How ‘Heated Rivalry’ Became a Musical (Parody)

Key Points:

• "Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody," a theatrical spoof of the hit Canadian show, will have an Off-Broadway run starting May 12, following eight sold-out concert presentations in March.
• Written by Dylan MarcAurele, the musical features key plot points set to parody songs and introduces Susan, a "lovable wine mom" narrator who represents the show's growing female fanbase.
• MarcAurele wrote the musical in just three weeks, with limited rehearsal time, and cast Broadway actor Jay Armstrong Johnson as Ilya Rozanov, who worked intensively on mastering a Russian accent for the role.
• The fully staged eight-week run at the 6th Floor Theater will include choreography and feature a cast of Broadway-experienced actors, with Armstrong and Ryann Redmond reprising their roles.
• While the parody pays homage to the emotional depth of the original series, it remains unclear if the creators of the TV show are aware of the musical, as Crave, the show's streaming platform, has not commented.