New Heated Rivalry Adaptation Officially Premiering This Spring

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Although the first season of Heated Rivalry just finished three months ago, a new version of the show is already being made and will debut in May.

The sports romance drama quickly became a huge hit after it started streaming on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S. in late 2025. With popularity like that, it’s only natural that people will start making parodies – and that’s exactly what’s happening with Heated Rivalry.

According to Deadline, a new, unofficial musical parody of ‘Heated Rivalry’ is set to premiere at the 6th Floor Theater in New York City. Performances begin with previews on May 12th, and the official opening night is May 26th. The show will run for eight weeks Off-Broadway.

The musical parody, Heated Rivalry, successfully completed eight sold-out performances in early March.

Jay Armstrong Johnson and Jimin Moon will now play the roles of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander in the parody, replacing the originally cast Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.

He’s most recognized for his role in the Broadway production of Parade, and he also toured North America with Moulin Rouge. Moon, on the other hand, has appeared in Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard and Aladdin.

Other cast members include Ryann Redmond, Cherry Torres and Ryan Duncan.

The new musical parody revolves around Broadway actors who think they’re auditioning for the second season of Heated Rivalry. The show promises a catchy soundtrack, surprise appearances from characters like Rose Landry and Ilya, and a confusing timeline with lots of jumps around in time.

Experience your favorite emotional moments from the show like never before, performed by a talented group of Broadway actors who believed they were auditioning for the next season. Featuring a vibrant, upbeat soundtrack, surprise appearances from beloved characters like Rose Landry and Ilya, and a timeline that jumps around a lot, this show will leave audiences feeling deeply moved and likely exclaiming, ‘…Girl!’

Alan Kliffer directed and produced the musical parody, Heated Rivalry. Dylan MarcAurele wrote the show’s script and songs, while Brooke and Tiffany Engen handled the choreography. The set design was by Sully Rossen, with costumes by Brendan McCann, lighting by Devin Cameron, and sound design by Germán Martinez.

Many popular movies, TV shows, and books—like Friends, Scream, Carrie, The Exorcist, The Real Housewives, and Harry Potter—have been turned into musical parodies.

I just finished watching Heated Rivalry, and it’s based on the hugely popular Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid – she’s up to six novels now, with another one, Unrivaled, coming out way in 2027! The show centers on Ilya and Shane, two hockey players who are fierce rivals on the ice, but secretly fall for each other. It’s a classic enemies-to-lovers story, and the chemistry between the leads really makes it work.

Let me tell you, I was really impressed with Heated Rivalry. It premiered in late 2025 and quickly became a massive hit for Crave, their most popular original show. And it didn’t stop there – HBO Max picked it up and it’s become one of their biggest successes too. The critics clearly agreed with the audience; it boasts a fantastic 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it even took home the award for Outstanding New TV Series at the GLAAD Media Awards. It’s a show that truly delivers.

Storrie and Williams work alongside a talented cast, including François Arnaud, Christina Chang, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Callan Potter, Franco Lo Presti, Kamilla Kowal, Yaroslav Poverlo, Slavic Rogozine, Dylan Walsh, Benjamin Roy, Kolton Stewart, and Sophie Nélisse.

Season 2 of ‘Heated Rivalry’ is happening! Tierney will be back as the creative force behind the series, handling showrunning, writing, directing, and executive producing. Although we don’t have a specific date yet, the LGBTQ+ hockey romance is expected to return in spring 2027, with filming beginning this summer.

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2026-03-31 21:19