Goodbye Fun Home!

[Oak2]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 10:04am

Surprised I didn't see anyone make a Farewell thread for this one yet, unlike some of the others that have closed recently, so I thought I'd make one. I apologize if there was some other thread I was supposed to bump instead. 

In any case, Fun Home's final performance is today. Farewell to a fantastic show and best of luck to the cast and crew! I was lucky to see this in Circle in the Square before it left, since I went to my first Broadway trip over Labor Day weekend, so I saw the matinee performance of this last Saturday. Such a beautiful, moving show, and I hope it does well on tour, though I fear it will be lacking some of what made the Broadway run special without that intimate theater in the round experience.

Is anyone here going to the final show? If so, please let us know how it was, and if they did any speeches or anything at the end! 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 10:44am

I'm thankfully going thanks to a very kind BWW member. I can't wait and I'll be sure to report back! :)

[Marianne2]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 11:32am

Going to the matinee because I decided too late to get tickets to the final show. Will report if anything interesting happens. Though I imagine it won't be like the evening. 

[hork]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 11:37am

Definitely one of the best things I've ever seen on Broadway. I'm looking forward to seeing the cast in other things, especially Beth Malone, whom I think is an incredible talent and extremely appealing as a performer.

[steven22]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 12:22pm

A brilliant show that I was fortunate enough to see many times! Sad it won't be as easily accessible anymore. 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 12:32pm

Very sad to see this show go. A perfect production with a perfect original cast in the perfect theatre for it. Will never forget seeing Sydney Lucas do Ring of Keys (wasn't quite as impressed with Gabby, but Sydney was a tough act to follow) or Michael Cerveris do Edges of the World. What a nice run it has had, very deserved Tonys and recoupment.

[HBP]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 1:45pm

For me, Fun Home was one of the most memorable theatrical experiences of the last few years. I came out to my dad after I saw it for the first time. It was a long time coming, but I am grateful to the show for that little push. It was a wonderful production with an incredible cast. Sad to see it go but happy it has a life on the road and many more hearts to touch.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 3:46pm

Will someone buy that last available seat already?! The temptation is killing me!

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 3:51pm

Bye to a show I saw 6 (or 7 times??). I will always remember the warmth and power of the show - and of course, the freaking amazing cast - from the leads to the swings. I don't think you can ever top Michael, Beth and Judy in their original roles..but their standbys were also wonderful.

One of my personal favorite memories was watching the amazing Gabriella Pizzolo - first as a performer who first went on unexpectedly with 10 minutes notice to a seasoned performance some 15 months later.

I'll miss this show a lot and it miss the photos and posters outside the theater. It won't look quite right when they are gone...probably for a long while.

All the best to everyone in the cast and to their futures..

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 3:58pm

haterobics said: "Will someone buy that last available seat already?! The temptation is killing me! "

 

Thank you!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 5:14pm

I am so glad I went to see this again.  This is the first time I've seen Emily Skeggs and Judy Kuhn.  I think I liked it better this time around because they are so good. There was nothing wrong with who I did see in February.  But, I don't remember getting as emotional in the scene with Helen and Allison getting towards the end of the show.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 7:38pm

The second time I saw the show, that penultimate sequence leading up to "Telephone Wire" struck me as the heart of the show, and it's no a surprise that Gold uses all of his resources (the whole house finally appears, the stage awash in the rich detail) to make the sequence stand out.  And then comes the heartstopping moment when Bruce asks Allison to go for a ride, and he addresses Malone's otherwise unacknowledged observer instead of the young woman in the scene. It's a breathtaking instant in the text, and only a few seconds on stage.  Yet the entire conceit of the show coalesces around its power.  And the song that follows, of course, takes us to the catharsis.  A brilliant show made up of brilliant pieces.  

Updated On: 9/10/16 at 07:38 PM

[NZBOY2]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 7:41pm

Fun Home which I saw with a ton of understudies is an amazing show. 

I will miss it. Too bad I do not live in NYC because it was so refreshing to see a musical exploring something new .

 

Hopefully in Australia and nz we will get equal marriage. 

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 11:04pm

I'm on my way home from the final performance. What a night. I'll never forget the energy of this evening's show. I knew we were in for something special when the band got a standing ovation led by Jeanine Tesori before the performance even began. 

Lisa Kron and Allison Bechdel gave speeches after the curtain call, and it was incredible to see them soaking in all of the love for this beautiful gift they've given us. If my phone weren't dying, I would elaborate more. But to borrow the words Lisa Kron used to wrap up her speech, "Thank you, Allison."

Updated On: 9/10/16 at 11:04 PM

[VotePeron]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 11:17pm

I was there tonight, too. It's so remarkable the journey that this show has been on. To being an unbelievable feat at the Public, only to be bested by one of the most unique and inventive stagings of a broadway show, ever. Having been able to see the show at the Public, and then multiple times on Broadway, tonight was very emotional and cathartic. 

What made the evening for me, was how much the cast had evolved since I had seen it last November. Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, and Beth Malone have all deeply dug into these characters, and implemented many differences in their performances throughout. It was refreshing and inspiring. Cerveris is much scarier and feared as Bruce up until the moment he collapses in "Edges of the World." 

The Alisons in "Flying Away" was a moment I will never forget. The moment before her final line, Gabby's face just sunk. Her eyes welled and she finally let the notes come out. Beth let out half the line, "Caption..." before taking a deep breath, very emotional, and finishing. It was unbelievable. 

Lots of tears in the curtain call, and a lot of hugs. Major credit to Lisa Kron: "We want the last words said on this stage, for the Broadway production, to be: 'Thank you, Alison." 

 

Hard to be sad when you think of the amazing life this show had - from winning the Tony, to it's political work and messages. It will live on through the tour, and I have zero doubt a healthy regional life. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/10/16 at 11:44pm

Thank you for posting about closing night! (I briefly entertained the thought of a long SRO wait, but I was meeting up with a friend from way out of town and this was the only day I could see her. And I'm seeing the tour in Chicago anyway.)

I last saw the show at the end of August and it was still in such amazing shape and such an affecting experience. It was my fifth time and each time was a different kind of magical.

[@z5]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 12:48am

Lucky to have seen is 4 times on Broadway for only about $100 total! But, definitely would have been nice to be there tonight, must have been an awesome experience.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 10:02am

The curtain call photos that Bway World posted above are just phenomenal. Thanks for letting us feel like we were actually there.

It really is amazing that so many people that were involved with this show at the beginning are still there...because it meant so much to so many.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 10:07am

Link. Love these!
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-FUN-HOME-Closes-on-Broadway-with-Emotional-Final-Curtain-Call-20160911

[Terracentric]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 10:25am

I can't wait to see the show here in San Francisco in Jan. I check almost every day if tickets are on sale. I'm also encouraging family in Manila to see it there in Nov. with Lea Salonga.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 1:16pm

What an incredible performance. Sitting two seats away from Rebecca Luker, a row behind Sydney Lucas, and having Jeanine Tesori at the end of the row felt so special. The whole theatre seemed to levitate the second Beth Malone walked out. 

 

I'll never forget Telephone Wire. Both Beth and Michael were on the emotional edge the entire song. The look on both of their faces is forever seared on my brain. And from that point on, you could see (and hear) the tears rippling through the audience.

 

I must give a huge shout out to Alison Bechdel. She stood outside of the theatre for close to two hours after the show ended and gave her time to anyone who wanted a piece of her (which was pretty much everyone). She signed books, took pictures, listened to stories, gave hugs, etc. What a class act. 

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 1:48pm

LYLS3637 said: "Sitting two seats away from Rebecca Luker, a row behind Sydney Lucas, and having Jeanine Tesori at the end of the row felt so special. The whole theatre seemed to levitate the second Beth Malone walked out."

As one final addition to that ever lingering question of what side of the theater offered the best view, I thought it was interesting to see everyone associated with the production was in the odd numbered 200's. And while that may just have been where the house seats were allocated, Lisa Kron and Alison Bechdel actually stood during the performance and were on that side of the house as well. 

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 2:01pm

Terracentric said: "I can't wait to see the show here in San Francisco in Jan. I check almost every day if tickets are on sale. I'm also encouraging family in Manila to see it there in Nov. with Lea Salonga.

 

"

I keep forgetting about that production. When does it start? I hope we can get a recording of her Days and Days.

[delongpre]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 3:15pm

The show moved me so much the first time I saw it 2 years ago, that I knew I would have to be there to say goodbye last night. There were a lot of changes, perhaps too subtle for the casual viewer, but after seeing the show many time, I could see the progression of how the actors presented their characters. Last night was amazing. And knowing it was the final show, each extra pause or deep breath, was a heart-grabber.

The audience was in love and awe from the moment the lights went down. Abundant applause as each cast member hit the stage sometimes interrupted the emotional flow of the scenes, but I understand how much the crowd wanted to let the cast know how much they loved them.

The speeches afterward were minimal but powerful. I seem to remember that Alison Bechdel said that Lisa Kron's words (Thank you, Alison) sounded a lot like love. (I was crying so I cannot be completely sure.)

The scene outside afterwards was civilized and controlled, with fans lining up outside a U-shaped roped-off area. All cast came out and spent time chatting and smiling and crying with the group. Included were former cast members, Sydney Lucas, Oscar and Rebecca Luker, as well as the understudies. To the side, Alison Bechdel and Jeanine Tesori held court face-to-face with well-wishers. Alison took time to hear what each fan had to say, giving undivided attention to each one, thanking them profusely for their support. From time to time the words of a fan sharing the impact of Fun Home on their life would bring tears to their eyes, and hugs were shared between people whose only connection was the message of this incredible show.

Emotional night.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/11/16 at 6:26pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I keep forgetting about that production. When does it start? I hope we can get a recording of her Days and Days."

Nov. 10 

https://www.ticketworld.com.ph/Online/FunHome