FALSETTOS Comes to the Segal Centre
Funny, raw, and deeply human, the production asks how we define family in a world of ever-changing rules and structures.
Known for productions that place contemporary urgency at the centre of classic works, Contact Theatre comes to the Segal Centre this March with Falsettos, a contemporary musical that explores love, society, family, and identity in late-1970s New York with an absurdist twist. Funny, raw, and deeply human, the production asks how we define family in a world of ever-changing rules and structures.
Founded by Ally Brumer and Debora Friedmann, Contact Theatre is a non-profit musical theatre company known for its fearless storytelling and bold, contemporary approach to classic works. Most recently, the company's immersive production of Cabaret invited audiences directly into the world of the Kit Kat Klub, blurring the line between performer and spectator while drawing unsettling parallels between 1930s Berlin and the political climate of today. The production followed Contact Theatre's award-winning Spring Awakening (2024), which became the first musical to receive the Montreal English Theatre Award for Outstanding Independent Production.
Falsettos follows a Jewish family in late-1970s New York as it fractures, reshapes, and learns to exist in a world that no longer fits neatly together. When Marvin leaves his wife and son for another man, chaos and comedy unfold—new relationships form, old ones strain, and a child is left trying to understand a suddenly unfamiliar world. What begins as an absurd, playful exploration of love and family is gradually overtaken by the quiet emergence of the AIDS crisis, asking how we grow up when the safety of pretending begins to fall away.
With an intimate seven-person cast, the production allows the story's humour and heartbreak to unfold with striking immediacy. Daniel Wilkenfeld leads the cast as Marvin. “I am so thrilled to help tell a story strongly centered around the Jewish and Queer communities, both of which are a huge part of my personal identity. I have the great privilege of working with an incredible cast, and the powerhouse production team that is Contact Theatre. This one is not to be missed!” Says Wilkenfeld.
The production is supported by the Segal Centre's Stage Forward Fund, with Contact Theatre's co-founders named as the fund's first-ever recipients. The Stage Forward Fund champions innovative theatre-making and emerging artistic leadership, investing in work that reflects the urgency and complexity of our moment. “This deeply human musical about love, family, and chosen community has found the perfect home here at the Segal. I cannot wait for new audiences to discover the piece and for fans to fall in love anew with Contact's production. We are thrilled to support the Jewish Creative Leadership of Ally Brumer and Debora Friedmann,” says Segal Centre's Artistic and Executive Director, Lisa Rubin.
With Falsettos, Contact Theatre invites audiences to laugh, connect, and confront what it means to grow up.
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