THE VIEW UPSTAIRS

The View Upstairs by Max Vernon is a musical inspired by the 1973 arson attack on the Upstairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans. When Wes, a young fashion designer from the present day, enters the abandoned space, he is transported to 1973 and encounters the vibrant community that once called the bar home. Through music, humor, romance, and memory, the musical brings together two generations of queer life while exploring love, identity, chosen family, resilience, and the importance of remembering those whose stories have too often been erased.

Director: Sean Elias

Music Director: Michelle Henning

Stage Manager: Haley Baugues

Costume Design: Xorlali Plange

Scenic Design: James V. Raymond

Lighting Design: Thomas P. Gardner

Sound Design: Zack Sexton

Company: Iron Crow Theatre

Baltimore Theatre, 2026.

Photography by Wilson Freeman.