"Mad About The Boy," a song first performed in 1932 in the musical revue Words and Music by British playwright and songwriter Noel Coward, is approaching its 100th anniversary. This timeless piece has been reinterpreted by numerous artists and resonated with countless listeners over the decades. In its original performance, several women sang the song while queuing for a cinema, expressing their infatuation with a matinee idol. The song's theme of unrequited love struck a chord with many, including gay listeners of the time who often dealt with unexpressed romantic longing. Coward, born in 1899 to a piano salesman and his wife in suburban London, showcased his talent for performance from a young age, appearing in the West End at 12 and writing his first play at 20. "Mad About The Boy" is notable for its emotional depth, reflecting Coward's own unspoken desires as a gay man in an era when being openly gay was impossible. Although Coward added verses for a male character when Words and Music moved to Broadway, these were deemed too risqué and barred from performance. Among the song's many covers, Dinah Washington's 1952 and 1961 recordings stand out, with the latter produced by Quincy Jones. Washington's rendition gained renewed popularity in a 1992 Levi's commercial, introducing the classic to a new generation. Yul Bryner performed it in drag in the 1969 movie The Magic Christian. "Mad About The Boy" has since been covered by various artists, including Adam Lambert, who performed it on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022. This performance featured two male dancers, embodying a vision Coward might have only dreamed of. #Queer Up Entertainment