Saved 2008

Musical theatre, at least in the popular denominations practiced here in Gotham, has long been known to preach a message of gay rights to an eagerly accepting congregation, and those who would deny the natural occurrence or the legal acceptance of homosexuality have been generally depicted as hateful, ignorant or, at the very gentlest, misguided. Now we have Saved, a buoyant new musical that tackles issues of friendship, trust and adolescent homosexuality among students at a Christian high school. And while I wouldn't say its message of 'love the judgmental, hate the judgment' would be completely appreciated by those who would fight for what they believe to be the sanctity of marriage, Saved removes the satirical fangs of its source 2004 movie and comes out a musical that can celebrate gay acceptance without making those who put their faith in a church that preaches otherwise look completely heartless or foolish. For all its snap and cleverness, Saved is refreshingly square in that, aside from a few spurts of adolescent nastiness, it depicts a community where everyone is truly concerned with what they believe to be the well-being of their neighbor.