Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
Yes, it's a wonderful revelation to find someone who is different like you are, but finding that someone means you have to confront the difference, there's no pretending it doesn't exist.
Exactly. Beautifully put. No lesbian character has EVER done that in a Broadway musical or on a Tony broadcast. Fact: Historic. Groundbreaking.
"I didn't intend a commentary on Jewish v. Gentile literacy.
Just that Jason's precocity is intended entirely differently from Alison's (setting aside the fact that Alison is an actual person).
"
Kad, I knew YOU weren't commenting on comparative literacy, but the fact that the stereotype exists means SOMEBODY has made the comment and it was to him or her I was responding.
And I agree that Allison and Jason are not the same people; I was merely commenting on what we accept as the possible vocabulary of someone their age. If a Jewish kid can carry on about chromosomes, surely Allison-the-shiksa can have read or heard the words "swagger" and "bearing". (My Yiddish spelling is always approximate and phonetic.)
Let's don't fight. I don't think we really disagree on this.
"No lesbian character has EVER done that in a Broadway musical or on a Tony broadcast. Fact: Historic. Groundbreaking."
It really was. I found this article earlier today, and it articulates so well just how major this performance and this show are in terms of representation.
http://www.autostraddle.com/fun-home-made-history-last-night-and-this-is-entirely-about-that-292445/
And interesting to read in the Times today that there was an uptick in sales for FUN HOME on-line right after Lucas's transcendent Tony performance. Art doing its job. Illuminating, enlightening. Sometimes, gasp, even selling seats.
Featured Actor Joined: 6/28/05
"And interesting to read in the Times today that there was an uptick in sales for FUN HOME on-line right after Lucas's transcendent Tony performance. Art doing its job. Illuminating, enlightening. Sometimes, gasp, even selling seats. "
Must have been a stampede of key wearing lesbians rushing to buy tickets...
*head explodes*
Auggie, that's wonderful news.
I love the word "swagger" in the lyric, and how it sits on the music.
The word and its setting are intrinsically part of what makes this a great song.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
That same article said the win could lead to a longer tour and an increase in the number of regionals likely wanting to mount a production once the tour is over. OH NO FANTOD! This show could stand the test of time!!!!
I stood on the stage of the theater where FUN HOME will play when it visits Fantod's hometown! I thought of his critiques and tittered.
This will absolutely have a great regional life. Small cast, simple tech requirements, contemporary feel.
Grey Gardens is produced regularly around the country and it didn't even win the brass ring. I expect Fun Home will be seen all over, for a long while.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
...Lucas's transcendent Tony performance...
This is assuming 6+ million people thought the same of Lucas' performance, which is unlikely since art and the performance of that art is incredibly subjective. "Transcendent" is quite a hyperbolic way to describe the performance, no?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
I was just on iTunes and was shocked to see that Fun Home is currently the 4th best selling album. Not in the "soundtracks" category, in music. Right behind Taylor Swift and Pitch Perfect. Clearly, some heads were turned.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
Interesting, Namo. I'd appreciate you either expanding on that thought so I can properly respond or shut the f*ck up and go get a job. xoxoxoxoxo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
Actually, there is no opinion offered in that post; only a request followed shortly thereafter by a recommendation (or command, depending on your POV).
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
This is absolutely my favorite musical theater song of the year, and reading the different interpretations and analyses of it is only making me appreciate it more. A marvelous, layered song.
I was initially worried when they announced that they were performing it at the Tonys, as it is a song that could be (and has been) grossly misinterpreted as depicting a child full of sexual lust. So hearing that not only the show's Tony wins but the performance of this song itself is directly responsible for an increase in ticket sales has me overjoyed. For what it's worth, my friends who aren't obsessed with theatre and watched the Tonys were more impressed by this performance than any other and were immediately interested in the show. In my admittedly-limited world view, this speaks volumes about the song's (and the show's) universality.
FUN HOME is currently #13 on the iTunes music chart. Amazing. The little show that could. Musicals hardly get the chance to sit in the top 20/10, even for a couple of days (unless they're WICKED-level). I'm so proud. I was worried about "Ring of Keys" being performed at the Tonys as well and being misconstrued. Sydney does a splendid job with this song - even her facial expression say so, so much. As shown in this thread, the song can be understood in a various ways, but I think all of the translations lead to one ultimate conclusion: the song is about identity and realizing that you are not alone in this world.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
Well, perhaps we've all been overly sensitized by a perverted ancient queen who was appalled, APPALLED I SAY, by that song when he allegedly saw the show. Healthy people see the song for what it is.
I'm more interested in the people who were so moved by the performance they bought tickets to the show when a few people hear found it "dull" and "boring" and the show "didn't grab them."
I'm wondering if they were multi-tasking during the performance.
Also, kudos to the Greys for their introduction. That was all kinds of great.
Wow! Can't believe the CR is doing so well!
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