HADDON TWP., N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — As millions mourned Queen Elizbeth II on Friday, a new musical that explores a legend surrounding Queen Elizabeth I debuted at the Ritz Theater in Haddon Township, New Jersey. The work uses that legend to take an in-depth look at modern notions of gender identity.
The gothic musical fantasy “The Bisley Boy” follows “Dracula” author Bram Stoker and a conspiracy theory he believed: That Elizabeth I died as a child, and the queen was actually portrayed by a male decoy.
The musical’s co-author, Joshua Bessinger, says they explore contemporary themes of gender identity, sexuality and creating an entirely new persona, against the backdrop of the 16th century “Virgin Queen.”
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“We treat it as a fantasy, as a legend, as something that is within Bram’s mind — which is in total respect of the true queen Elizabeth as a female,” Bessinger said.
“The Bisley Boy” co-author and director Krysten Cummings adds, the musical invites people to think about how they are seen and how they want to be seen.
“Both of us, as part of the LGBTQ community, it was an interesting story and a great angle and had such potential for drama or melodrama, intrigue — all of those things,” she said.
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Bessinger says, although the story takes place more than a century ago, he believes its themes still relate very much to today.
“Everyone is creating the picture that represents what’s going on in their life or in the moment,” he said. “It may not be true. I would say that tie to social media, creating one’s persona, the idea of tapping into your own identity and being who you want to be are all themes within our piece.”
"The Bisley Boy: A Musical Fantasy" runs through Oct. 2.