10 Reasons why "Fun Home" will take home the Tony

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 3:10am

10. It is Tesori's best score. Tesori is a chameleon when it comes to writing musicals. She's gone from "Violet" which has wonderful moments but doesn't quite work, to "Millie" where she stuck in the best songs in a mixed bag musical, to "Caroline or Change" which was sensational but suffered from Tony Kushner's clunky lyrics. In "Fun Home", Tesori and Kron have found a perfect match.

9. There is very little competition. "Honeymoon in Vegas" is Jason Robert Brown trying desperately to write a David Yazbek money making show, and it fails on every level. Not to disparage Brown, last year's "Bridges of Madison County" was a wonderful score. It suffered from bad staging. "Something Rotten" is a terrible title, and with no stars, and the huge St. James Theatre, will struggle. "Dr. Zivago" may be a contender, but I doubt it can fill the Broadway theatre unless the reviews are stellar. "Finding Neverland" can't seem to find its ever land no matter where it lands, and "It Shoulda Been You" sounds like the flop of the season.

8. Circle in the Square. It's the perfect venue for the show.

7. It was nominated for nine Lucille Lortel Awards (winning three, including Outstanding Musical), seven Outer Critics Circle Awards (winning Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical), three Drama League Awards, eight Drama Desk Awards and the Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical (which it won).

6. It was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize, and lost by a hair.

5. It is a score with no clunkers, and has three of the best songs written for the musical theatre in years ("Ring of Keys," "Changing My Major to Joan", and "Days and Days"). Plus the Partridge Family rip-off number is a major crowd pleaser.

4. It is the first musical to deal with lesbians as major characters.

3. It is the first musical to deal with homosexuality honestly. "La Cage" may have broken ground, but it is a farce. While "Falsettos" was also ground-breaking, it constantly apologizes for its subject matter. "Fun Home" does not. It presents its characters as who they are, without outside interference. Most importantly, it doesn't ask you to sympathize with them, nor judge them. Its not "I am Who I Am", it's we are who we are, so deal with it.

2. It's an incredible adaptation of something that should have been impossible to adapt. The graphic novel is wonderful, but when you read that and then see what Tesori and Kron came up with, it's nothing short of a miracle.

1. Hey, it's the best musical I've seen in a decade. Things like this don't come around that often. Put up against "Memphis," "Once," or "Gentlemen's Guide" (all of which I found entertaining, but not life changing), it would win. I think it will win this year.

0. Please feel free to disagree with me.

[After Eight]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 3:20am

It has a little girl miauling pre-pubescent desire.

No other reasons needed.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 3:25am

After Eight, you're 800 years old, and out of touch with all living things under 800 years old. Shut it.

ZiggyCringe, what a brilliant post. I agree with everything you have said. Bravo!

[South Florida]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 6:36am

I have nothing to compare it to from this coming season, but I agree with the OP,best music in years. AE keeps adding to my vocabulary thank you sir/miss.

[Lovinbroadway2]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 7:10am

Great post, except I have to disagree with one thing.
I don't think that the Tony's would judge a musical by it's title and unknown actors, like you have said about Something Rotten.

[Fantod]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 9:32am

I can't say how good the show is, but one could say that Next to Normal had a lot of those reasons going for it, and then lost the Tony to Billy Elliott. I wouldn't discount It Shoulda Been You. Plus, the Visit is supposed to be coming, and by many accounts I've heard its great. Same goes for An American in Paris. This just seems like a very competitive season. Updated On: 1/6/15 at 09:32 AM

[leeleecocororo]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 9:55am

Re: #4 is it though? Do Rent and If/Then not count?

[Fantod]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 10:01am

Also 27 rue de Fleurus

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 10:03am

It's one of the best shows of the last years, I wish it all the best for the Tony!

[rjm516]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:01am

I hope it's as good as everyone says; I can't wait to see it. But I thought Finding Neverland was the juggernaut to beat, mostly because of its producer. Weinstein has become the greatest at winning big awards that he doesn't always deserve.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:03am

I saw it four times during the run during business trips to NYC. What stands out most for me (and what might be a summary of the great ten reasons list) is the show just works on all levels: set design, music and orchestration, book, cast, staging. That seems to be an increasingly rare accomplishment nowadays.

The show made me laugh and cry and the time just flew by each time. I can't wait to see it again.

And I know After Eight will never let up on the Ring of Keys ickiness he perceives, but I certainly recall having my own comparable moment when I was 10 years old.

[macnyc]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:08am

^^^ I agree 100 percent!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:19am

I can't say how good the show is,… BUT PLEASE DO GO ON, IT'S NOT LIKE THIS THREAD HAS ANY CONTRIBUTORS WHO HAVE SEEN IT AND KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT… but one could say that Next to Normal had a lot of those reasons going for it, and then lost the Tony to Billy Elliott. YOUR ROLE MODEL MUST BE SO PLEASED WITH YOU, HE'LL PROBABLY GIVE YOU A CANDY FROM HIS COVERED DISH.

Updated On: 1/6/15 at 11:19 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:23am

But everyone is entitled to their opinion Namo, even if it's uninformed.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:25am

It is his truth.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:39am

"And I know After Eight will never let up on the Ring of Keys ickiness he perceives, but I certainly recall having my own comparable moment when I was 10 years old."

I have been curious, but do we know whether After Eight is a gay? Seemingly everyone gay identifies with this as a pretty normal event...

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:40am

I don't think it matters if he -- or anyone else -- identifies with it or not. It doesn't belong in a musical. It's unseemly.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:44am

Considering how every new musical is closing like after 3 months of opening, then yes this could win.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:47am

After Eight may be an invert, or perhaps one of those new fangled homophiles, but there is no way he is "gay" which used to mean happy and joyful.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:54am

(SIDE NOTE: Has American in Paris ever been done onstage before? Will it be a revival or an original work?)

[tazber]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 11:55am

I believe it will be considered a new musical.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 12:04pm

The main reason we know it will win:

If After Eight dislikes it, it must be progressive and of high quality.

[Fantod]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 12:04pm

I merely mean that I haven't seen the show, so I am not in a position to say how good it is. I would love it if Fun Home were excelent, and I think it probably will be, but I HAVENT SEEN IT so I have no idea if I would like it. I hopefully will see it when I go to New York this year, but that will be after it wins or doesn't win a Tony. And I disagree with After Eight about plenty, namely The Wild Party and Merrily We Roll Along.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 12:06pm

"I merely mean that I haven't seen the show, so I am not in a position to say how good it is. I would love it if Fun Home were excelent, and I think it probably will be, but I HAVENT SEEN IT."

Yes. Everything you are boysplaining was very clear in your original post in this thread. Especially the part about how YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

[Fantod]

Posted: 1/6/15 at 12:12pm

So how am I supposed to assess its quality? I haven't listened to the score because it's not on Spotify and I can't afford to buy it. My opinion is that I have no opinion, yet that still angers you? I really can't win with you, Namo.