Beau: The Musical, the small but mighty Off-Broadway stunner from writer and composer Douglas Lyons, is lighting up the intimate space at Out of the Box Theatrics through July 27 with a story equal parts tender and raw, heart aching and joyful. Centering on a young queer musician named Ace and his complex coming-of-age in the American South, Beau trades glitter for grit, relying on piercing honesty and soul-baring folk-pop melodies to deliver its emotional gut-punch.
At the centre of it all is Matt Rodin, stepping into the role of Ace with disarming vulnerability and a voice that soars. In two exclusive °ëµºÌåÓý Studio performances of “Cominâ€� Homeâ€� and “Disappear,â€� with music co-composed by Ethan D. Pakchar. For both Rodin and Lyons, Beau has become something more than just a show. It’s a mission. It’s a lifeline. It’s a hug.
“This musical is important work,� Lyons says. “It’s cool, yeah, but it’s important. It’s a hug to the Midwestern queers. The kids growing up who still don’t see themselves in stories—who are contemplating if they belong in this world at all.�
Beau centers on Ace Baker, a young man whose life is transformed when he connects with his estranged grandfather, Beau. Introduced to music through Beau's guitar, Ace navigates the challenges of adolescence, including bullying and self-discovery, as he journeys from a 12-year-old struggling with his identity to a 17-year-old embracing his true self. Themes of love, loss, and personal growth are explored, set against a backdrop of a funk-folk musical score that blends contemporary sounds with heartfelt storytelling.
Lyons, best known on Broadway as a performer in Parade, Beautiful, and The Book of Mormon, and the writer of Chicken & Biscuits, never set out to write something that checked industry boxes. “There’s a lot of queer stories that are glitterific,� he says. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. But what about the trauma, the self-doubt? What leads someone to the glitter?� Lyons warns audiences that “there are self-harm moments in the show...But I didn’t want to leave the narrative there. What does it mean to find empowerment in the music? That’s part of my lived experience, too.�
Rodin has spent years developing the role of Ace and is quick to admit the toll that such a heavy story can take. “I’m figuring it out. I don’t know if there’s a formula,� he shares. “But what’s helped is taking care of my body—sleeping, not talking, giving myself treats, reminding myself that I’m loved.� He lists his go-tos with methodical precision, as though he regularly rattles off their count: holding his dog, talking to his parents and his new nephew, decompressing with his husband. “I get to go home to love. And I get to walk into a theatre company that holds me.�
“By the end of the show, we reach this moment called ‘Running,� and that’s the exclamation point,� Rodin says. “That’s the reclamation. Ace gets his resolution—and so do I.�
Lyons first encountered Rodin not in a rehearsal room, but on a red carpet: for many years, Rodin was known as the charming on-camera host for numerous Broadway outlets, including °ëµºÌåÓý, where his signature warmth and deep-cut questions made him a favourite among theatre fans and performers alike. With a mic in hand, he became a familiar face at opening nights and press events, known more for putting others in the spotlight than stepping into it himself.
“I knew Matt as an interviewer,� Lyons laughs. “I didn’t know yet what kind of actor he was.� That dynamic shifted when Lyons saw Rodin perform. “I was like, oh. Oh, he’s that kind of actor,� Lyons recalls. “It wasn’t just charisma, it was depth. He brought a kind of emotional intelligence to the role that caught me off guard.�
Their relationship evolved from publicist-approved sound bites to intimate creative collaboration, with Lyons increasingly writing Beau with Rodin’s voice in mind—not just his literal singing voice, but his sensibility. “He just got it,� Lyons says. “He understood who Ace was at his core.�
Even before Beau arrived Off-Broadway, it had already cultivated a devoted Gen-Z following thanks to its original cast album: an early release that allowed the show’s songs to circulate widely online, independent of a full production. Featuring Rodin, Tony nominee Jeb Brown, Charity Angel Dawson, Mykal Kilgore, Jenn Colella, John Krause, Aisha Jackson, and more, the album has racked up listens and fan-made content across platforms, introducing the show to young audiences who discovered its music first, often before even knowing its story. “There are people coming to the theatre now who already know the album inside and out,� Lyons says. “They’ve been waiting to hear these songs live.� In an era where streaming has reshaped how musicals gain traction, Beau stands as a prime example of how releasing material early can spark grassroots momentum—letting listeners connect with the music on their own terms, and building community around the show before a single ticket is sold.
“It feels like the timing is so right too,� Rodin says. “I mean, it's hard. We put in seven, eight years of our lives to the show. And every time it got close, every time something would happen, we were like, 'Is this it?' We were supposed to do a production in August of 2020, at 59E59…and it didn’t happen, obviously. And there’s disappointment in that. But it was like, okay, well, that wasn’t the time�."
Now, as the production has found secure footing Off-Broadway, the pair are grateful for the delay: it allowed the show the perfect amount of time to marinate, finding a perfect home at the perfect time to reach those who need it the most.
“This particular moment�," Rodin shakes his head, smiling."Listen, I closed All the World’s a Stage on May 10. We started rehearsal May 12. The timing of this was meant to be. It just feels like the right time to be doing it, in Pride Month, in the West Village, in 2025."
“The show is gay," Lyons adds.
“It’s pretty gay,� Rodin echoes.
“It’s pretty gay, it’s pretty gay,� Lyons agrees, chuckling. “And like, celebratory gay.�
“Yeah, and like, truth gay,� Rodin says. “Like the dark parts, but also the light parts gay.�
“Capitalized—� Lyons begins.
“And uncapitalized,� Rodin finishes.
“Yes,� Lyons says. “It’s meeting kids where they are.�
Despite the sometimes tough moments he has to embody in the show, Rodin also feels profoundly seen. “I didn’t have a character like this growing up,� Rodin says. “For me, in the �90s, 2000s, there were not queer characters that were not hyper-flamboyant or severely depressed. And to have this middle ground, of someone who looks like me and talks like me and walks like me but is married to a man—even though that doesn’t sound crazy in 2025, there are still places in this country where kids don’t have freedom to realize that's an option. Or they don’t see anyone like themselves that they say, ‘Oh, actually, maybe I can be that.’� He then adds, sighing, “I think this show does such a beautiful job of that for all of the characters."
Lyons agrees. “When I was coming up, Rent was like that for me. I want Beau to be that for now... and I wanted to write music that also connected to my roots. I'm not saying the 'musical theatre sound' is boring, but sometimes I get frustrated because I feel like we’re not pouring into the canon. Who are the Sondheim's now? What does that sound like?�
It sounds like contemporary pop, the perfect sonic backdrop for a show aimed at today's young people. Lyons says the show was crafted for that audience in mind, saying, "The kids are arguing. They’re saying 'this is great, this could change'. And I actually listen to those things as a writer. That is the empowerment that I think the industry needs to lean more on. We have to listen to them.�
And as Beau continues to pack in audiences night after night, what it offers is clear. A voice. A mirror. A moment. “You just have to find people where they are,� Lyons says. “And remind them that there’s room for them.�
Cory Jeacoma and Matt Rodin in Beau The Musical
Chris Blisset in Beau The Musical
Cory Jeacoma and Matt Rodin in Beau The Musical
Cory Jeacoma and Matt Rodin in Beau The Musical
Amelia Cormack and Chris Blisset in Beau The Musical
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