Troy Iwata is cast as Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
The Musical Parody storyline follows Shane's "journey from power centre to power bottom"
By Aaron Sugg
Troy Iwata has been announced to star as Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody, starting 31 August 2026.
Iwata, known for his role in the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Dash & Lily, will take over from Aaron Alcaraz, who began his stint on 13 August.
His Off-Broadway run will take place at The Culture Club in New York City, opposite Jay Armstrong Johnson as Ilya Rozanov.
What is Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody about?
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is a campy take on Jacob Tierney’s hit gay hockey series Heated Rivalry, based on author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series. The storyline follows Shane’s “journey from power centre to power bottom”.
Written by Dylan MarcAurele and directed by Alan Kliffer, the 75-minute show follows a series of sold-out performances which began on 12 May.
First-look images show Iwata in character, including a shirtless promotional photo of him holding a hockey stick and another showing him in the arms of his co-star, Johnson.
Filming begins for Heated Rivalry season 2
The casting announcement comes shortly after production began on series 2 of Heated Rivalry in Toronto, ahead of a spring 2027 release.
Lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their roles as Shane and Ilya, picking up roughly 10 years into their relationship, based on Reid’s The Long Game.
Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have been announced to join the cast of season 2 as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, 2 characters from Reid’s Role Model book.
The new cast of Heated Rivalry season 2
Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka have also been announced to join the cast of Heated Rivalry season 2.
Hampshire will play Vanessa, Ryding will play Luca Haas, Naylor will star as Wyatt Hayes, Jalees will play Farah Jalali and Priyanka will take on the role of Tarek.
François Arnaud and Robbie G.K. are also tipped to return after fans and athletes alike praised their on-screen storytelling through their characters Scott and Kip.
Heated Rivalry season 2 is scheduled for release in April 2027 via Sky in the UK.