Fun Home: a musical

 

Fun Home: presentation

1. Introduction

Overview: Fun Home is a musical adapted from Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, the musical explores themes of identity, family, and self-discovery through a deeply personal and nonlinear narrative.

Key Themes: 

• Identity and Self-Discovery – The musical explores Alison Bechdel’s journey of understanding her sexuality and finding confidence in her identity as a lesbian.
• Family and Secrets – The Bechdel family, particularly Alison’s father Bruce, harbors deep secrets that shape their relationships and interactions.
• Sexuality and Repression – Alison embraces her sexuality, while Bruce struggles with his, leading to a tragic contrast between acceptance and denial.
• Memory and Perspective – The nonlinear storytelling reflects how memories shift and evolve, as Adult Alison reconstructs her past to make sense of her father’s life.
• Parental Influence and Expectations – Bruce imposes his own desires and frustrations onto his children, while Alison seeks to break free from his expectations.
• Life and Death – The setting of the family-run funeral home ("Fun Home") provides a backdrop for themes of mortality, grief, and the weight of unspoken truths.
• Art and Storytelling – Alison’s work as a graphic novelist becomes a way to process her past, highlighting the power of art in understanding personal history.

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2. The Storyline

Setting: The story follows Alison at three different stages of her life—Small Alison, a child growing up in her family's funeral home; Medium Alison, a college student coming to terms with her sexuality; and Adult Alison, a graphic novelist looking back on her past. As Alison pieces together memories of her childhood and her complex relationship with her father, Bruce Bechdel, she uncovers the truth about his hidden life as a closeted gay man. His struggle with his identity contrasts with Alison’s journey of self-acceptance, leading to a poignant and emotional exploration of their connection.

Main Characters:

Alison Bechdel – The protagonist, shown at three different ages. She is a graphic novelist reflecting on her past and her relationship with her father. Small Alison – A curious and artistic child growing up in her family's funeral home. Medium Alison – A college student discovering her sexuality and coming to terms with being a lesbian. Adult Alison – The narrator, looking back on her past to make sense of her father's life and death.

Bruce Bechdel – Alison’s father, a high school English teacher and funeral home director. He is a closeted gay man struggling with his identity, leading to a strained and complex relationship with his daughter.

Helen Bechdel – Alison’s mother, a reserved and often emotionally distant woman who sacrifices her happiness for her marriage, struggling with Bruce’s secrets.

Joan – Medium Alison’s confident and self-assured college girlfriend, who helps her embrace her sexuality.

Christian and John Bechdel – Alison’s younger brothers, who provide moments of childhood playfulness and humor in the musical.

Roy and Other Male Figures – Various young men with whom Bruce has secret relationships, including Roy, a former student and babysitter.

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3. Musical Elements

Score and Style: The score of Fun Home, composed by Jeanine Tesori with lyrics by Lisa Kron, blends elements of traditional musical theater with a more intimate and introspective storytelling style. The music is deeply character-driven, reflecting Alison’s memories and emotions as she navigates different stages of her life.

The style of the musical is non-linear, mirroring how memories work. It shifts fluidly between past and present, with the music underscoring these transitions seamlessly. This structure allows Adult Alison to interact with her younger selves, creating a layered and deeply personal narrative that resonates with audiences on an emotional level.

Instrumentation and Orchestration: 

Musically, the show features a mix of styles, including folk, pop, and contemporary Broadway, with influences from classical and jazz. The songs are structured organically, often feeling like internal monologues or fragmented memories rather than conventional show tunes. The harmonies are intricate, particularly in family-centered numbers, which emphasize the tension and emotional distance between the characters.

The orchestration is relatively light and chamber-like, reinforcing the musical’s intimate nature. Instruments like the piano, strings, and woodwinds contribute to the reflective and sometimes melancholic atmosphere. Unlike large-scale Broadway productions with grand, sweeping numbers, Fun Home relies on nuanced, conversational lyrics and melodies that evolve with the characters’ emotions.

Choreography: Fun Home is not a traditional dance-heavy musical, so it does not feature elaborate choreography in the way that many Broadway shows do. Instead, the movement in the production is subtle and naturalistic, designed to support the emotional depth and intimate storytelling of the show.

Some musical numbers, particularly those featuring Small Alison and her brothers, incorporate light, playful movement. For example, “Come to the Fun Home”, where the children perform an imaginary commercial for their family’s funeral home, includes energetic, childlike choreography that contrasts with the heavier themes of the show. Other moments rely on blocking and staging to create a sense of fluid memory, as different versions of Alison exist onstage simultaneously. 

Songs and changes

• "It All Comes Back (Opening)" – Small Alison, Bruce, Alison & Company
• "Sometimes my father appeared to enjoy having children..." – Alison, Bruce & Helen
• "Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue" – Helen, Alison, Small Alison, Christian, John, Bruce & Roy
• "Not Too Bad" – Medium Alison
• "Just had a good talk with Dad..." – Alison, Medium Alison, Bruce, Pete, Small Alison, John & Christian
• "Come to the Fun Home" – John, Christian & Small Alison
• "Helen’s Etude" – Alison, Roy, Bruce, Small Alison, Helen, John, Christian & Medium Alison
• "Thanks for the care package..." – Medium Alison, Joan, Small Alison & Bruce
• "Party Dress" – Small Alison, Bruce, Medium Alison, Alison
• "Changing My Major" – Medium Alison
• "I leapt out of the closet..." – Alison, Small Alison, Bruce & Helen
• "Maps" – Alison
• "Read a book..." – Bruce, Small Alison, Alison & Helen
• "Raincoat of Love" – Bobby Jeremy & Company
• "Clueless in New York…" – Alison, Small Alison & Bruce
• "Pony Girl" – Bruce
• "A flair for the dramatic…" – Alison, Joan, Medium Alison & Bruce
• "Ring of Keys" – Small Alison & Alison
• "Let me introduce you to my gay dad..." – Joan, Medium Alison, Alison, Bruce & Small Alison
• "Shortly after we were married..." – Helen & Medium Alison
• "Days and Days" – Helen
• "You ready to go for that drive?..." – Bruce & Alison
• "Telephone Wire" – Alison & Bruce
• "It was great to have you home..." – Bruce & Alison
• "Edges of the World" – Bruce
• "This is what I have of you..." – Alison
• "Flying Away (Finale)" – Alison, Medium Alison & Small Alison

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4. Production History

Background : Fun Home was developed from Alison Bechdel’s acclaimed 2006 graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. The idea to adapt it into a musical came from playwright Lisa Kron and composer Jeanine Tesori, who saw the potential to transform Bechdel’s deeply personal story into a theatrical experience.

Development:

The musical was developed through a series of workshops at the Sundance Institute Theater Lab, where Kron and Tesori experimented with how to translate the nonlinear, memory-driven nature of the book into a stage production. One of their major innovations was the use of three different actresses to portray Alison at different ages, allowing the audience to see her growth and self-discovery unfold in real time. The development took over five years, and was first workshopped at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in 2009; then staged read at The Public Theatre 2011 (only Judy Kuhn and Beth Malone kept their role). Another workshop with Raul Esparza was done in 2012 at the Sundance Institue's Theatre Lab.

Fun Home had its world premiere at The Public Theater in New York City in 2013, directed by Sam Gold. The production received widespread critical acclaim for its unique storytelling, emotional depth, and intimate staging. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical.

There was a controversy in which South Carolina wanted to punish the College of Charleston for choosing the graphic novel of Fun Home as a reading selection for freshmen, and the off-broadway cast answered by presenting a concert of songs in Charleston, South Carolina.

• Cast:
• Alison: Beth Malone
• Bruce: Michael Cerveris
• Helen: Judy Kuhn
• Small Al: Sydney Lucas
• Med Al: Alexandra Socha
• Christian: Griffin Birney
• John Bechdel: Noah Hinsdale
• Joan: Roberta Colindrez
• Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy: Joel Perez

List of Revivals and others productions

Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre (2015-2016)

• Direction: Gold
• Same cast except for the roles of Medium Alison, John and Christian Bechdel

US National Tour (2016)

• Alison: Kate Shindle
• Bruce: Robert Petkoff

Makati, Manila, Philippines (2016)

• Alison: Cris Villonco
• Helen: Lea Salonga
• Bruce: Eric Kunze
• Direction: Bobby Garcia 

US Regional production - Millbrook Playhouse, Pennsylvania (Bechdel's childhood home) (2017)

Singapore's Pangdemonium theatre company (2017)

• Adrian Pang and Monique Wilson

California (2018)

• Directed: Stephen Moorer
• Choreographed: Sam Trevino

Canadian (2018)

Off West End (2018)

• Direction: Gold
• Alison: Kaisa Hammarlund
• Bruce: Zubin Varla
• Helen: Jenna Russel

Barcelona (2018)

Australian (2021-2022)

• Directed: Dean Bryant
• Choreographed: Andrew Hallsworth
• Alison adult: Lucy Maunder
• Bruce: Adam Murphy
• Helen: Marina Prior

Austria (2023)

Ireland (2023)

• Adult alison: Frances McNamee
• Bruce: Killian Donnelly
• Helen: Nichola MacEvilly

Others: 

• Film adaptation in development by Amazon? 

Quick review and notation: 

DNF. I've never liked the album on Spotify and I couldn't finish the slime recording on Youtube... I'm sorry but the musics just aren't for me.

⭐⭐/5