FUN HOME Reviews- Page 12

[Kad]

Posted: 5/4/15 at 10:32am

You agree completely with the assertion that "Ring of Keys" is somehow vulgar?

[tazber]

Posted: 5/4/15 at 10:35am

Oh FFS, now we have 2 A8s?

 

 

Updated On: 5/4/15 at 10:35 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/4/15 at 3:08pm

Sorry, not interested in being the object a "thought experiment."

I believe an "of" is de rigueur in a sentence like this.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 10:37am

I saw this show last night, having not seen the off-Broadway production or listened to that cast recording. I like to go in with a blank slate whenever possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this production - beautiful music and acting, and a storyline that touches even if you can't personally relate to the exact circumstances. Michael Cerveris was just wonderful. I think he truly captured the essence of a man at war with himself and the toll that takes on those around him. I would not be surprised to see him win the Tony. Beth Malone did a marvelous job as well and her one-liners, both funny and gut-wrenching were perfectly delivered.

The children are just great, led of course by Sydney Lucas who does a remarkable job in such a complex role. There was a technical malfunction last night during Raincoat of Love. She had started the song already when the trio coming up got stuck on the lift, about halfway up. They stopped the show and it took a couple of minutes to get everything fixed. Everyone including the actors just laughed it off and it was a pretty funny moment in limbo. When it was, they told her they'd start from the top on her lead and she just took it perfectly in stride and nailed it. Impressive.

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, be aware they take that "no late seating" very seriously, which I appreciated. Last night's show was sold out and I could see about 6 people standing leaning on the railings because they didn't get in on time. And ladies the preshow bathroom line is very long - don't expect to go down there at 5 of and make it back in time.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 12:11pm

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/34yhc8/michael_cerveris_answering_questions_from_any/

 

Slightly off topic, but Michael Cerveris did a reddit where he talks a lot about Fun Home and his character for those interested.  

[MorningGlow2]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 12:46pm

"Beware they take that "no late seating" very seriously, which I appreciated. Last night's show was sold out and I could see about 6 people standing leaning on the railings because they didn't get in on time."

Could be, but most likely Standing Room ticket holders. SRO becomes available once the SOLD OUT sign goes up for $30/ticket - all taxes and fees included :)

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 12:51pm

""Beware they take that "no late seating" very seriously, which I appreciated. Last night's show was sold out and I could see about 6 people standing leaning on the railings because they didn't get in on time."
Could be, but most likely Standing Room ticket holders. SRO becomes available once the SOLD OUT sign goes up for $30/ticket - all taxes and fees included :)"

Oh perhaps ... but I did also see a few empty seats that I assumed belong to the standers. Probably both. One woman seated right in my line of vision actually did leave her seat during the show (forbidden!) and was standing later, but lucked out when they had the technical difficulties and was able to sneak back to her seat.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 5:17pm

But they DO mean it.  Also, if you leave your seat during the show, they don't let you return to it.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 6:23pm

"You agree completely with the assertion that "Ring of Keys" is somehow vulgar?"

 

"Ring of Keys" is a song from Fun Home Broadway Musical performed by Sydney Lucas (Small Alison) and Beth Malone (Alison).

ALISON:
[Spoken]
You didn't notice her at first but I saw her the moment she walked in
She was a delivery woman
She cam in with a hand cart full of packages,
She was an old school butch.

SMALL ALISON:
Someone just came in the door.
Like no one I ever saw before.
I feel...
I feel...

I don't know where you came from.
I wish I did
I feel so dumb.
I feel...

Your swagger and your bearing
and the just right clothes you're wearing
Your short hair and your dungarees
And your lace up boots.

And your keys oh
Your ring of keys.

I thought it was s'pposed to be wrong
But guess I'm okay with being strong
I want...to...
You're so...

It's probably conceited to say,
But I think we're alike in a certain way
I...um...

Your swagger and your bearing
and the just right clothes you're wearing
Your short hair and your dungarees
And your lace up boots.

And your keys oh
Your ring of keys.

Do you feel my heart saying hi?
In this whole luncheonette
Why am I the only one who see you're beautiful?

[Spoken]
No, I mean

[Sung]
Handsome!

Your swagger and your bearing
and the just right clothes you're wearing
Your short hair and your dungarees
And your lace up boots.

And your keys oh
Your ring of keys.

I know you
I know you
I know you

 

Hard for me to understand how anyone could consider the above to be even moderately suggestive, let alone vulgar.

 

 

 

Updated On: 5/7/15 at 06:23 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 6:42am

I had no idea John Simon was still alive, and still doing reviews (for some tiny weekly, no less.)  But he is VERY upset that Fun Home is up for so many awards.  His main grief seems to be that the characters use improper grammar (you know, things that many people say like "Should of" instead of "Should have") and that he doesn't understand the lyrics.  He has a big crush on Ceveris, however.  http://www.westchesterguardian.com/OPED%202.html  It's nice to see this show bring these people back out into the public--when is Rex Reed's?  (Oh wait, I think we already got that multiple times on here...)

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 7:58am

Oh, good lord.  His own writing carries with it a good number of grammatical mistakes.

 

Perhaps we really know who A8 is!

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 8:44am

Yeah, that review really drives me crazy. I find it super annoying that Simon would label someone as "subliterate" or "illiterate" (which is it?) for having a very slightly different grammar from his own.

Plus, he doesn't seem to understand that these are real people, and real people - me, John Simon, and everyone else - veer from perfect Standard English from time to time in everyday speech. If Simon has this kind of reaction to Allison saying "it's not that big of a deal" ("a major piece of illiteracy"!), then Eliza Doolittle must just about give him a heart attack.

[jv92]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 8:55am

John Simon went from NY Magazine to Bloomberg News to a local penny saver in the span of ten years. And there's no one more deserving of such a downfall, except maybe Michael Riedel in a few years. This is the man who said Liza Minnelli had "the face of a beagle" (among other nasty things about the physical attributes of female performers), and that he hoped all gay playwrights died of AIDS. 

Maybe Mr. Simon (in the guise of After Death) is looking for a new platform on BWW. I doubt it however, because even John Simon admitted that he was wrong about Sondheim after bludgeoning him in his reviews all those years. 

At least, even in his senility, he's still highly entertaining to read. For all the wrong reasons. 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 9:30am

I think John Simon is a more likely candidate for the true identity of After Eight than Rex Reed.

[newintown]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 9:49am

Y'all should stop saying that name; like Lord Voldemort's, it carries the risk of empowering the foul creature.

Regarding his unique and tenuous grasp of the English tongue - like similar vampires or Zoltan Karpathys who learn English as a second or third language, he thinks he knows it better than the natives, but is utterly oblivious to the living nature of the thing, treating it as one would treat Latin or ancient Greek - dead and carved in marble.

One's reaction to his aesthetic evaluations can only be subjective; personally, I find him fit for nothing better than a free supermarket handout.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 4:46pm

Has anyone gotten tickets for this through TodayTix? I saw it last week but am going down for a day with a friend DC and he got tickets through there. Just wondering what people got... Hoping it's somewhere in the 200s, as I sat in the 100s last time and would like a different view of the show.

[ebontoyan]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 5:36pm

Listening to my Fun Home MP3. Whatever I think of this show 'Days and Days' by Judy Kuhn is a beautiful song and she sings it very well

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 5:49pm

"John Simon went from NY Magazine to Bloomberg News to a local penny saver in the span of ten years. And there's no one more deserving of such a downfall, except maybe Michael Riedel in a few years. This is the man who said Liza Minnelli had "the face of a beagle" (among other nasty things about the physical attributes of female performers), and that he hoped all gay playwrights died of AIDS. 
Maybe Mr. Simon (in the guise of After Death) is looking for a new platform on BWW. I doubt it however, because even John Simon admitted that he was wrong about Sondheim after bludgeoning him in his reviews all those years. 
At least, even in his senility, he's still highly entertaining to read. For all the wrong reasons. 
 "

 Yes, he was notorious for commenting on people's looks (I have no doubt he was model handsome.)  Ebert has a nice put down on his "talents" in his memoirs (when discussing other critics.)  I still find this kinda amazing that he's being published ANYWHERE (and I had no idea he actually came around about Sondheim--when was that?  Otherwise I agree he may be a better fit for A

Posted: 5/11/15 at 12:01am

Broadway's FUN HOME has High-Tech Backing

Co-producer Scott Forstall is a former Apple executive and a longtime theater lover

By Stefanie Cohen, Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2015 9:12 p.m. ET

He has reviewed digital-marketing strategies with the team at SpotCo, the show's advertising agency, said Steven Tartick, who oversees that aspect of the campaign. The first mission: ensuring that every online search for the show leads to the right website. A lot of people remember the show by the more common expression, "fun house," he said, so he linked websites together to make sure that didn’t matter.

He also unified the "Fun Home" hashtag across social-media platforms. Then he created a Snapchat "geofence" so that anyone taking a photo on that platform within the Broadway theater district can create a composite photo that has the show's logo on it.

In addition, he is getting the cast-recording playlist onto Spotify and is using his Silicon Valley connections to create partnerships with Yelp and Uber to increase visibility of the show. Those aspects of the marketing campaign will roll out shortly, said Mr. Tartick.

Updated On: 5/11/15 at 12:01 AM

[stargazer2]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 2:54am

^ Just googled "fun house" and got nothing on "Fun Home".  

 

Updated On: 5/11/15 at 02:54 AM

[indytallguy]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 6:14am

"^ Just googled "fun house" and got nothing on "Fun Home".  
 "

 Fun House Musical though will get you all things Fun Home.

[South Florida]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 10:38am

Tonight is my turn, wife, stepdaughter, and I are very excited.

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 11:43am

Enjoy the show! It's really amazing. I'm going back in late May.

[rjm516]

Posted: 5/18/15 at 12:13am

Finally saw this today. Alison Bechdel and her brother and her aunt (Bruce's sister) were there. It felt quite special to watch their story with them. 

 

This show...wow. I thought I was so overexposed to the extreme hype and I really wanted it to be unbelievably perfect and amazing and I knew going in that I put way way way too much pressure on it - and yet I was still impressed. It was absolutely the best of this year if not many years. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/18/15 at 12:26am

I could probably see this 10 more times and still be impressed each time.