FUN HOME- previews- Page 6

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 11:21pm

macnyc- "Al For Short" (which is what I believe it's called) is the other song by Small Alison.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/13/13 at 11:57pm

Does anyone know if Fun Home will extend or they will move to a larger venue at some point? There is only crappy seats left and I can't really enjoy it from waaay in the back!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 12:57am

The Newman is small enough that you would be fine in the back row. No transfer or extension has been announced yet, but I certainly hope for both...

[broadwayman17]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 1:56am

Even though I'm still irrationally hoping that it swings into the Booth after Menagerie closes and has a healthy awards propelled run like N2N (including one for Tesori), I hope this score does end up being preserved in an OCR to at least help it's chances of having a strong regional life.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 2:17am

I absolutely loved the show, but I think it would be ruined by putting it in a larger house. It feels so intimate that even the Booth seems like it would swallow it up. I do hope they get a recording though, the score was wonderful and I'd love to hear it again.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 8:02am

I'm guessing that once the reviews come out, an extension could be announced. I think it could viably move to a commercial off-Broadway run. It seems to have found an audience and I wonder if the possibility is being explored. I truly wish it could move to Broadway but it's such a small production it would likely meet the same fate as "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson". However, with some recent off-Broadway commercial runs, I wonder if they might go that avenue.

Somethingwicked-you made my day (slash-weekend) by saying it was getting a recording. I love that score.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 9:30am

^

That seems viable. It looks like we have a Pulitzer finalist here- maybe even a winner --- that is, if it doesn't go to Mr. Burns.

And don't count out Broadway, either, with the lure of Tony Awards, a second set of rave reviews, hype galore. It worked for Once; why not for this?

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 10:09am

Ahhrealmonsters, thanks for the info about "All for Short"! Do you happen to remember anything more about Bruce's final number?

Also, when I saw the show again yesterday, right after his last song Bruce was pictured to be in the oncoming path of the truck, with headlights shining on him, then darkness. I don't remember that from the first time I saw it. Could that have been changed/added?

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 10:17am

The last note of his song is an extended low-strings-and-horns discord that sounds like a truck's horn, so the image of the headlights may have been a later addition to strengthen what the music is already doing.

His final line is something like "My God- why am I standing here?" This evocative line can be interpreted on either side of the suicide versus accident debate.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 3:02pm

It was like that at least as of the fifth preview.

Mac, do you remember if Bruce said "Is that what you want to look like?" at the end of Ring Of Keys yesterday? I'm just so badly hoping that the cut was a fluke, or an experiment.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 3:05pm

He definitely did not say that line, and I listened closely for it!

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 4:44pm

I think this show COULD work in The Booth. Having said that, NEXT TO NORMAL had the whole "Perfectly F*cked Up American Family"/Angry Teen thing going for it, plus mental illness has become more "acceptable" to talk about and be open about in our society as of late. FUN HOME might have a messed up family, and a little mental illness thrown in, but I don't know how Broadway audiences would take a gay protagonist who doesn't dress up in drag and act campy for two hours, and butch lesbians thrown in, too. (There's a reason why LA CAGE is sort of so popular with blue-haireds, and it ain't because of the Gene Barry role.)

I think if it were to transfer it would go down the route of GREY GARDENS (or CAROLINE, OR CHANGE) and not make one thin dime, win some awards, and have a nice regional life. Artistically, that's wonderful. Financially, I don't know if any "Broadway producers" will want to take it on. It could skip the Broadway sturm and drang and get a recording, a published script from TCG or some other company, and have a wonderful other life.

I'm sorry to be so down on Broadway, but I think it's realism, not antipathy.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 5:07pm

I love this show so much, but I agree with jv92 in that I just don't see this show as belonging on Broadway. After Eight had mentioned maybe a commercial off-Broadway run would be suitable. What would that be exactly? How would that generate more income than its current location, at the Public?

[broadwayman17]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 6:11pm

The thought behind an Off-Broadway transfer comes from the fact that the Public cannot extend it past a certain point no matter how successful it might be, because the Newman will have to be used for their other upcoming shows, so a transfer Off-Broadway allows for the show to continue running longer/have an open ended run somewhere else. That said I don't know if the Public has any interest in a "lateral transfer" especially since the bigger recent productions at the Public have all been treated with a mentality of Broadway or nothing (BBAJ, Hair, and Merchant v. Giant, Into the Woods). Still, whether or not it has a New York life outside of the Public, I'm hopeful this is the sort of the show that'll live on in one form or another cause the quality of the material certainly deserves it.

Updated On: 10/14/13 at 06:11 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:02pm

After Eight wasn't mentioning anything, macnyc. He was being the usual despicable piece of sh*t that he always is.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:22pm

jv-After Eight has been pretty respectable in this thread-suggesting that this little musical with its big heart might actually have a shot at the Pulitzer. (I really would love to see it win. It's important and groundbreaking in its subject matter.)

I actually must say thank you to After Eight for being so receptive to MY suggestion that perhaps this really could have another life in NY.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:28pm

Oh yes...THIS is quite "respectable":

"The elitists will be pulling out all the stops for this one. Critical raves, for sure.

The rest of the poor audience, however, will be in agony."

AND THIS, darling, is not sarcastic, is it?:

"That seems viable. It looks like we have a Pulitzer finalist here- maybe even a winner --- that is, if it doesn't go to Mr. Burns.

And don't count out Broadway, either, with the lure of Tony Awards, a second set of rave reviews, hype galore. It worked for Once; why not for this?"

After Death didn't like FUN HOME because it didn't involve a middle-aged woman living a delusional life HAPPILY and DISHONESTLY while singing Jerry Herman tunes.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:34pm

I wish someone like MTC would pick it up and produce it on Broadway. MTC already has the turn table built into their stage, etc. It would be a perfect fit and the theater is a good size for it. It would bring some "hip" factor to MTC as well with Sam Gold and Lisa Kron and whatnot. That's the route they need to take. It won't survive as a commercial production. I don't see them picking up any Tony awards for acting only because I don't think any of the performances are "big enough" for that. It's such a subtle, brilliant show.

I loved after the Father's big son when the lights blared and then flashed really quickly like he was dead. It was such a tragic moment.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:40pm

Would MTC pick up a Public production? Has that happened-- two non-for-profits putting on a show together (on Broadway)?

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:42pm

I guess it could go into the Friedman, right? I'll e-mail someone right now and make it happen!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:45pm

I don't see why not?

Roundabout produced a show that was originally at St. Ann's Warehouse? So I guess it's been done before, yeah?

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:45pm

@jv-This was the respectable post to which I was referring:

^

"That seems viable. It looks like we have a Pulitzer finalist here- maybe even a winner --- that is, if it doesn't go to Mr. Burns.

And don't count out Broadway, either, with the lure of Tony Awards, a second set of rave reviews, hype galore. It worked for Once; why not for this? "

(And he may not like it, (and it's my favorite musical right now) but he can respectfully agree that it has potential.)

Also, Ripped Man-I think they could get award nods for the little girl playing Small Alison or Alexandra Socha as Middle Alison. I think the score would have a great shot at a nod (and maybe a win).

As for non-profits teaming up, I'm sure it's been done.

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:45pm

LOL, if FUN HOME were to transfer this year, it would be a really great Best Score category at the Tonys:

Ahrens and Flahery, Jason Robert Brown, Tesori and Lisa Kron... When was the last time writers of that caliber were all nominated together: 1984? (Or maybe 1997 with Coleman, K&E and Yeston all up for the award.)

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:47pm

NEW THOUGHT, NEW POST:

Dreaming, he wasn't being respectful, though. He DOES NOT think it has potential. He doesn't like MR. BURNS, or ONCE, or FUN HOME, or anything produced after 1969 that isn't LA CAGE AUX FOLLES.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:53pm

Oh, I think it would be nominated and win for score hands down. I just meant for any of the big acting awards. I'm sure they'd all be nominated, but it's such a small show. I mean, Pinkins lost out to the green chick from Wicked. Tonys aren't always about quality.