Sydney Lucas and Michael Cerveris (Photo credit: Joan Marcus)
There is more excitement, fun, as well as an unprecedented
convergence of terrific entertainment at Public Theatre than has been seen
there in a while. This is not meant to imply that the previous productions in
previous seasons have not been worthy
but only that right now you can’t go wrong with what you pick to see (how about
all?) in the various theatres, including the premiere of Wally Shawn’s “Grasses
of a Thousand Colors” and Richard Nelson’s “Apple Family Plays.”
If I sound like a press agent, it is because my enthusiasm
for what I have recently seen is at a peak. Composer Jeanine Tesori in
collaboration with book writer and lyricist Lisa Kron have given a stunning musical
and dramatic edge to Alison Bechdel’s already famously edgy autobiographical
graphic novel about a young woman growing up among siblings, one older boy, one
younger boy, in the home of parents who owned and operated a funeral parlor in
Beech Creek, Pennsylvania. The “fun home” is not only the funeral parlor where
the children often played hide and seek among the caskets, but rather the large
Victorian home where they live and that has received countless makeovers and
filled and re-filled with period collectables and furnishings.
Fun as it was for the children at play, there was also
plenty of anxiety and stress as was psychological conflict formulating around
them and would rise to the surface in the maturing Alison (as played
brilliantly by three actors at three different stages in her life: Beth Malone,
Alexandra Socha, Sydney Lucas) who would gradually come to terms with her being
a Lesbian.
Alison’s feelings about her own sexual nature are sublimated
within the family as are those of her gay father Bruce (Micharel Cerveris) who
keeps his homosexual dalliances a secret from his wife Helen (Judy Kuhn). When
not attending to the family business or cruising, Bruce uses his self-imposed
authority as a disciplinarian with his children to keep order in their lives.
In doing so, he has also created a deepening schism between himself and Helen.
Helen realizes perhaps too late that she has wasted her life with a conflicted man
who did not really love her.
Tesori, who wrote the wonderful music for “Thoroughly Modern
Millie,” and “Caroline, or Change” has written an even more sublimely eclectic,
melodic and dynamic score. And Kron’s funny, touching and inventive lyrics and text
allow the three Alison’s to weave their personal “captions-added” narratives fluidly
and often funnily in and out of the action. It is easy to become transfixed right
from the start by the primary reflections of the oldest Alison, who represents the
adult Bechdel. The past, present and future are clearly embraced as they are extrapolated,
under Sam Gold’s sterling direction, from the oldest Alison’s memoirs. It is
impossible to not become engaged in what was happening within David Zinn’s
almost magically maneuvered settings.
Despite the prominence of the three beautifully defined performances
by the three Alison’s (impossible to decide which is the best) Cerveris creates
his own imposing universe of a man possessed by a drive that he cannot restrain
despite the hurt it brings to Helen, who is played with heart-breaking
poignancy by Kuhn. Light family moments are balanced with darker ones. But
there is one fantasy song and dance number that is a knockout. Best of all
there is that rare depth and perception of the characters that is so rare in
musicals.
“Fun Home”
Public Theater, 425 Lafayette
Street
For tickets call (212) 967 – 7555
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