So your Twitter feed is filled with people losing their minds over Jordan Roth & LCT’s 2016 revival of the Tony Award-winning musical Falsettos, only you are completely in the dark here. Chances are if you’re under 30, you were watching animated Disney films in 1992 not seeing James Lapine and William Finn’s groundbreaking musical about love, family, and HIV. But we’ve got you covered. Here’s your crash course to Falsettos.
The Tony Awards clip
The show was originally three one-acts off-Broadway and they took parts two and three, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, and streamlined them to create the two act musical Falsettos. OBC included B’way notables Chip Zien, Michael Rupert, Carolee Carmello and Barbara Walsh. (The off-Broadway casts were similar only with Alison Fraser and Faith Prince each playing Trina.)
As far as plot goes: it’s Manhattan in 1979 in Act 1 and 1981 in Act 2 and there’s Marvin, his ex-wife Trina, their young son Jason, Marvin’s psychiatrist Mendel (who ends up falling for and marrying Trina) and Marvin’s lover Whizzer. There’s also a pair of lesbian neighbors who appear for Act 2.
Now here are the five songs you want to put in your iTunes now, grow to love and obsess over and then cry when you see them performed live in the first revival of Falsettos.
“What More Can I Say,” sung by Marvin while Whizzer sleeps.
“Holding to the Ground,” sung by Trina after Whizzer is hospitalized with HIV.
“The Games I Play,” sung by Whizzer after losing a chess game and having a blow out fight with Marvin.
“I’m Breaking Down,” sung by Trina in Act 1 as life begins to spiral out of hand.
“I Never Wanted to Love You,” things get crazy before the end of the first act and the whole gang sings.
So that’s all you need to know to appreciate this exciting news along with the rest of your Twitter and Facebook feed. If you’re hell bent on learning more, you can Wikipedia the rest of the show and watch countless regional productions on YouTube. Performances begin Thursday, September 29 at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
