30 years after final episode of ‘Golden Girls,’ stage show imagines what Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia have been up to since

“Thank you for being a friend / Traveled down a road and back again / Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant.”

For seven seasons, these lyrics, written and originally recorded by Andrew Gold and covered by Cynthia Fee, marked the beginning of “The Golden Girls,” the much-beloved show following the lives of three widows and a divorcée in Miami.

Each week, Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Rose Nylund (Betty White), Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) invited audiences to take a seat at the kitchen table and listen in on the latest drama.

Spin-offs like “The Golden Palace,” “Empty Nest” and “Nurses” kept elements of the original show, but things just weren’t the same without the original quartet. But more than 30 years after the final episode of “The Golden Girls” aired, the girls are back in “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue.”

The stage show imagines what the quartet has been up to since “The Golden Girls” ended in 1992. And, according to writer Robert Leleux, the girls have been busy.

“Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” finds Sophia (Christopher Kamm) out on bail, having been busted by the DEA for organizing a drug ring for retirees. Blanche (Vince Kelley) and Rose (Adam Graber), meanwhile, have created a dating app for seniors called CreakN. Then there’s Dorothy (Ryan Bernier), who is trying to hold things together with the help of her much younger lover.

Eric Swanson directed the show, which also features Tommy Favorite as Stanley and Burt. “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” takes over the First Interstate Center for the Arts on Sunday.

Kelley grew up watching “The Golden Girls” with his nana, calling it “the Old Lady Show.” He was too young to catch every joke, but he didn’t mind. It was more about the experience of spending time with his nana and seeing her enjoy the show.

This early experience with “The Golden Girls” sprung to mind while Kelley was working with the producers of “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” on another project pre-pandemic. Once theaters reopened, the team decided to focus on a new show rather than return to the previous production they were working on.

After a bit of brainstorming about pop culture entities with mass appeal, the team realized a “Golden Girls” tribute could work. They reviewed existing scripts but weren’t completely sold on any of them, so they decided to commission their own.

The production team then tasked Kelley with finding a few actors who could perform the show for one weekend as a proof of concept. The plan was to use that proof of concept performance to retool the show before casting the full-time performers.

Like the original quartet though, the chemistry between the four performers was undeniable.

“The proof of concept worked so well that the temporary actors became the real actors,” Kelley said. “We’ve all been on this journey together for two years, and it’s just so much fun.”

Kelley understands a quick look at the “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” poster, which features the four male-presenting actors in full costume, might lead audiences to think the show makes fun of the show and characters, but Kelley said that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The team spent a lot of time researching the original show to make everything about the stage show, from the script to the costumes (which Kelley handles) to the comedic formula, feel authentic. It all comes from a place of immense love for the show, Kelley said.

“We’re incredibly serious about how ridiculous we are …” he said. “We approach it from a very serious, incredibly respectful, loving place. Only because that works, we can then get absolutely dumb, ridiculous and have super fun with it, because the fans wouldn’t accept it really any other way.”

When creating the show, the team had to find a balance between entertaining audience members who have seen every episode and more casual fans who might not understand every inside joke referenced.

The decision to produce an original script set in 2024, rather than recreate an actual episode live, helped, as it gave new and seasoned fans a chance to imagine the live show as a lost episode or continuation of the series.

The classic “Golden Girls” formula is there, Kelley said, but with a few twists. The cast has freedom to improvise during shows, for example, and they often try to work in jokes specific to the city in which they’re performing.

“Our script is a living, breathing document,” he said. “It makes it so special, because you can go see a show, and it’s the same in every city … but if you come and see our show, it’s super fun. We all get in on it.”

Like “The Golden Girls,” the live show has become a place where multiple generations can enjoy the goings-on of Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia. During post-show meet and greets, Kelley said they often hear from parents who have brought their children to the live show because they watch “The Golden Girls” together or from people who used to watch the show with a parent or relative who has passed away.

The continued appeal of the show is no surprise to Kelley, who credits the authentic chemistry between the four women and the comedic writing.

“When something’s done right, it’s going to be able to hold up,” he said. “Because ‘Golden Girls’ was done right, I get to have a job 35 years later.”

As “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue” brings the quartet to even more generations, Kelley can envision a more relaxing future for Blanche, one in which the boy-crazy Southern belle focuses on herself and spends more time with her children and grandchildren.

“ ‘It’s not all about the next man. Take some self time, Blanche, take some self care. Light a candle, draw a bath, enjoy it,’ ” he said. “I think we all need that right now. That could be something for all of us to enjoy, some time for ourselves.”