Anti-Gay Cretin Disrupts Dolly Parton Musical In UK

The Guardian reports:

A Dolly Parton-themed musical had to be suspended mid-show in Manchester because of homophobic abuse, an actor in the production has said.

Stevie Webb, who plays a superfan of the country music icon in Here You Come Again, said an incident at the Opera House last Wednesday resulted in the whole cast having to “leave the stage, because a woman was so disgusted there was a gay character”.

Directed by Gabriel Barre, the musical comedy features the country music singer appear like a fairy godmother to give life lessons in song to a stricken fan. Parton, 79, has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and has hosted Gay Days at her theme park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Deadline reports:

Webb revealed that the woman was ejected after a “massive ruckus” in which other audience members called out her homophobia. ATG Entertainment, which runs the venue, told BBC News that it took a “zero tolerance” approach to abuse.

Webb added that some of the worst abuse had occurred during performances in London. “I remember one guy who was shouting the F-[word] slur,” he said.

“It has really opened my eyes because we’re in such a bubble in this industry. But traveling the country and seeing how many people literally cannot bear to see a gay person depicted on stage – it’s wild.”

Here You Come Again was co-written by gay comedian Bruce Vilanch. A separate bio-musical, Hello, I’m Dolly, will debut on Broadway next year. The trailer for the UK production is below and features a glimpse of Webb’s gay character.