Harlequin Productions presents Falsettos, the Tony Award-winning musical by William Finn and James Lapine, June 30 – July 22, 2023, at the State Theater. Corey McDaniel will direct, with music direction by Aaron Lamb. Thirty years after its 1992 Broadway debut and seven years after its 2016 Tony-nominated revival, this sung-through musical has proved to be both prophetic and timeless, as the definition of a “modern” family continues to evolve.
Winner of two 1992 Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical and set in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos revolves around the life of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, lover, about- to-be-Bar-Mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. It’s a hilarious and achingly poignant look at the infinite possibilities that make up a modern family… and a beautiful reminder that love can tell a million stories.
Director Corey McDaniel agrees, writing, “Falsettos is an excellent choice for the 2023 Resilience season. This is a show about family, chosen family, love, heartbreak, hope, and redemption. It’s a story about self-discovery. It’s a wonderful creation that reminds us that only together can we truly heal. What a perfect time in our history for such a story.”
Shifting from the artistic to the technical, the sung-through nature and the sheer speed of the action in Falsettos presents a formidable challenge to producers, which Resident Set Designer Jeannie Beirne has thoughtfully addressed. She writes,
“The set for Falsettos consists mainly of six modular units and five differently shaped screens. In addition to allowing for quick changes in setting, the modular units provide the opportunity for us to watch the characters construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct their own lives in time with the action and emotional beats of the story. There are five screens and five [principal] actors. All the screens are different, sharp shapes to reflect the fact that the characters are unique individuals who are struggling to conform to the expectations of their family.”
McDaniel has been using a model of the set to prepare: “I’ve got this incredible model in my office of the set with these moving pieces and I’m constantly looking at a scene and a song and moving things around to try to figure out what’s the best way to tell this story?”
Tickets are available by visiting: Harlequin (harlequinproductions.org)