BroadwayWorld Celebrates Pride: Top 10 LGBTQ+ Couples in Musicals!
From Rent, to The Prom, Falsettos, and more, learn about some of our favorite LGBTQ+ couples in musicals, in honor of Pride Month!
By: Stephi Wild Jun. 19, 2021
June marks the official start of Pride Month! This year, BroadwayWorld is celebrating pride with a series focused on some of our favorite LGBTQ-themed musicals, plays, characters, and songs!
This week, check out our top 10 favorite LGBTQ+ couples in musicals! Let us know what your favorites are by leaving us a comment on our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook pages!
Kate/Anne (If/Then)
If/Then is a 2014 musical that starred Idina Menzel in the lead role of Elizabeth. One of Elizabeth's best friends, Kate is dating Anne. While the pair inevitably divorce, in both timelines, seeing their relationship on stage was important for so many WLW.
Below, hear the song Love While You Can, where the couple is heavily featured.
Angel/Collins (Rent)
Perhaps one of the most beloved, and heartbreaking, LGBTQ+ couples in musical theatre is of course Angel and Collins from Rent.
The pair fall in love and sing the iconic song I'll Cover You, which is later reprised by Collins in a slowed-down, heart-wrenching rendition at Angel's funeral. Hear both songs below.
Emma/Alyssa (The Prom)
The Prom made history when it displayed the first LGBTQ+ kiss on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2018. It then went on to be adapted for the big screen, in a Netflix film starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Ariana DeBose, and Andrew Rannells.
The musical centers around a lesbian couple, Emma Nolan and Alyssa Greene, who are banned from going to their high school prom together.
Below, watch the cast's Tony Performance of Tonight Belongs To You/It's Time To Dance!
Marvin/Whizzer (Falsettos)
Marvin and Whizzer may be the definition of a toxic couple, but it doesn't stop them from being beloved by many who have fallen in love with Falsettos.
Sung by Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells in the 2017 revival, listen to one of the couple's big songs, Thrill Of First Love.
Alison/Joan (Fun Home)
This couple may not last long but it gave us one of Broadway's most iconic lesbian songs, Changing My Major.
The song is sung after Alison, the main character of Fun Home, sleeps with Joan, in college. This is a huge catalyst for Alison coming to terms with her identity as a lesbian.
Listen to the song below!
Maureen/Joanne (Rent)
Joanne and Maureen may have their issues but they're one of the original beloved WLW couples from musical theatre.
The pair argue and kiss and make up more times than we can count, but that doesn't stop us from jamming to their iconic duet, Take Me or Leave Me.
Watch the scene from the film below!
Lucas/David (If/Then)
If/Then, the musical that featured WLW couple Kate and Anne, also features a MLM couple, Lucas and David. David only appears in one timeline (in the other, Lucas actually has a relationship with main character Elizabeth).
The pair sing the song "Best Worst Mistake" to each other, about their conflicting views on what their relationship should be. Listen to the song below!
Cordelia/Charlotte (Falsettos)
Look, it's the lesbians from next door! A fan favorite couple of characters from the cult classic musical, caterer Cordelia and Dr. Charlotte are introduced in the second act as neighbors to Marvin and Whizzer.
They are one of the healthy relationships this show portrays, especially during a time when many were not comfortable with being out and proud.
Hear the pair sing "Unlikely Lovers" alongside Marvin and Whizzer below!
Mopsa/Pamela (HOH)
Head Over Heels features several themes of queerness. Two characters, Mopsa and Pamela, are revealed to be WLW (women-loving women) when they profess their love for one another midway through the show.
The pair sing "Automatic Rainy Day" which is arguably where their tension first begins to rise, and later sing "Head Over Heels", "Turn To You", and "Our Lips Are Sealed" about their relationship. Mopsa also sings the iconic Go-Go's song "Vacation" about Pamela when she decides to leave for a while.
Jamie/Paul (Company)
This is a newer one! The couple originally written as Amy and Paul in the Stephen Sondheim musical Company was re-written as a MLM couple in the recent revival, which premiered on the West End before transferring to Broadway.
In the musical, Jamie sings about being afraid to get married in the iconic song "Not Getting Married Today", before ultimately deciding to marry Paul. Listen to the number below!
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