The long-awaited #TCTheater premiere of the 2015 Tony winning best musical
Fun Home is finally happening! I was lucky enough to
see this brilliant and moving musical on Broadway and have loved it ever since, even driving to Duluth for the
Minnesota premiere by an intrepid theater company known as Renegade in 2019. I'm thrilled to finally see a production in the Twin Cities, and no one better to do it than Theater Latte Da. The smartly and succinctly written 90-minute musical is perfectly cast, perfectly staged, and perfectly designed, for an emotionally satisfying and epic journey through one person's story of coming of age, coming out, and coming to terms with her parents' flaws and humanity; a specific story that feels so real and relatable. Apparently I am not alone in this opinion; some performances are already selling out and they've extended it a week. Don't wait - get your tickets now to see this modern musical theater masterpiece (
through April 11 at the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis).
Fun Home the musical is an adaptation of the "graphic memoir" (read: comic book about her life) by Alison Bechdel (yes, of the Bechdel Test). But it's more than just a simple adaptation of Alison's story. The genius of Lisa Kron's Tony-winning book is that it's an adaptation of the process of Alison writing her book, constructed as a memory play. We go on adult Alison's journey with her as she remembers her childhood, now in the context of what she's learned about her family since then, trying to make sense of it all and come to some sort of peace with her family's tragedies, while putting it down in writing. It's an incredibly effective, engaging, and emotional way to tell the story that makes you feel as if you're living it. As the story unfolds, we watch a present-day Alison writing her novel, a memoir of her life. Her memories come alive in front of her as she observes, comments, and sometimes interacts with them. She sees her child self, growing up in a seemingly happy family in the '70s with an actress mother and a teacher/funeral home director father. But something is off that young Alison can't quite grasp, and current Alison struggles to understand as she writes her book. Alison also sees her college age self realizing she's gay and coming out to her parents, only to find out that her father, too, is gay, living in the closet and causing complications and heartaches for his family (and himself) through all of the secrets and lies. This is not a happy-go-lucky kind of musical, but one that has moments of humor and moments of grief, sometimes inseparable, like life.*
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| a wall of memories (photo by Dan Norman) |
The Broadway production was staged in the round, the national tour out of necessity converted the staging to a traditional proscenium setup, with a full house set. Once again, Theater Latte Da has reimagined the staging in, as director Addie Gorlin-Han describes, "a metaphorical warehouse, a big storage room of memories, where her father's antiques are stored which she hasn't encountered in the last twenty years." As the show opens, large tarps cover the walls of the stage, soon to be removed to reveal shelves of incredibly detailed furniture and props, the first level of which are pulled out and used in scenes (a piano, couch, and vintage TV). But the majority of the vintage pieces are not used except to create atmosphere. Adult Alison is always on stage with her easel, sometimes off to the side watching, sometimes taking part in the action. It's really beautifully to watch Alison's memories unfold and to watch her interact with them, sometimes reminding herself that they're just memories, she's not living there anymore. (Scenic design by Eli Sherlock, props design by Madelaine Foster.)
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the Allisons: Monty Hays, Eve Scharback, and Sara Masterson
(photo by Dan Norman) |
The cast is chock full of wonderfully heart-wrenching performances, beginning and ending with the three Alisons. Sara Masterson has been in a few things around town in the last few years, but this is really her breakout role in #TCTheater. Her Alison is so real and raw, the observer who's so emotionally invested in her discoveries, a guide that we happily follow into this tragically beautiful story. Monty Hays burst onto the #TCTheater scene two years ago playing the lead role in the
Chanhassen's regional premiere of The Prom, and brings that same joy and heart to the role of medium (college student) Alison, another role that is perfect for them. Their rendition of "Changing My Major to Joan" is so funny and awkward and heartfelt. Last but not least, little Eve Scharback is so cute as small Alison, forming a sweet and spirited little family with Truman Bednar and Brock Hering as her brothers, and will melt your heart singing her soul out in the signature song "Ring of Keys."
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Alison(s) and her dad (Eve Scharback,
Sara Masterson, and Shad Hanley)
(photo by Dan Norman) |
In addition to the Alisons, the other star of this show is Shad Hanley as Alison's dad Bruce, a challenging role because he is not always likable, with the things that he puts his family through and the way he speaks to his wife and daughter. But in Shad's hands we also see the deep pain in Bruce, unable to live his authentic life because of the expectations of the era he's living in, and the love that he has for Alison, even if he can't fully express it. Also great in supporting roles are Ann Michels as Alison's mom and Bruce's long-suffering wife (with a heart-breaking "Days and Days"), Emma Schuld as Joan, and Berto Borroto in various roles (most of them Bruce's lovers).
Music Director Jason Hansen leads the five-piece band on this Tony-winning score, sitting on stage behind the wall of shelves. The score has some fun '70s sounds, mixed with modern music, and some achingly beautiful recurring themes. This is not a dance heavy shows, but there are some fun dance numbers with the kids (choreographed by Katie Rose McLaughlin), and the movement of the set pieces is so smooth it's almost like a dance. Characters are dressed in fun '70s costumes, with a similarity between the three Alisons to remind us they're the same person, and there's also a visual similarity between Alison and her dad at times too (costume design by Rich Hamson).
I wish we didn't have to wait so long for Theater Latte Da's regional premiere production of Fun Home, but it was worth the wait. Fun Home is a forward-thinking musical that uses storytelling in a new way, featuring memories and drawings and overlapping timelines, told in the just right amount of time, leaving us wanting more. That's just the kind of thing that Latte Da does best, making this production inevitable, and just as beautiful and moving as I knew it would be. And it's so important to tell queer stories right now, with the current threat to LGBTQ+ rights, so maybe this Fun Home arrived at just the right time.
*Plot summary borrowed from my reviews of previous productions.
