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We've got a year until we're reunited with Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov and the pop-cultural phenomenon that is Heated Rivalry, the Crave/HBO adaptation of Rachel Reid's popular Game Changers novels. But if you really can't wait for more secret hotel trysts, t.A.T.u. needle drops and rink-melting sexual tension, then Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody will help you scratch that itch.
"By rights, Dylan MarcAurele’s raunchy musical spoof should not be nearly as funny as it is," said Time Out theater critic Adam Feldman in his rave review of the show. "But as directed by Alan Kliffer in a sixth-floor space at the Culture Club, the Chelsea complex that used to house Sleep No More’s McKittrick Hotel, this scrappy show is an unexpected delight in the irreverent camp tradition of Silence! The Musical! and the original Asylum production of Titaníque."
We enjoyed it so much, in fact, that we just had to pick the brain of the man behind the musical: Dylan MarcAurele, whose previous works have spoofed everything from Michelangelo to MEG4N. The New York–based playwright and composer spoke with us about the parody's crazy-quick origin story, its cut plot lines and whether there's a Heated Rivalry Broadway show in our collective future.
You have plenty of experience with pop-culture parodies. What was it about Heated Rivalry that made you feel it was right for a musical treatment?
I just loved it so much, and thought it was so thoughtfully crafted. It takes big swings, it's surprising, the characters are so specific. The sports setting is one that I found surprising and challenging, as a not-sports person. I would never parody anything if I didn't absolutely love it; it really is a high-quality piece of art.
You guys cranked this production out at high speed: The TV series ended in late December, and the parody opened to the public last month. How long after the season finale did you finish writing?
The timing was really bad because I was busy with other stuff, but it started in earnest at the very end of December. I wrote for two weeks and finished a draft but then had a two-week residency for a completely unrelated show. I came back and had another weeklong workshop for a third show, and then we did a cold read with the [Heated] cast and I hated about a third of what I wrote. So I took another week to rewrite. It was total, total chaos—but fun chaos.
How did the idea of a chorus of horny housewives, all named Susan, come to you? When I initially read about the parody, my first thought was, "Who the fuck is Susan?"
I wanted some kind of frame device to carry us through the show. I originally thought that [the parody] was going to be something I was going to self-produce for one night, and thus I could only afford so many cast members. And then I was thinking big picture: what would surprise people when they stepped into the theater, and how can I bring audiences in with a commentary on the whole thing? So my thoughts went to this cool, kind of funny phenomenon—that the reason the show has taken off is predominately because of straight women. It has really emotionally resonated with them.
Both the book and the television show cover a lot of ground, especially with the time jumps. How hard was it to condense all of that into an 80-minute stage production?
I know the kind of arc of a musical that I like over an 80-minute evening. I know those key beats that I'm trying to hit: the opening number that I want, the suspenseful Act One finale. So it was a matter of cherry-picking the moments in the story that made the biggest impression on me and then find funny or surprising angles on them.
How did you strike a balance between being faithful to the source material and branching off where necessary?
I made a point to only watch the TV show once. I took notes on everything that stood out to me—anything that was touching or surprising—and then I only refered back to those notes. So I have gaps in my memory, which gives me the freedom to be creative about connecting dots that may be different from how they actually connect.
The lead actors, Jimin Moon and Jay Armstrong Johnson, had a funny job: They had to play Shane and Ilya as we know them, but also a winking meta version of those characters. Was all of that laid out in the script, or was it something you worked on together?
I view them as musical-theater versions of those characters. When a character has the ability to sing, it's just going to land differently. For Shane, I found that his character manifests as really pining and sweet—innocent and earnest—which is different from Hudson Williams's version. But because it's a musical, you get that interiority. We really encouraged Jimin to lean into the sweetness and earnestness, which is a fun contrast with Ilya being completely stone cold. But we also get some rewarding insights into Ilya's insecurity through his songs.
Speaking of characters: How did that great Scott Hunter audience cameo come about?
I was stumped, because I was running out of actors. I didn't want to make Shane or Ilya double, so I needed another body. We had been floating the idea of some kind of audience participation, because that's fun in a show like this. And then my friend Rose Oser suggested, "You gotta get some hunky, older gay guy in the audience to play Scott Hunter. There will be one every night in that crowd." It's evolved to become really anybody; we've had all kinds of Scott Hunters and never a dud. The bit of this scene is that I, the writer, can make this audience volunteer say anything I want them to. That becomes the game, which is a lot of fun.
There are plenty of inside jokes sprinkled throughout the musical: Ilya’s giant ass, Maria’s iconic "Gurl" catchphrase. Was it difficult to narrow down those references? Was there anything you had to cut for time?
I made a list of all the things, and I think I fit almost everything. But there's a whole back-story arc I had originally that isn't in the show. You know the trope where a coach is being really harsh on a kid in a sport or dance or piano or whatever, and it's like, "Again! Again! Again!" It was that, basically, and I had this idea that Ilya was supposed to hit the puck and knock the Ushanka, the Russian hat, off his father's head—but it hits him instead and causes his dementia. There was no way to make that happen.
Music is so vital to the TV show. How was it bringing together those famous musical moments, like t.A.T.u.'s "All the Things She Said," with your own original works?
I wanted the audience to forget about t.A.T.u. for a while because it is an original musical. And then just at that perfect moment, it's like, "Gasp! They're doing t.A.T.u.!" My husband, who is my first reader for everything, highlighted the song [in the script] and left as a comment, "These lyrics don't quite match?" I was like, 'That's because it's t.A.T.u.!"
Have you heard from anyone in the Heated Rivalry universe about the show?
HBO came to see the show and they loved it, which was huge. I was so happy about that. I've heard murmurs that [series creator] Jacob Tierney and Rachel Reid give it the thumbs up. We're just celebrating and keeping this thing alive; we love it so much. I'm a strong believer that parody done well just increases the love and popularity of its source material.
Okay, now for some New York–y questions: What do you think the average New Yorker would say about Scott Hunter's running form?
I feel like most New Yorkers would be like, "Whatever, just don't get in my way."
Where is your favorite smoothie in NYC? Banana optional.
There's a smoothie place, Hudson Market, right by the theater!
Other parodies, such as Xanadu and now Titaníque, have ended up on Broadway. Could you ever see Shane and Ilya there?
Oh, my God! It still hasn't even sunked in that we're Off Broadway. Whatever happens, I'm happy.
Finally: Will New Yorkers get a The Long Game sequel parody in our future?
It has been so hard to resist reading the book! If I'm inspired, I'll do it again, but I have no plans as of yet. I really don't want to overstay my welcome. And I've already used up all of my jokes about Canada and Russia and hockey.
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is currently playing at the Culture Club through September 7. You can buy tickets here. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
