Fun Home Previews — Page 13

Sam Gold's work is particularly impressive given he restaged the show in the round for Broadway.

Yeah, I'm the world's biggest Kander and Ebb fan, but I think FUN HOME will win
Best Score, and maybe...should? But it's apple and oranges. Both shows are so different and good.

That's a stunning stage picture. I need to plan a trip to this ASAP.

Caught this last week and was totally in love with it. As some others have said, there really isn't a bad seat, but I was in the 400s behind the band and it offered a completely unobstructed view with some really stunning stage pictures. I would recommend sitting there. However, I made the mistake of drinking two happy hour beers beforehand and desperately had to pee right before "Days and Days" and the only way out of that section requires that you walk on stage, so I ended up having to sit in the opposite section of the theater for the last 20 minutes.

I saw this while it was at the Public last year and thought it was fine, but I blame that on merely okay staging and being zombie-level exhausted. Since then, I've fallen in love with both the graphic novel and the cast recording so I was very much looking forward to a repeat visit. I'm happy to report that any issues I had with staging have been completely eradicated. Sam Gold's in-the-round staging is a masterpiece of direction and his work with the actors has only deepened (though I will regret missing Judy Kuhn's "Days and Days" forever as it's my favorite song in the score). Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, and Sydney Lucas are giving exceptional performances. "Edges of the World" and "Ring of Keys" are just a joy to experience live, for totally different reasons. I'm also happy that Big Alison is more integrated into the staging, making you hyper-aware of the "memory play" framing device without diminishing her as a character. She felt totally forgettable at the Public, in my opinion. My only qualm is that "Al for Short" has been cut. The book scene that precedes where it was does a fine job of establishing Alison's dislike for girl clothes, but the song had so much fun with her burgeoning masculinity. Ah, well. It lives on in recording, at least!

Anyway, this gets my vote for Best Musical by a longshot. A totally lovely, heartbreaking, illuminating evening of theatre. Bravo and thank you to Jeanine Tesori, Lisa Kron, Sam Gold, and - most importantly - Alison Bechdel for creating such a vital piece of American theatre.

This visual will help with all of your seating questions.

"So, is anyone going to the first preview of this Friday?

I'm particularly excited about seeing this. It will be the first show I see on my Spring theater trip on April 28th.

Looking forward to the reports!"

saw it may it get the big T

Yeah that's a deceiving photo. It really makes The stage look so much smaller than it actually is.

Quick question - in "Days and Days" when Helen tells Allison "don't you come back here..." is she telling her daughter to never return home?

Jordan - While that is what Helen is saying, I don't take it as a threat or a disownment of her daughter. It feels more like a wishful command. For me, the next line comes into play as well: "I didn't raise you / to give away your days like me."

In my reading, Helen is telling Alison that she needs to go find her own life rather than become another thing her father can control - how Helen feels her life has gone.

Updated On: 4/7/15 at 08:40 PM

I usually don't post after the work day ends, but this show has unsettled me in a way it didn't downtown. I've been listening to the recording on every commute...to the point I forced myself to listen to City of Angels on the way home tonight just so I don't burn out too quickly.

The particular moment Jordan asked about is one of the best marriages of lyrics and music I've ever encountered:

Don't you come back here.
I didn't raise you...
(rest)
To give away your days...
Like me.

You at first think she's telling her lesbian daughter not to come home anymore because of, well, her lesbianism. The rest into that final line makes the audience lean in closer to hear if that what really is about to happen. And then...no. She's warning her not to become wrapped up in Bruce's vampirish existence, which, in a way, Alison still does. It's also fascinating discovering that Alison has been admonishing herself for not being there and paying attention, never realizing that her mother was the one to tell her not to become involved. It's why this musical play really exists in the same sphere as Long Day's Journey, Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie. Like those other plays, it uses a deeply troubled family to explore issues greater than just what is happening in that family.

Updated On: 4/7/15 at 09:35 PM

"So, is anyone going to the first preview of this Friday?

I'm particularly excited about seeing this. It will be the first show I see on my Spring theater trip on April 28th.

Looking forward to the reports!"

I just wonder if this is too small of a show to win the tony. I just cannot see producers putting such a small show in the 2000 seat theatres.

"Meh--they did with Once..."

yes but that was because everything else was crap.

Something Rotten will be giving it a run for its money.