We like to say we write musicals about the things people don’t say out loud. Straight Forward might be the clearest example of that.
It started with an article
The show is based on a true story that was first told in a viral article. It was shared more than 100,000 times in a single night. When we read it, we knew it had to sing.
The story
Mike and Garrett are two straight guys in their mid-twenties who move in together and become best friends. Garrett has a long-term girlfriend, Jenna. Then Mike falls seriously ill. Garrett, a physician assistant, becomes the one holding him up, and their friendship turns into something neither of them expected.
It's a two-person musical about love, labels and the courage it takes to tell the truth about yourself.
Why only two people?
Keeping it to two actors means there’s nowhere to hide. Every song is either a conversation between them or a moment where one of them can’t say the thing out loud yet. We think that’s where musicals do their best work.
- 2actors
- 20songs
- 100minutes, with an intermission
- 2015the year we started writing
It was also really important to us that the LGBTQ+ characters are at the center of this story, not on the sidelines.
Where it’s been
- 2021 to 2022A workshop reading, a staged reading and the New York Theatre Festival.
- 2023A developmental run at Theatre Row, Off Broadway.
- 2024An industry reading and a five-track studio EP.
- 2025Workshop presentations.
Listen
“Pull” is our newest release, performed by Jordan Luke Gage. If you only hear one song from the show, start here.
The studio EP has five tracks: “Those Times,” “Replay,” “Once I Say These Words,” “Pull” and “The Sweater.” It’s streaming everywhere.
What audiences told us
"An emotional rollercoaster. A story for anyone who has ever loved or felt out of place."
"Incredible music, incredible story. I laughed, I cried."
What’s next
Coming up next are Straight Forward Sessions: acoustic recordings of songs from the show, sung by surprise voices from Broadway and beyond. Recording starts in December.
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