Naturally, that necessitated a shift in gender for other key characters in the cast, all under the highly discerning eye of the great Stephen Sondheim. In this gender-swapped revival from director Marianne Elliot, the protagonist Bobby (originated by Dean Jones before interpretations in recent years by the likes of Raul Esparza and Neil Patrick Harris) is now Bobbie, played by Tony Award winner Katrina Lenk. This accomplishment has required more than a little patience, too - Doyle had to wait over a year and a half to return to the role after COVID forced Broadway to shut down just as the production was in the midst of previews in March of 2020.
Better still, word on the street is he is a shoo-in to win the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Not only has his performance been widely hailed, but Matt Doyle is in a unique position as an out gay actor playing a role that was originally written for a female performer, with results that are at first hilarious before becoming inescapably - even heartbreakingly - poignant.
