Fun Home is a delightful musical by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel, also called “Fun Home.” The musical won 5 Tony’s in 2015, including Best Musical and Best Score. It’s about Bechdel’s like growing up adjacent to the funeral parlor her father runs and about her coming out as a lesbian, and her father discovering he is gay. (The family refers to the funeral parlor as “Fun Home.”)
The Brookfield production is simply outstanding, with a 7-piece orchestra directed by Sarah Fay accompanying the cast of 9 actor/singers. We saw the preview performance last night. For us, Tesori’s music was the best part, with complex choral lines and harmonies throughout, as well as a few lively comic numbers like ”Come to the Fun Home” sung by the kids, and “Raincoat of Love,” sung by the whole company.
The story is led by Janice Gabriel as the grown-up Alison, who plays a warm and relatable character who describes her profession as “lesbian cartoonist.” She comments on the various scenes and offers captions, as if they were her drawings, joins the cast in singing several numbers.
The show also has a Small Alison, who is Alison at around 8 and Medium Alison, just off to Oberlin College. (Bechdel graduated from Oberlin in 1981 with a degree in Fine Arts.)
Harriet Luongo as Small Alison leads several numbers with enthusiasm and a strong, clear voice. And Hannah Rapaglia as Medium Alison has two lovely solo numbers as she begins to discover her sexuality and falls for her girlfriend Joan, played with outgoing honesty and charm by Erin Walsh.
Tony Bosco-Schmidt excels as Alison’s father Bruce, who varies from kind and fatherly to impatient and unforgiving as he deals with his own coming out problem. He has a lovely singing voice in the group numbers and in his closing song “Edges of the World,” just before he dies.
Denise Milmerstadt is a strong player and singer as Alison’s mother Helen and is especially affecting in “Days and Days” near the end of the show.
Mason Sacco does quadruple duty in several small parts including being the teenager Bruce seduces, but as Bobby Jeremy, he leads the company in the delightful crazy, jazzy number “Raincoat of Love.”
As Alison’s two younger brothers Christian and John, Jack Hoyt and Sawyer Delaney are lively and vivacious, and sing very well in numbers with Small Alison.
Every cast member in the production is top-notch in their singing and acting, and the directors (Bennett Cognato and Rob Bassett) should be congratulated in putting together this complex show so well.
Fun Home at the Brookfield Theatre is an absolute delight, and you shouldn’t miss it! Performances begin tonight, December 1, and play Fridays and Saturdays for 3 weekends and Sundays at 2pm on the first two weekends.
[Pictures by Stephen Cihanek of the Brookfield Theater]