“The Golden Girls” went off the air in 1992. Still, a new legion of fans discovers the sassy sitcom about four older women sharing a home in Miami, and its popularity endures. Admirers have a chance to catch up with Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia this month at the Kimmel Cultural Campus, where “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” plays at the Miller Theater on Oct. 27 and 28. Robert Leleux’s original homage imagines where the ladies would be today, and hilarity and heart ensue.
In this new world, we learn that Sophia did a stint in prison for running a drug ring in her retirement community, and that Blanche and Rose struck it rich by developing a Grindr-like dating app for senior citizens. Needless to say, this is a decidedly 21st century spin on the show we all know and love.
“We hope the play is at least a little familiar, but unlike other tribute shows, we’re working with a whole new script,” said Vince Kelley, who plays Blanche in the touring production. “We’ve taken the tropes and the catchphrases and the flavor of the girls, but we’re treating it almost as if it never went off the air. It takes place in the world of today, with all of the advances and all of the problems that we face.”
Kelley grew up watching “The Golden Girls” and appreciates the intergenerational bond it can foster.
“I used to watch the show when I was super little with my grandma, and I used to say that I wanted to watch ‘the old lady show,’” he said. “I didn’t understand the jokes at all, but my grandma was laughing, so I thought it was funny too. There’s a few of us in the show who were around when the show was originally on the air, so we got to experience it that way. But we also have lots of people who say that their mom watched it, their aunt watched it, their grandma watched it — so it’s kind of a way to connect with those people in our lives.”
In particular, the show has always found a particular affinity group among the LGBTQ+ community, and especially among gay men. Kelley believes the show’s frank handling of social issues at a time when many queer topics were still considered taboo helped to endear this specific fanbase.
“The pilot episode had a gay character, Coco, who was sadly let go because the network executives weren’t ready for it,” Kelley noted. “But to think that the people creating the show in 1985 were willing to put a gay character on primetime television shows that they were trying to break that mold. There were so many issues that were treated so lovingly during the initial run. Dorothy’s brother is a cross-dresser, and Sophia doesn’t care at all. Blanche has a gay brother. There’s a very famous and hilarious episode where one of Dorothy’s friends, who’s a lesbian, falls in love with Rose. The punchlines and the jokes may not all work today, but they were still normalizing it.
“These women in their real lives were also such advocates,” Kelley continued. “Beatrice Arthur [who played Dorothy] left her entire estate to LGBTQ charities in New York City, so that those people could have the funds to keep fighting those fights. Also, of course, gay people just love a diva. I think we can all relate to them because we all have a Blanche, a Rose, a Sophia in our friend groups.”
The audience reaction has been strong in preceding tour stops and fans have the opportunity to purchase a meet-and-greet with the cast following each performance.
“The audience gets to come right into our living room,” Kelley said. “We’ve painstakingly recreated the set, so right when the curtain goes up, everyone starts losing their minds. They’re like, ‘We know this house!’ We have people meet us with their ‘Golden Girls’ t-shirts on, their earrings, all their Etsy stuff. They’re just so excited because they have a connection, and to get to experience something they thought was long-gone in a tangible way is just something they love.”
Kelley is excited to return to Philadelphia, where he spent part of his early career working for a company that produced children’s theater, and to introduce his castmates to the best local spots for food, drinks and history.
“We’re so excited to be there over Halloween weekend!” he said. “We’re trying to decide if we want to go out in different costumes, or if we just want to be lazy and hit the bars as the Golden Girls.”
“Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” will play Oct. 27-28 at the Miller Theater, 250 S Broad St. For tickets and information, visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.