Mystery Woman Revealed! Meet the Real 'Joan' of FUN HOME

By: May. 20, 2015
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In the 12-time Tony nominated musical Fun Home, a college-age Allison, played onstage by Emily Skeggs, sings "Changing My Major"- a song about her new romance with 'Joan.' Based on the graphic memoir of the same name by Allison Bechdel, the musical is based on her youth, and 'Joan' indeed was a real part of her time at Oberlin College.

Joan Benson, of Iowa City, is the real 'Joan' and she told the Wall Street Journal: "The only word I know for it is 'surreal'. One of the many layers of strangeness is to be sitting in an audience that is responding to the character of you, and to a rousing song about having sex with you."

On how her character is protrayed, she continued: "I don't remember being that confident. I remember my insecurities and my fears and failures."

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Fun Home is nominated for twelve 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Michael Cerveris), Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Beth Malone), Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Judy Kuhn), Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Sydney Lucas), Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Emily Skeggs), Best Direction of a Musical (Sam Gold), Best Book of a Musical (Lisa Kron), Best Score (Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (David Zinn), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Ben Stanton), and Best Orchestrations (John Clancy).

The Public Theater production of Fun Home, which opened in October 2013, was named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, and received the OBIE, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Off Broadway Alliance Awards in the 2013-2014 season.

The creative team of Fun Home also includes Danny Mefford (Choreography), David Zinn (Set and Costume Design),Ben Stanton (Lighting Design), Kai Harada (Sound Design), Chris Fenwick (Music Direction) and John Clancy(Orchestrations).

Fun Home is produced on Broadway by Fox Theatricals (Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson) and Barbara Whitman, along with Carole Shorenstein Hays, Tom Casserly, Paula Marie Black, Latitude Link, Terry Schnuck/Jack Lane, The Forstalls, Nathan Vernon, Mint Theatricals, Elizabeth Armstrong, JAM Theatricals and Delman Whitney.



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