Trevor: The Musical About Finding One's Identity

Trevor: The Musical is a 2022 coming-of-age Disney musical drama that is centered around a 13-year-old boy who tries to forge his own path. The pink subtitles at the beginning scene read “Filmed at Stage 42, New York City, January 2022,” indicating to viewers that this is a filming of a live musical. The time period is 1981 and has lots of references to trends of the 1980s.

Viewers see a strong representation of LGBTQ+ in Trevor: The Musical as the film’s main topic is self-discovery. Since this film is a coming-of-age film, this movie has scenes that feature LGBTQ+ topics. One example is Trevor and Pinky’s relationship. Trevor and Pinky are both 13-year-old boys who secretly love each other. There is a multicultural cast reflective of NYC, with Latinx, Indian, and Black actors playing support roles.

The setting of this musical drama takes place in a middle school complete with classic hallways with lockers and a basketball court. Trevor is 13 years old and the title character of this musical film. His goal of performing in the talent show and his musical background are similar to Nate from Better Nate Than Ever. There are many important film dialogues here. These include the stereotyping of men, self-discovery, romance, and puberty. Trevor also wants to be independent of his parents. There is also some mature dialogue about possible attempts of suicide, so this movie is recommended for older viewers.

The climax is the embarrassing moment Trevor experiences at the middle school. His personal journal is symbolic and serves as a catalyst foreshadowing the climax. Trevor’s peers learn about his secrets, especially his relationship with Pinky. When the journal falls into the wrong hands, our secrets can be exposed, leaving us vulnerable. This is in interesting step for Disney.