About "This Blows"
In 2024, Rumble Productions set out with a simple intention: to give back to our community in a meaningful way. We partnered with the nonprofit Queer Keys and offered to create an original musical to support their fundraising efforts. All we asked for was a single sentence to serve as our creative anchor. With our cast already assembled—and no storyline yet in place—we wanted the heart of the project to be shaped by the community itself.
Queer Keys gave us the prompt: “Stand your ground in who you are.”
From that one line, the entire show was born.
What emerged is a story about inclusiveness, self-worth, and the courage to step out of your own way. It’s also a story about community—about how we are all, in many ways, navigating the same waters together, facing challenges bigger than any one of us.
This production was written for the locals, by the locals, and stars local talent. Each year, the cast will rotate intentionally, creating an ongoing love letter from Rumble Productions to Key West and the hard-working people who keep this island vibrant—especially those who spend their days making visitors feel welcome.
A defining joy of this project is the enthusiastic participation of local businesses and neighbors, many of whom we write directly into the show. Equally meaningful is our commitment to inviting new performers to take the stage—often for the very first time. Actors, singers, comedians, sponsors, and friends of the company regularly step out of their comfort zones to try something new, bringing an energy that is both heartfelt and wildly fun.