Musical Take on ‘Thelma & Louise’ Set for New York Workshop Ahead of May Premiere in San Diego

Diversionary Theatre will produce a New York workshop presentation of a new musical inspired by the 1991 Oscar-winning film Thelma & Louise.

Set for a world premiere at the San Diego theater in May, TL;DR: Thelma Louise: Dyke Remix, will be part of a workshop at Out of the Box Theatrics on Jan. 19.  

The play, with book and lyrics by EllaRose Chary and music and lyrics by Brandon James Gwinn, is being directed by Sherri Eden Barber with music direction by Erika Gamez.

This workshop is supported by the Richard Rodgers Award and administered by the Academy of Arts and Letters. The cast will feature Sara Porkalob , Sydney Patrick, Storm Thomas, Nioni Camps, Kimber Sprawl and Angel Lin.

The theater’s Executive Director Jenny Case called the workshop “a significant milestone in the journey toward realizing this joyously boundary-breaking musical’s world premiere at Diversionary Theatre.” 

TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix follows T and L drive as they drive their convertible off the edge of a cliff and into a fantasy-driven, irreverent, queer, rock musical where strong female characters don’t “always gotta die.” Together, T, L and The Band seek “more than just subtext” and the gay happy ending they’ve always deserved.

The play was supported by Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with residencies and readings in 2019 and 2020, and also presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in 2021. 

This workshop is produced by Diversionary Theatre with additional support from Bill and Judy Garrett.