Drew Droege in ‘Happy Birthday Doug.’ (Photo: Russ Rowland)
BroadwayHD announced today that they are bringing Happy Birthday Doug, from producer Michael Urie, exclusively to their platform following a brief, but successful run at SoHo Playhouse that ended prematurely this spring due to the pandemic.
The critically acclaimed production, directed by Tom DeTrinis, and written and performed by Drew Droege (the Internet’s “Chloë,” “Drunk History,” “Bob’s Burgers,” RuPaul’s “AJ and the Queen” on Netflix) will debut on the streaming service on September 24. The play, produced in association with Zach Laks, and directed for film and edited by Jim Hansen, was filmed during quarantine in an effort to continue bringing theater to audiences during this unprecedented time. Happy Birthday Doug is a follow-up to Bright Colors And Bold Patterns, Droege’s hit hailed as “scorchingly funny” by the New York Times, which enjoyed a celebrated five-month run at SoHo Playhouse and is also available on BroadwayHD.
Happy Birthday Doug is a one-man play that visits with Doug as he celebrates his 41st birthday in a wine bar. His favorite and least favorite gay men have made the invite list: friends, exes, nightmares, tricks, and even a ghost. Happy Birthday Doug is a wicked and wild hour-long celebration of modern gay culture with tons of wine. Consider this your cordial invitation.
Michael Urie said, “As if I could be any more impressed by Drew Droege, he goes and achieves something phenomenal with Tom Detrinis and Jim Hansen, turning Happy Birthday Doug into a movie. I’m so proud to premiere the movie on BroadwayHD where Drew’s Bright Colors And Bold Patterns lives – two truthful, hilarious tours de force. I recommend a double feature!”
Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley, co-founders of BroadwayHD said, “So many great productions did not have the opportunity to finish their runs this past spring, and we are glad that we are able to bring Happy Birthday Doug back to the stage, if only virtually. It’s an excellent piece of theater that we are sure that our subscribers will love and a great addition to the diverse line-up of LGBTQ+ titles already available on the service.”
Happy Birthday Doug and Bright Colors And Bold Patterns are only two of the many LGBTQ+ titles available in BroadwayHD’s vast library, which also includes Kinky Boots, Indecent, and Falsettos among other shows. BroadwayHD puts a big focus on acquiring titles for the service that are representative of the global diversity of their audience, and in addition to the LGBTQ titles in their collection they also prioritize bringing to the service titles that are directed by and star women and people of color.
