When I saw the national tour of Falsettos five years ago, I struggled to connect with the material. The complex family dynamics, quirky humor, and fast-paced lyrics of William Finn and James Lapine’s sung-through musical simply didn’t translate across the depths of the Nederlander Theatre.
Fortunately, I had a much better experience at Court Theatre’s new revival, coproduced with TimeLine Theatre Company and directed by Nick Bowling. In a smaller space, the seven characters are vibrant, funny, and touching in this tale about found family, coming out, coming of age, and the AIDS epidemic.
Falsettos
Through 12/8: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat-Sun 2 and 7:30 PM; no shows Wed-Thu 11/27-11/28; ASL interpretation Sat 12/7 2 PM; Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis, 773-753-4472, courttheatre.org, $15-$93.50
Originally written as two separate one-act musicals (1981’s March of the Falsettos and 1990’s Falsettoland), the full-length version of Falsettos premiered in 1992. In the first act, a Jewish family in 1979 New York City navigates its newly blended status. Middle-aged patriarch Marvin (Stephen Schellhardt) has left his marriage for a younger man, Whizzer (Jack Ball), and is trying to maintain a relationship with his preteen son, Jason (Charlie Long on opening night), and stay on cordial terms with his ex-wife, Trina (Sarah Bockel).
Further complicating matters—not to mention blurring professional ethics—Mendel (Jackson Evans), the psychiatrist who treats the entire family, soon marries Trina. The second act picks up two years later and introduces their friendly lesbian neighbors, Dr. Charlotte (Sharriese Hamilton) and Cordelia (Elizabeth Stenholt), while the comedic plot takes a somber turn. With music direction by recent Northwestern graduate Otto Vogel and movement direction by William Carlos Angulo, Bowling’s cast hits the right notes in this oddball of a tearjerker.
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