‘Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody’ Off-Broadway review — stage spoof remains faithful to the TV show's shrewd fun

Read our review of Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody off Broadway, a new spoof on the popular celebrity competition show The Traitors.

Summary

• Traitorz is a musical parody of the reality game show The Traitors featuring impersonators of Alan Cumming, Britney Spears, Liza Minnelli, Jesus, and more
• The stage show features audience participants to keep the game fresh at each performance
• The show is recommended for fans of The Traitors and for theatre-obsessed fans, as it contains many in-jokes related to the characters of Liza and Patti LuPone

The reality TV game show The Traitors has proven quite the sleeper hit. The past couple seasons have dominated social media cycles, inspired heated debates, churned out memes, and allowed us all to bask in host Alan Cumming’s fashion sense. But while The Traitors may already feature a Broadway legend, Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody asks: Why stop at just one?

A typical season of Traitors brings a little of everyone together: there are former contestant of reality shows ranging from Survivor to Big Brother to The Bachelor, an assortment of Real Housewives stars (they’re often the shrewdest players), and miscellaneous players who have just the right amount of star power. Sometimes there are Olympians, actors, or even members of the British royal family. The success of the show in recent years has made it a sought-after gig.

But you won’t find quite the high caliber of celebs anywhere but at Traitorz off Broadway. Creator Tim Murray (who penned the book and lyrics and co-directs with Alan Kliffer) pulled out all the stops. In this unauthorized and comparatively low-budget new season, host Alan Cumming (Dylan Adler) brings together players Liza Minelli (Daniel Barrett), Jennifer Coolidge (Becca Kötte), Patti LuPone (Sean McManus), Britney Spears (Rachel Schur), and Jesus Christ (Jeffrey Omura). That’s right — Traitors has gotten so popular that Jesus himself decided to return to Earth and have a little fun.

Of all the celebrity impressions that make up this parody, Jesus is the one that holds up least over the course of this 90-minute parody. Shameless shirtlessness aside, the character’s personality isn’t anchored in any specific reference, so before long he just becomes another cocky, overly opinionated Traitors player. Then again, these players have become essential to the TV show, and Omura certainly has fun relishing in Jesus's sanctimony (and crippling fear of being betrayed).

The songs (composed by Ben Fankhauser) are infectious and a lot of fun, with one of the highlights being a duet between Patti and Liza. After Jesus throws out an accusation at the round table that one of the “theatre girls” must be a Traitor, they face off in a number dripping with showtune references to prove just how not-Broadway they are. Of course, much to the audience's delight, they can’t keep their true natures concealed for long, even for the sake of game strategy. With the appropriate drama and mystique, Adler keeps a not-so-tight watch over the proceedings with an increasingly ridiculous Scottish accent, and it feels a little unfair that he doesn’t get as many songs as the contestants do.

However, Jennifer Coolidge and Britney Spears are the real emotional core of the show. Unlike some other parodies, Traitorz doesn’t shy away from giving these characters real pathos. Jennifer wants to prove her acting skills so the world will take her seriously, and Britney just wants someone to believe in her. There’s an unexpectedly tearjerking moment when Patti teaches Britney to tap into her power and belt like she means it. Of course, every time Patti dismisses Britney’s intelligence after that, it's all the more painful, and Schur’s looks of complete betrayal utterly captivated my audience.

Who is a Traitor and who is a Faithful? That’s for you to discover or even to become yourself, as the show pulls a handful of audience members into the game. But much like the game show it lovingly parodies, Traitorz has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, and it’s a game of personalities more than anything else. That’s perhaps why this parody works so well. Who doesn’t want to see a group of idols, divas, and gay icons in control of the round table?

Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody summary

Traitorz is a parody of the hugely popular reality game show The Traitorz, which brings celebrities together in an atmospheric castle in Scotland to play a game similar to Mafia or Werewolf. The players must figure out who among them are Traitors, who are secretly tasked with removing a Faithful each night of the game. Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody replaces the traditional lineup of reality stars with (impersonators of) major Broadway stars, gay icons, Jesus Christ, and members of the audience, and sets it all to music.

What to expect at Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody

Any parody can wear a little thin after too long, and Traitorz is no exception, even with a short 90-minute runtime. But by integrating audience members, the show keeps you on your toes. Several theatregoers are pulled into the game over the course of the night to beef up alliances, help complete challenges, or just keep Liza Minnelli company.

Traitorz is also pulling on some very real heartstrings by making Britney Spears the emotional center. Spears captured hearts across the country when her memoir was published in 2023, leaving many to reconcile anew with the circumstances of her conservatorship and the rampant misogyny that characterized her public image. Traitorz sees her fighting to reclaim her own confidence, and it’s oddly cathartic.

Not only that, but Spears is also a beloved figure in gay culture, as are LuPone, Minnelli, and Coolidge. The Traitors has been criticized for the sometimes witch-hunt-like treatment of marginalized people on the show (justice for Peppermint), but this parody is made for the gays.

What audiences are saying about Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody

Traitorz is killing it with audiences, with a 90% rating averaged from 12 reviews on the review aggregator Show-Score as of writing. Audiences are loving Dylan Adler’s Alan Cumming and the musical’s shameless pandering to theatre lovers and gay culture.

• “It’s got some good laughs & uses the audience in a very creative way. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.” - Show-Score user DJGNYC
• “So stupid and I loved every single second of it. The strategy, the alliances, the lack of actual game structure. They get it!!” - Mezzanine user Noah Arb
• “The cast was unreal. And the writing is such a love letter to gay culture and the tv show. Really loved this one.” - Mezzanine user Ivy Lynn

Read more audience reviews of Traitorz on Show-Score.

Who should see Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody

• It goes without saying, but fans of The Traitors on TV will be interested to see how this musical both lambasts and honors the game strategy, the challenges, and the mindsets of the people who play.
• Diehard theatre obsessives will get plenty of laughs from the inside jokes relating to Patti and Liza alone.
• People who love celebrity impressions will be particularly impressed by the cast, especially Becca Kötte’s Jennifer Coolidge and Rachel Schur’s Britney Spears.

Learn more about Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody off Broadway

Traitorz is a fun romp through reality TV’s latest obsession, crafted to parody the game show and stir the hearts of all theatre kids.

Learn more and get Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is at St. Luke's Theatre through January 31.

Photo credit: Traitorz: The Unauthorized Musical Parody off Broadway. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)