FUN HOME- previews- Page 7

[jv92]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 7:58pm

Oh...I'm not giving it a Best Score Tony just yet. Haven't heard BRIDGES... or ROCKY (or seen them), and I really happen to LOVE Ahrens and Flaherty a lot.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 8:03pm

True. It's a strong year for original scores. But I just don't see those shows effecting me as much as Fun Home did, so it's getting my nod.

I've heard a few songs from Bridges and while I liked them I wasn't blown away and Rocky is Rocky. The score isn't the focus.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 8:06pm

I'd love for Fun Home to "pull a Next to Normal" and do a regional/out-of-town tryout, and then try Broadway in the '14-'15 season. While I looooove Fun Home, there are still a lot of kinks to be worked out, and I think giving it more time and a bigger house before Broadway (if that's the ultimate goal) would be beneficial. I'd also love to see Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron write another musical together. I know that Fun Home is Ms. Kron's first musical, and I think that Ms. Tesori found a great collaborator.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/13 at 8:19pm

Such a great seamless collaboration.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 10:44am

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

Well, the current production of Snow Geese is a joint production between both MTC and MCC.

But honestly, I don't see- out of all the non profits- MTC picking this up. It is probably the least likely to take a risk that may alienate its older and conservative subscriber base.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 11:04am

I don't know how the business model for these theaters work, but it would be a great way for someone to pick up a show that has a younger following. I'm sure most theater companies want that.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 11:26am

There's always New World Stages...

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 12:27pm

I had wondered about whether it would be a fit for New World. Most of their shows have been gimmicky-commercial or proven properties, but it's possible. Stage 1 (Peter and the Starcatcher) is opening up in January. Still, that's a nearly-500 seat house... Updated On: 10/15/13 at 12:27 PM

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 12:52pm

The Newman has 299 seats or less, right? So I guess 500 wouldn't be that much bigger. But could New World accommodate the turntable? That's an integral part of this production, in my opinion.

Updated On: 10/15/13 at 12:52 PM

[tgrabon2]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 1:36pm

Sutton Ross: Fun Home extended to November 17th.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 1:39pm

Squeeeee!!! Thank you!!!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 1:46pm

It wouldn't go a commercial off-Broadway route. There's no way it would make any money. It'd have to be Broadway or nothing. It's the Public. If the reviews are great then there will be talk. It's got some prove people on the team - Sam Gold is the "it" director right now, Tesori has commercial and artistic appeal, and Kron has the downtown artsy side. I hope it has a life after the Public only because I don't think I'll be able to go back and see it.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 2:24pm

There are shows that have done well off-Broadway commercially. (Heck, "The Fantasticks" has been running for decades off-Broadway.)

This is a small scale show that will lose its appeal and heart in a Broadway house. The only one I could fathom it working in is the Helen Hayes-which is occupied at present by "Rock of Ages" which is in little danger of closing. (And once it does, I think the Hayes is supposed to go off-Broadway.)

That said, the extension makes me really happy! Hoping one more is announced after the reviews!

Updated On: 10/15/13 at 02:24 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 4:19pm

It's not going Off-Broadway. The Off-Broadway company 2nd Stage owns it, and it will remain a Broadway house.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 4:22pm

I thought I'd read somewhere they were reducing the seat capacity so it would be off-Broadway.

It's a moot point, because "Rock of Ages" is still there. (And most likely will remain there awhile longer.)

I wish they could find a home for it somewhere. (And maybe they will-stranger things have happened.)

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 11:11pm

There's not much that I can add that hasn't been said already. I was lucky enough to catch this over the long weekend and I left practically speechless. I left feeling that I had just seen something very, very special. I'm familiar with the work--I teach middle school/high school in a very liberal town and I've had multiple students use "Fun Home" for various assignments about role models, biographies, etc. I appreciated the story and how many people it's reached. This made me view it in a new way. It grabbed me much more deeply and I felt connected to all the Alisons. The cast is superb--I've never felt let down by Michael Cervaris or Judy Kuhn--but the actresses playing Alison deserve the most applause. Small Alison really impressed me and this was the best I've ever seen Alexandra Socha (It pretty much erased her less-then-stellar Spring Awakening performance (to me, at least)).

I wouldn't call myself a huge Jeanine Tesori fan. I truly enjoyed Caroline, or Change but her other pieces are hit and miss. Violet and Millie have points I like. Shrek was what it was. This time around, everything comes together for her. The songs are well executed and memorable. It's been said by others, but "I'm Changing my Major to Joan" is a great song.

The only way I can describe this show is special. It had a few flaws, but those are outnumbered by the strengths. It has heart and soul. Everyone in the theater seemed really pleased. I would love to see this have a life beyond this production. It deserves it. It deserves a wider audience and more attention.

This year, I saw two shows that really wowed me: Natasha and Pierre and Pippin. They had drama and excitement and creativity. This show wowed me in a different way, but I came out of the theater just as excited.

Try to find a chance to see this piece. It's going to be on a lot of top 10 lists this year for good reason.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/15/13 at 11:38pm

Saw the show tonight and add me to the chorus of fans. FUN HOME feels, "behaves," unfolds, sounds, looks, and is performed unlike anything on or off Broadway at the moment and for that alone, it's well-worth seeing. But on top of its uniqueness, it's also exceptionally well crafted. And lovingly crafted. You can tell Tesori, Kron, and Gold each have a true passion for these characters and this story.

The score is so lovely, and placed perfectly within the piece that the songs never feel out of place or patched in. The ebb and flow of book scenes and musical sequences is so beautifully orchestrated by Kron and Tesori that you almost feel as though they were born to write together. Tesori's score certainly has shades of CAROLINE here and there, and though it never reaches CAROLINE heights, it's nonetheless a gorgeous composition. Kron's lyrics are wickedly clever; but her book scenes are even better. They're also staged with a keen eye for detail and a beautiful sense of pacing by director Sam Gold.

This cast is just great, top to bottom. The three Alisons are each giving tour de force performances and the always-reliable Michael Cerveris and Judy Kuhn are arguably stronger than ever. Kuhn's big number towards the end of the show is breathtakingly devastating.

The design is sensational, from the genius use of the turntable to the fantastically minimalist employment of projections. I did, however, have some issues with the show. Kad hit the nail on the head with how the ambiguity of her fathers death could and would have lent itself to the piece...and Kuhn's part is underwritten up until the fantastic final song she sings. Yes, the opening few minutes aren't as inspired as what follows, and yes it's surprisingly talky, but these are minor quibbles about an otherwise inspired piece. I can't say enough about the show; it was just the jolt I was hoping for in such an uninspired theatergoing season so far. It's a real gem. Updated On: 10/27/13 at 11:38 PM

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 10/21/13 at 1:00am

I caught the matinee today and was absolutely blown away. I had high hopes going in, and they were exceeded. As others have said, it was the best new musical I've seen in years.

I'm trying to think of something I disliked about the show and I just can't. The performances, the design, the songs and orchestrations, the direction--it was all spectacular. I hope this show gets the raves it deserves when it opens on Tuesday.

When I left the Public after the performance, I couldn't believe how overwhelmingly happy I felt--happy that I'm alive and fortunate enough to experience theatre like this. It was a wonderful feeling, and a nice reminder of why I hold musical theatre so close to my heart.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 10/30/13 at 1:11pm

Well, what more can be said that hasn’t been said already? My split-second decision to plan a trip out to NYC to see this (along with a few others) was more than worth it, if just to see this show. Truly loved it and was so moved. I am a fan of the graphic novel, but I must say that the musical is miles better. Because we are seeing Alison’s life from only her perspective in the novel, her father always came off a bit cold and unreal. It was so nice to see him explored further and given more humanity than I get from the novel.

The show is so perfectly fluid that I never once thought about the fact that we were jumping back and forth between years.

Michael Cerveris is absolutely wonderful in this. Wherever the show goes, I hope he goes with it. Alexandra Socha was also excellent (so endearing), and Sydney Lucas is brilliant (she is truly a star – I don’t think I have ever seen a child who seemed so understanding of what their character is going through, especially in a show about such deep and heavy topics – they need to hold on tight to her so that she sticks with the show, wherever it may go after this run).

Desperate for a cast recording – I know someone mentioned that one is in the works, any more news on this?

I actually think it would be fine in a bigger house like the Booth and don’t think it is dependent a more intimate space (that intimacy is wonderful, yes, but the piece itself is so strong that I feel certain I would have gotten the same thing out of the show if I had seen it in a bigger space). I saw “The Glass Menagerie” the day after I saw “Fun Home” and kept picturing the show in the space and I think it would work well. I don’t think there are any small or intimate moments in “Fun Home” that “Menagerie” doesn’t have and I don’t think the bigger space hurts “Menagerie” in any way.

I truly am out of words for this one and yet don’t feel like I have said enough. I could point out every little thing about it and shout its praises, but I would never be able to do it justice. I sat in the theatre wishing that it would just keep going and going and going and was dreading the moment it ended.

[macnyc]

Posted: 10/30/13 at 1:26pm

^^^ You've written a beautiful and eloquent review. I love this show too, and it kind of surprises me how deeply it moved me. And even though the topic might be seen as "depressing, " I felt very uplifted as I left the theater. I've seen it twice and have tickets for another go-round. And I hope some more after that!

I hope Sydney Lucas doesn't grow too fast and can stay with the show if it transfers! I agree with you 100 percent. She is a marvel.

And hey, where's our cast album? I've tweeted the Public a couple of times and have yet to get an answer. Everyone, tweet the Public, and let's get this thing in the works!

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/30/13 at 1:37pm

I would disagree that the show is better than the book for giving Bruce more humanity- I think one of the few failings of the musical (which I love, by the way) is that it glosses over the darkness and pain that Bruce brought to the family as Alison grew up, the intimations of (verbal) abuse and her struggle to rationalize her father as a pedophile and a sexual predator, at least in the purely legal sense.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 10/30/13 at 2:07pm

I will agree that the musical glosses over the some of the darkness brought on by Bruce, in terms of explicitly seeing or being told of it, but I felt that I, at least, got enough of the sense of destruction he brought to the family by what was presented in the musical. I simply appreciated that the musical afforded me the opportunity to consider Bruce as a real person, which I had a hard time doing from reading the novel, if that makes sense.

One thing I really appreciated about the musical is that it cut out Alison’s experiences past her father’s death, aside from middle-aged Alison’s narration and thoughts. This may sound odd, but I don’t think I really like real-life, present-day Alison as a person much (at least in the way she presents herself in her novels – my opinion of her is probably, mostly, a result of “Are You My Mother?” which I found a bit selfish and immature), so I was grateful that I was very endeared to Alison in the show and we didn't see much of her life past her being a freshman in college. If they had focused more on Alison post her father’s death, perhaps we would have seen more of the struggle as she deals with the things you mentioned, but it seems her focus (or at least what the musical chose to focus on) in the moments of discovering her own sexuality, was this connection (their homosexuality) she, unexpectedly, has with her father.

I read the novel years ago and want to reread it now after seeing the show.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/30/13 at 2:11pm

I must disagree with you about not liking the present-day Alison. I love "Are You My Mother?". It's a journey of self-discovery and her own growth. (It's also a bit different in format than "Fun Home". However, I like how it unfolds and how she's able to find the connection with her mom, too.)

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 7:25pm

The South Carolina House refuses to restore budget cuts to College of Charleston due to them assigning the graphic novel, Fun Home, to students. WTF.




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