'My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)' is an explosion of pure, homegrown joy

Rob Madge's solo show, which centers on the support their parents showed them as a theatrical young child, is at New York City Center through June 15.

My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) is only docked in NYC for four days, and it's determined to flood New York, or at least New York City Center, with as much rainbow-tinted joy as possible. This multimedia mini-musical was, after all, supposed to follow up its multiple successful runs in the U.K. with a full, 16-week Broadway stint in spring 2024 that got abruptly canceled. Brief as it may be, this run feels like a small victory for British co-creator and performer Rob Madge.

Madge was particularly thrilled to announce that, at the end of the performance I attended, their mom and dad were here, and it was Mom's birthday. (She wore a shirt that read "I Heart NY 'Cause My Son's a Queer," Madge added, if anyone wanted to wish her a happy birthday on the way out.) Madge may be the protagonist of their autobiographical show, but their parents are its heroes; the show follows Madge through a theatrical childhood spent dressing up as Disney characters and wanting every moment captured on film. That home video footage propels the show, and props to Madge and video designer George Reeve for successfully editing it to achieve perfect comedic timing.

Young Madge wanted to act out a scene from a Disney film? Sure, Dad will wear a costume and be their scene partner. Wanted Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast? With a little help from Grandma and her sewing skills, no problem. Wanted to put on a full-on Disney parade with numerous costume changes to play boys, girls, and animals alike? It didn't exactly go off without a hitch, but it happened. In a world where Madge would go on to be discouraged from expressing themself by peers and teachers alike at school, their family members wordlessly reaffirmed, time and time again, that there was nothing scary about letting their kid be creative and articulate and happy.

You don't have to be non-binary, or queer in any way, to delight in being unconditionally loved by your family. Or relate to the pain that comes with loneliness and exclusion. Or enjoy a show that plays out in the style of a cheerful, colorful, 75-minute Disney theme park show (that's a compliment, and surely intentional).

More so now than ever, the still ultra-theatrical, now wry and reflective adult Madge standing on that stage and being embraced by hundreds of people all over again, even if only for a few days, also feels like a victory that's bigger than My Son's a Queer. In a precarious moment for the rights and self-expression of transgender and other queer people, Madge's words are at once a rallying cry, a show of support, and a plea for "the world where our joy isn't just fantasy."

Get My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) tickets now.

Photo credit: Rob Madge in My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) off Broadway. (Photos by Marc J. Franklin)