The new Off-Broadway show Beau the Musical does just that. Conceived and written by Douglas Lyons, the musical centers on Ace (Matt Rodin), an introspective teenager who reconnects with his estranged grandfather and begins to unpack his family’s history and his own truths.
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And for Lyons, it’s a crucial story to tell. “Right now, with the administration, a lot of kids are saying, 'I don't know if I belong here,’ which is basically what Ace says at one point. The importance of this musical is to show that as queer folks go through really tough times, they can endure. And the magic that comes out of those scars can be music.”
Douglas LyonsAustin Ruffer
Part of Beau’s origin story goes back to when Lyons was 19 years old and taking a year off from school to perform in the national tour of Rent. “The love in that show taught me about myself, along with unity and community,” says Lyons. “I was doing Rent and was suddenly on tour with these adults. And I was discovering who I was at the time.”
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“Vocally, Matt has what I call, ‘the butter,’” says Lyons. “He has a butter on his voice that once you put on toast, it melts. It’s a very specific sound.” He points to the iconic voices of Broadway actors Norbert Leo Butz, Adam Pascal and Jeremy Jordan. Lyons says, “I think Matt is on the road to do that too.”
Lyons is a multi-hyphenate himself. In addition to performing on Broadway in The Book of Mormon, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Parade, he is also a talented writer whose plays include Chicken & Biscuits and Table 17.
Cory Jeacoma and Matt Rodin in 'Beau The Musical'Valerie Terranova Photography
His maternal grandfather, Clarence Ray Jones, really helped influence Beau. “He was a bit of a crabby man who was a veteran and an amputee, smoking cigarettes. He had Polaroids of all his grandchildren everywhere and wrote me letters, calling me ‘Dub Dub,’” says Lyons. "So I was pouring my own roots into the story as I came into my own queerness. My mother's parents would never really see that because they had passed on. So this show is a love letter to them.”
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“If there is anyone who grabbed, raised and guided you when you felt like your world was lost, you will find them in this show,” he says. “There's a healing in the music and story of Beau. And I hope the queer kids find it and know that it is their show.”
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