SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 26, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — “A family tragicomic” is the subtitle of the graphic memoir on which the musical “Fun Home” is based, and that theme really sums up how many of us feel about our own relationships with those who are closest to us; they are odd mixtures of profound love but sometimes annoyance; comedic but at times utterly heart wrenching at others.
“Fun Home” is a musical theater adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel; the show follows the story of Bechdel, a lesbian cartoonist, as she attempts to understand her complicated relationship with her father, Bruce, a closeted gay man and the owner of the family funeral home in small-town Pennsylvania. It is told in a series of non-linear vignettes connected by narration from the adult Alison character, with appearances from a small Alison, aged 9, and medium Alison, aged 19. The musical features a gorgeous score by Jeanine Tesori with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron.
The show was workshopped as part of Sundance Institute’s Theater Lab in 2012 and opened off-Broadway the next year; it is the first musical to feature a young lesbian protagonist. It was a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and opened on Broadway in 2015. It was then nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning five, including Best Musical.
Wasatch Theatre Company is presenting Fun Home in Studio 5400 at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center at 2525 Taylorsville Blvd. through April 29.
It’s interesting to me that the choice was made to make “Fun Home” a musical, because the subject matter is pretty dark at times. The character of Bruce is charming and charismatic but also sporadically cruel; he repeatedly corrects the child Alison, for example changing her homework drawings to the way he thinks they should look, and telling her other children will laugh at her if she doesn’t wear a dress to a party. There are a couple of scenes of Bruce and Helen yelling at each other, which depending on your childhood experiences, could be a little triggering. But interestingly, some of the musical’s most poignant moments are songs that depict the hardest times in Alison’s life. In “Telephone Wire,” towards the end of the play, medium Alison goes for a drive with her father, and they struggle to express themselves. In this production, teen Alison remains mute while adult Alison stands beside the car, narrating her younger self’s thoughts. But for every dark moment, there’s a lighter, sunny one. Standout songs for me were “Ring of Keys,” in which young Alison sings about noticing an “old-school butch” delivery woman, and “Changing My Major,” where college-age Alison rhapsodizes about discovering her sexuality when she becomes obsessed with fellow student Joan.
There was an element to all the performances I really, really liked and I think it might have been due to the direction by Kacey Spadafora. Every single performance was beautifully understated; low key and high on charm. The fact that the performances were subtle also helped the bleaker moments feel not too depressing; there was no melodrama and no one overplayed their role. Liz Whittaker as adult Alison really led the pack with this tone; she is onstage a lot but, for a good portion of the time, is watching other characters There’s a great tenderness in the way she observes both her younger selves and her family, which actually makes us more sympathetic towards her dad, Bruce, as it’s clear she has a lot of love for him. The performances of J.D. Ramey as Bruce and Lindsay Spring Browning as Helen are nicely multi-layered; Ramey plays Bruce as brusque and manic at times but fun, sweet and engaged at others, as he plays the piano with his daughter and talks to her about books he’s read. He’s fire one minute, ice the next. Browning, as Helen, is tightly contained, keeping her family secrets close until the moving song “Days and Days” that she sings about her turbulent relationship with Bruce. Along the way, she’s also let go of her own dreams, of being an actress.
Another thing that made the show so delightful is how many talented young actors are in the cast. There are three adults and six youngsters, played by seven actors. The young cast, across the board, were lovely, and again, all seemed very relaxed and present in their roles, embodying the characters nicely but never pushing too hard. Child Alison, played by Vivien Nyx Browning, (who is the real-life daughter of Lindsay Spring Browning) reminded me of a young Drew Barrymore; she’s vivacious and a bit of a scene-stealer, in that your eyes are drawn to her when she’s on stage. She has a sweet singing voice that’s as clear as a bell. Medium Alison is played by Caitlin Rose, who mines the comedy from her character but also comfortably inhabits the more somber moments. The three Alisons work beautifully together, and young Alison gels nicely with her siblings, John, played by Chantelle Moses and Christian, double cast with Comet Higley in the performance I saw, along with Ren Kendust. Moses and Higley don’t have a huge amount to do but are delightful in the parts they do have; I particularly enjoyed the song “Come to the Fun Home,” which is a fake advertisement for the funeral home.
Medium Alison’s crush Joan is played by Tessa Irish-Minewiser, who has a confident and slightly enigmatic presence, while the young men that Bruce propositions are portrayed nicely by Ian Webb. Also deserving of a mention is the live band for the show, who are flawless across the board. The conductor is Stephanie Sabin (she’s also musical director), while keyboard is played by J.T. Kaufman, cello and electric bass by Oswaldo Chirinos Nava and percussion by Sam Jessing.
I also really enjoyed the production values. There are multiple references to the grand house the family live in; as they sing in “Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue: “Everything is balanced and serene/like chaos never happens if it’s never seen.” Of course, it’s not so hard to create a fancy set if you have unlimited resources, but in this case, Spadafora, who also is listed in the program as set designer, has a clever solution. The stage is initially bare, with LED light strings embedded into the floor that light up to depict different rooms and areas. There are also a handful of set pieces such as a sofa and a bed that are brought on and off by actors. Then on the back scrim, photos of the different locations are projected; the family home, Alison’s dorm room, the house that Bruce is renovating and more. They have frames around them as if they are old photographs; one of the show’s themes is memories and this nicely echoes that.
The lighting design by Jack Dingman is pretty; he lights up the back scrim in various pleasant colors that enhance but don’t overwhelm the action. There is no costume designer listed in the program but the costumes are just fine, depicting the 1970s time period the show takes place in. The show is choreographed by two cast members, Whittaker and Rose, and Whittaker also serves as intimacy director.
I had an unexpected but poignant moment right towards the end of the play. Disclaimer: I’m British, so I find it hard to get emotional in general when I’m watching theater or film; out-loud-laughs and overt sadness don’t come easily to me, but during “Telephone Wire,” which as I mentioned is about the inability to communicate with a family member, I found I had tears running down my face. And that’s why “Fun Home” is a must-see; it taps into themes we can all identify with, one of which is how we can be so close to people but not be able to find ways to connect with them when it most matters.
There are two more chances to see “Fun Home;” on Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are available here.
