French quarter gay bar fire

But on June 24,it was the scene of a deadly arson attack that left 32 people dead and the bar closed forever.

'The View UpStairs': A Fictional Take on a Very Real Tragedy

Writer Max Vernon takes viewers on a journey through the eyes of Wes Jeremy Popea modern-day fashion designer who buys the space where the UpStairs Lounge once stood and uses it for his flagship store. As Wes struggles to build his business and deal with his french media fame, he -- along with the audience -- is transported back to the s.

By traveling back in time, he must adjust his modern-day mindset to a different era. Vernon, who first heard about the fire while studying pre-AIDS-era gender and sexuality, said he started writing the musical because of the lack of knowledge surrounding the incident among fellow millennials.

Eventually, it became something more than a tribute to the lives lost on the night of the attack. Wes bar with a range of bar patrons -- from a hustler to a priest —- who are all struggling with their own journeys. Glimpses of their lives are shown through song and barside conversation, all while serving as a tool for Wes to delve into his own life.

Before the show progresses toward the inevitable June 24 fire, Wes begins to feel a sense of hopefulness that community fire will quarter to a better future. The hopefulness, gay to Vernon, is representative of our social and political environment prior to the election. The official cause of the UpStairs Lounge fire was never confirmed, and the musical reflects that uncertainty.

The stage is stripped away, and we are back in The connection Wes unexpectedly started to feel toward the gay community was quickly taken away from him by the fire. Through an interaction with a police officer, he emotionally urges the audience to be the catalyst that creates love and acceptance.

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