702: Straight Forward with Chris Sabol and Billy Aberle
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If you remember the article (2014), go take an ibuprofen for your back.
This week Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) sit down with Chris Sabol (@chrissabs) and Billy Aberle (@billyaberle) to talk about their brand new musical, Straight Forward (@straightforwardmusical) and the real life story that inspired it.
Not only did Chris and Billy go to college with Ellie (and experience the exclusive pre-coming out variant of your favorite tol le$bean host), but together they have written and produced a gay musical (remind you of anyone?). We chatted with Billy and Chris about the challenges of writing and then producing an Off-Broadway run and the importance of telling LGBTQ+ stories of all kinds, especially in the face of the current political climate.
The article and the story behind it are both incredibly true to their time. For those of you who are less familiar with the real life story of “straight men” Mike and Garrett and the effect their relationship had on the queer and straight communities alike, strap in for the tale of your new favorite ‘and they were roommates’ couple. The story itself is one all queer people can relate to at its core. As much as we may have blotted out of the memories, pretty much all of us started out our lives identifying as ‘straight’. But what happens if you truly believe you are straight (like you are legitimately happy being straight) and then you start to fall in love with your best friend? Not in the, ‘Oh, I fell in love with my best friend so I should re-evaluate my sexuality’ kind of way. But in the, ‘I still overwhelmingly identify as straight and that feels true, but there seems to be this one very surprising exception’ kind of way.
Yes, to us and probably you, falling in love with your best friend based on who they are on the inside while disregarding their physical looks and gender identity, is a pretty queer-coded experience. But this is not the case from Mike and Garrett’s perspective; and their experience of sexuality is just as valid as any other. The story of two self-identified straight men leaning into their newly discovered feelings for one another and being open to exploring their evolving relationship (while still largely identifying as straight) captivated just about everyone on first read, sparking serious and important conversations about the fluid nature of sexuality and the many different ways to experience it that are still relevant today.
Learn more about Pivotal Productions’ Straight Forward at straightforwardmusical.com.
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