Jenn Colella and Caitlin Kinnunen to Star in Site-Specific Reading of FUN HOME

[bekk99]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 4:01pm

This casting is so correct. Might have to adjust my holiday travel out of the city!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Jenn-Colella-and-Caitlin-Kinnunen-to-Star-in-Site-Specific-Reading-of-FUN-HOME-20191008

[LarryD2]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 4:19pm

Great casting, but this is something that really annoys me:

This is not a "site-specific" production. A site-specific production would take place in the Bechdel family home. I find it annoying how marketers have started calling anything that is produced outside of a traditional theater space site-specific. Okay, rant over.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 4:39pm

Hard agree that calling this site specific is just...odd. Assuming they are using the chapel seating for audience members and the actors will stand in front of them reading. 

Nevertheless this casting is absolutely wonderful. I've wanted to see Colella take on Allison since I first saw Fun Home. And Kinnunen will be wonderful during Changing my Major.

[binau]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 4:45pm

I was expecting this to take place in a real life funeral home. Disappointed.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 5:02pm

qolbinau said: "I was expecting this to take place in a real life funeral home. Disappointed. "

It is.. 

[Dublin2]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 5:09pm

Yes, it's a funeral home, and very beautiful inside. 

[binau]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 5:23pm

Lol. Ok personally that would suffice for me.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 6:17pm

What a fantastic idea!

[Valentina3]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 10:10pm

Hope there's a highway where they can sing the last couple of songs. I find stuff like this so hokey.

Agree that casting is excellent. I genuinely wish this show was still open or just more accessible. We get local productions here and there, but I wish I could see it any time I wanted.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 10/9/19 at 12:42am

Perfect casting. Excited about this.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/19/19 at 2:19pm

Tonight's the night. Anyone going?

I find it amusing that they basically forced a PROM reunion by casting Izzy McCalla as Joan.

[steven22]

Posted: 12/19/19 at 9:47pm

Tonight was beautiful. The cast was gorgeous and sounded amazing! I miss this show in NY...

[ParkandBark]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 1:55am

Was there tonight. It was amazing. Jenn Colella was such a good Alison and Caitlin Kinnunen and the young Alison did amazing. I thought Kate Baldwin was fantastic and heartbreaking. I would kill to have this cast record some of the songs - especially Changing My Major, Days and Days, and Telephone Wire. 

Side note: Audra McDonald was there and she was loving it (I sat right behind her!) 

[Calcifer2]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 10:41am

ParkandBark said: "Side note: Audra McDonald was there and she was loving it (I sat right behind her!)"

I was one row behind you then. Great evening! 

[brendcat]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 11:37am

Thanks for the reports...curious since it was a reading, was there any action or did everyone stay at their music stands?  Did the site make it more solemn or was the audience more involved?  Anything else standout to you...would love to hear more...

[phan24]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 1:32pm

brendcat said: "Thanks for the reports...curious since it was a reading, was there any action or did everyone stay at their music stands? Did the site make itmore solemn or was the audience more involved? Anything else standout to you...would love to hear more..."

It was a regular reading but the talent was exceptional, and they had a full band which was a treat!

 

There was movement in the form of shuffling around seats after each scene and reading their parts together while facing each other. Some other random examples: Jelani as Roy fully unbuttoned his shirt during his scene with Bruce, Izzy and Caitlin fully made out before Changing my Major, Jenn Colella stayed in a podium in the back center during the whole show until before Telephone Wire when she came down for the scene and song with Bruce. The minor staging was effective specially during the final scenes where little by little all the cast members left the room after they were done with their songs (before the finale) and it was just Will and Jenn on stage, then Will left and Jenn remained alone for her line “I’m the only one here”.

 

I honestly forgot we were in a funeral home throughout the show as it was not used in any way specifically, I thought we’d see a coffin or something grim, but it was just a performance space with this reading. Potato quality photo below.

https://imgur.com/a/uoOqlgd