The Golden Girls return with a new twist to the Byham Theater
What’s old is new again, and as America grays, nostalgia increasingly takes center stage.
For those who enjoyed the “Golden Girls” sitcom, which aired on NBC-TV from 1985 to 1992, “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” offers a chance to revisit the beloved characters-with a decidedly different twist. The touring stage production will be at Pittsburgh’s Byham Theater this weekend.
The larger-than-life personalities of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia come alive once again with their signature humor. This time, however, an all-male cast portrays the four women, with plenty of off-the-cuff comments designed to elicit laughs from their fellow cast members as well as the audience.
Playing Blanche
Vince Kelley, who plays Blanche Devereaux, the flirtatious Southern belle, had the pleasure of watching the beloved sitcom when it originally aired.
Kelley said he adores Blanche.
“She sees herself as a tragic character and yet she has a fabulous life. She helps me relate to that in my own life. She’s been called a slut, but the insult has no meaning. She’s like a little duck-water falls off her back,” Kelley said.
Kelley said part of the show’s appeal is that it’s multi-generational.
“I watched it on Friday nights with my grandma and it later gained a second life in syndication and on channels such as Lifetime and Hallmark,” Kelley said. When Hulu streamed the series during the COVID-19 pandemic, even more fans came aboard.
Kelley had previously worked with the producers of “The Golden Girls” on another production prior to the pandemic.
“During lockdown, the idea of ‘Golden Girls’ came up and we leaned into it, wrote and workshopped it. We were going to do a proof of concept and take a year to retool it and put it out there,” said Kelley.
What happened instead was that it went so well that a tour was up and running in four weeks.
“It’s been four years now and it’s like a dream. We all like each other and love the material. Fans are just icing on the cake,” Kelley said.
Starting young
Kelley credits his family with encouraging his acting career.
“My uncle was dating his girlfriend who became my aunt when she was a junior, playing a part in “The Sound of Music.” I was 7 and they needed a little boy to be in the show so they approached my mom. What? A free babysitter? Bye,” Kelley said with a chuckle.
Kelley enjoyed acting so much that he approached his teacher and asked where he could do more.
“Mom signed me up for voice and dancing lessons and I never looked back,” he said.
Favorite moments
Kelley’s favorite moments are when the gang can freely riff on one another.
“We return from a mission in Act II, and there’s a scene with me, Rose and Sophia and there’s cheesecake where we discuss our lives and our problems,” said Kelley. “It’s an open-ended monologue session and we just lose our minds and we have the best time. I make up the dumbest things you can imagine for laughs. Then Dorothy arrives and it’s over.”
Kelley said that both young and old will relate to the show.
“Our show is a whole new story; we took the formula and made it relevant to modern times; it’s the Golden Girls as you’ve never seen them-without FCC constraints,” said Kelley, adding that the cast also reaches fans through TikTok and Instagram.
“We meet people where they are,” he said.
Kelley particularly enjoys the meet-and-greets following the performances.
“People bring us presents and share pictures and stories. I’ve seen ‘Golden Girls’ tattoos in places I shouldn’t see,” Kelley said with a laugh. “I love how energized and engaged the fanbase is.”
Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday. For information, go online to trustarts.org.