Billy’s Back: This ‘Scream’ Musical Performance Will Make Your Day
Scream is never going to go away. Try as the present distributor might, Ghostface and company carved out a pop culture niche all their own almost thirty years ago. Even when it seems it’s done for good, the franchise finds its way back into the spotlight. Remember when we all thought Scream 4 was the end? Dark times.
A huge part of what has kept the franchise afloat is the fans. From art to performances to social media (there are entire swaths of Twitter dedicated exclusively to Scream), the franchise endures on account of the fandom.
Recently, two Scream fans performed an exceptional, almost uncanny musical number that pays homage to Scream’s infamous finale. Not that these people exist, but if someone happens to not know how the original Scream ends, writer Kevin Williamson superbly subverted slasher expectations. Rather than there being one killer, there were two. Both Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) were revealed to have planned the Woodsboro killings together. Two killers, especially for a franchise whose most recent entry had three, might not seem like much. But in 1996, it was groundbreaking.
It was also, it must be said, very gay. Yes, since release, the Scream fandom has shipped both Billy and Stu. In fairness, even Williamson’s script tacitly suggests the two did more than just murder together. Whether they ever sang Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” replacing “Backstreet” with “Billy” is up for debate.
Check out the clip below:
Not only is the performance delightfully campy, but the Stu Macher performer is an uncanny match for a young Matthew Lillard. It’s this kind of stuff that keeps the franchise alive.
What do you think of the performance? Have you seen anything similar? When I lived in DC, Scream performances were incredibly popular among drag performers for a beat. Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
Scream’d: An Unauthorized Musical Parody will be playing at the Majestic Repertory Theatre starting January 19, 2024. You can learn more here!
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