HBO Max Debuting Animated Family Rock Opera Celebrating Individuality

With Pride Month and its celebration of self-expression and acceptance well underway, HBO Max is gearing up to release a brand new animated family musical that embraces those themes.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience is based on the bestselling children’s book from Mo Willems. The story follows a “sensitive, curious, and rockin” naked mole rat named Wilbur who bucks tradition when he decides to experiment with fashion and wear clothes rather than stay naked like his fellow mole rats.

The picture book was originally released in 2009, and went on to become a live theatrical experience with Willems penning the script and lyrics and Deborah Wicks La Puma crafting the show’s music.

Both reprised their behind-the-scenes roles for the HBO Max production, with children’s animator Mr. Warburton also collaborating on the script. The new special features Jordan Fisher as the voice actor for Wilbur, and also boasts performances by Yvette Nicole Brown, Kate Micucci, Kevin Michael Richardson, Carol Kane, Ron Funches, Thomas Lennon, and Jenna Ushkowitz.

Although Wilbur’s story isn’t one that’s explicitly queer, the overarching theme of learning to embrace those who are a little different from societal expectations couldn’t be more relevant to the LGBTQ+ experience.

“Can clothes make the mole?” he sings in the sneak peek below. “Why not find out?”

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience premiere on HBO Max June 30, and will also air on Cartoon Network at a later date.