects Good Company Theatre Founder and Co-Director Alicia Washington. “This musical is filled with joy, raucous songs, and a profound message about remembering how far things have come.”

“In 1973 an arson lit fire to the UpStairs Lounge, killing 32 people,” remarks Good Company Theatre Co-Director Camille Washington. “It’s easy for these tragedies to pass out of knowledge over time. The View UpStairs is a great reminder that strides toward equality are never free.”

The View UpStairs is directed by University of Utah Actor Training Program Assistant Professor, and Flying Bobcat Theatre Artistic Director Robert Scott Smith (Jump, Big Love, Hamlet). It is Music Directed by Ginger Bess (American Idiot, In The Heights). It features performances by Sean Bishop (American Idiot, Five Carols For Christmas), Robert Riley French (Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Make Me A Song), Karen GittinsLevi Hopkins (Les Miserables, Peter Pan), Taylor Knuth(American Idiot, Pirated!), Yoah Kristine (Footloose, Big River), John Patrick McKenna (BARE, American Idiot), Nick Morris (Thrill Me, The Wizard of Oz), Paul Naylor (Appropriate, The Nether), Myra Peltier (In The Heights), Lance Smith (Catharsis), and Jeffrey Kay.

– “The show swells with heart” cheers Entertainment Weekly.

– “Latches on to the drive and pure energy of shows like Rent…the musical proves itself to be timely and relevant” raves Out Magazine.- “

A jambalaya of sexed-up tunes… is drenched in the sounds of honky tonk, power pop, soft rock, salsa, glam rock and soul” declares the Edge Media Network.

This musical features adult language and content, including frank discussion about arson. It is recommended for audiences age 13 and older. Tickets are $20 online at goodcotheatre.com, and at the door before each performance.