Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody Sets Off-Broadway Run
If, for some reason, you still weren’t convinced that Heated Rivalry is the phenomenon of the decade, maybe the news we’re about to share will finally seal the deal. Because yes, the beloved queer story we’re all still obsessed with is heading to the stage. Well… kind of. Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is officially making its way Off-Broadway this spring/summer season, and honestly? It sounds just as chaotic, campy, and delightfully queer as we could have hoped.
Following eight sold-out performances earlier this month, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is expanding into a full-staged run, proving that the collective appetite for this story—and its very specific brand of queer storytelling—is very much alive and thriving. According to the show’s official description, the musical “follows starry-eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom,” paired with the instantly unforgettable tagline: “Behind every great love story is a dump truck ass.” And if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about the tone here, we don’t know what will.
The parody leans fully into the absurdity and passion that made the original story such a hit, inviting audiences to “relive all of the moments from the show that made you wet (with tears)” in an intimate, small-stage setting. With a bop-infused score, chaotic time jumps, and delightfully unserious cameos like “Rose Landry” and “Ilya’s Ass,” the show celebrates its source material by poking fun at it, reveling in it, exaggerating it, and turning it into something loud, messy, and undeniably fun. It honors the intensity, the longing, and yes, the horniness that have made Heated Rivalry such a beloved staple in queer fandom spaces.
Written by Dylan MarcAurele, who also handles the book, music, lyrics, and orchestrations, the show stars Jay Armstrong Johnson as Ilya Rozanov and Jimin Moon as Shane Hollander. They’re joined by a stacked ensemble including Ryann Redmond, Cherry Torres, and Ryan Duncan, all stepping into multiple roles that promise to keep the energy high and the laughs coming. Direction comes from Alan Kliffer, with choreography by Brooke and Tiffan Engen, and a full creative team bringing this campy vision to life.
Performances for Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody begin May 12 at the 6th Floor Theater (formerly The McKittrick Hotel), with an official opening night set for May 26. The run will last only eight weeks, which means this is very much a “get your tickets now or cry about it later” situation.
And look, we’ll say it: there’s something incredibly fitting about a story like Heated Rivalry finding a second life in parody musical form, especially one that refuses to take itself too seriously. It’s bold, it’s a little ridiculous, and it’s very, very gay. Exactly how we like it.
So if you happen to find yourself in New York over the next couple of months, consider this your sign. You can grab your tickets—or just learn more about the show—over at https://www.heatedrivalryparody.com/. Trust us, this is one steamy, chaotic romp you won’t want to miss.
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody will begin its off-Broadway run on May 12 ahead of an official opening night on May 26. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image via the Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody official website.
