“Trevor: The Musical” – Movie Review by Juan Mojica (@LeadingMojicans). #TrevorTheMusical #DisneyPlus
In “Trevor: The Musical”, we follow Trevor, a charismatic middle school boy on his journey of self-discovery. While Trevor tries to navigate adolescence, he also dreams of a life in show business. Throughout we see a bullied Trevor try to figure out his own identity, sexuality and find his way through life. The character is emotionally tested and tormented by people around him, especially after an embarrassing incident at school.
This off-Broadway period piece is based on the 1994 short film “Trevor” that won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 1995. The film also inspired the outreach and counseling non-profit program “The Trevor Project” which has been working to help create a safer, more inclusive world for LGBTQ+ youth. It’s also the largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth. The musical is meant to serve as a way of showing those who are going through a similar situation that it does get better.
Before pressing play, I had no previous knowledge of this musical. After watching this recorded stage production, while I can understand how fans of this musical will be delighted to have the experience of watching it at home on Disney+, I’m just not the right audience for it. While this musical has some very upbeat numbers, some a little more macabre than others, I just wasn’t able to connect with it. It features a very talented cast, especially Yasmeen Sulieman as Diana Ross, who shine throughout and have very bright futures ahead of them. However, while one can commend the composing/writing team for their efforts, the musical features a lot of razzle dazzle, but dances around the subject rather than with it.
The story itself walks a very fine line as it tries to tell the story of an eighth grader who feels humiliated at school, is isolated after a rumor is spread about his sexuality and unfortunately contemplates taking his own life after feeling broken by everyone around him. It’s risky and often times difficult to delicately try and tell a story that adults and teenagers can enjoy, while also tackling a very serious and sensitive topic that should be discussed. It does manage to showcase that there is hope for people getting bullied for their preferences and that suicide isn’t the answer. While the depiction of the attempt does feel softened for a family audience, it still feels hard to sit through as you emotionally go through it with the character. As someone who was bullied in the past, I will admit that this musical did bring up a lot of emotions when it came to sympathizing for what the main character went through and how people were treating him. As Trevor cries out to his idol Diana Ross to help guide him, one can’t help but identify with the character’s sentiment when it felt like no one was there to guide him.
On the other hand, the way the musical depicts the situation and how one should handle it felt a bit dated. Granted, this musical does take place in 1981 where things weren’t the same as they are now, but it just didn’t feel as effective as it could have been. While this is an important and familiar tale about facing the fear that is being scared of who you are, one should also showcase the positive side of coming out. The musical felt like it was missing a stronger spotlight when it came to showing that you will find people who are like you and will love you for who you are. If anything, this musical should be able to provide an opportunity to have a conversation between family members about the importance of knowing that regardless of what anyone says, they will be loved unconditionally always.
“Trevor: The Musical” wasn’t for me, as it’s an emotional rollercoaster ride that twenty years later is still an important tale to many; especially those who feel more like an artist, rather than an athlete. For fans of this musical, this is going to be very important moment. This is a great opportunity for those who were unable to see the musical live or may want to rewatch it, to do so on the streaming platform in the original format.
