Falsettos

Inception , director and co-book writer Composer William Finn began his theater career with a one-act musical In Trousers (1979), which centers on the character Marvin questioning his sexuality. It was produced twice at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway, opening in February 1978 and again in December 1979. It was also produced off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater in March 1981. After In Trousers received sharply unfavorable reviews, Finn considered abandoning musical theater and attending medical school. Finn soon wrote the songs for another one-act musical about Marvin and his family, March of the Falsettos, collaborating with director James Lapine on the book. Actress Alison Fraser, who originated the role of Trina, contributed additional vocal orchestrations. This premiered at Playwrights Horizons in April 1981, ran there through September and moved to the Westside Theatre in October 1981. In 1989, Finn premiered another musical, Romance in Hard Times, which did not feature any of the characters of Falsettos; it was not a success. It won the 1991 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and the 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics. Composition Finn and Lapine then combined March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland to form a full-length show, titled Falsettos, slightly altering them to form a "more unified, more thematically consistent" musical. In writing both acts of Falsettos, Finn prioritized making the audience laugh, believing that provoking laughter is more challenging than garnering tears. Finn often composed songs without a clear idea of where they would fit in the musical; he struggled to decide where to place the bar mitzvah in the action. The idea to set it in the hospital came to him in a dream. According to Stephen Bogardus, who played Whizzer in the original cast of both shows as well as in Falsettos, Lapine came up with the idea to incorporate racquetball scenes in Falsettoland, and he and his racquetball partner, Bogardus, added racquetball terminology into the dialogue. The haftorah read by Jason at his bar mitzvah was originally the same one read at Finn's own bar mitzvah, but he "got bored in the middle of writing it" and added words that he enjoyed musically but are grammatically incorrect in Hebrew. Some songs, including "Four Jews in a Room Bitching", originated with Finn humming improvised melodies while strolling the streets of New York City. ==Synopsis==

Act I: March of the Falsettos In 1979, New York City, Marvin, his ten-year-old son Jason, his psychiatrist Mendel, and his lover Whizzer are in the midst of an argument ("Four Jews in a Room Bitching"). Marvin explains the situation: he has left his wife, Trina, for a man, Whizzer, but no one is happy with his attempts to integrate Whizzer into the family ("A Tight-Knit Family"). At Marvin's suggestion, Trina visits Mendel and explains she is having trouble accepting the end of her marriage and her failure to be a perfect wife. Mendel, instantly attracted to her, tries to reassure her that she is not to blame ("Love Is Blind"). Marvin and Whizzer note that they have very little in common but are intensely attracted to each other and worry that their feelings for one another are fading ("The Thrill of First Love"). In a series of therapy sessions with Mendel, Marvin discusses his relationship with Whizzer, his failed relationship with Trina (with Mendel pressing him for intimate details about her), and his inability to connect with his son ("Marvin at the Psychiatrist - A Three-Part Mini-Opera"). Jason is worried that he will turn out to be gay like his father ("My Father's a Homo"). His parents suggest that he see Mendel to address his mood swings. Jason refuses to listen to his parents but agrees to go to therapy once Whizzer also recommends it ("Everyone Tells Jason to See a Psychiatrist"). Marvin and Whizzer fight over Whizzer's disdain for monogamy and Marvin's attempt to force him into the role of a housewife ("This Had Better Come to a Stop"). Trina is concerned that Whizzer is taking her place in the family and has a mental breakdown ("I'm Breaking Down"). Trina requests that Mendel provide in-home therapy for Jason ("Please Come to Our House"). Mendel gets to know Trina and Jason through these sessions ("Jason's Therapy"). Mendel clumsily proposes to Trina ("A Marriage Proposal"). She accepts, sparking jealousy in Marvin ("A Tight-Knit Family - Reprise"). Trina is frustrated with the male-dominated world she lives in and the immaturity of the men around her ("Trina's Song"). The four boys sing a hymn to masculinity, the three adults singing in falsetto to match Jason's unbroken voice ("March of the Falsettos"). Trina collects herself and calms down from her frustration ("Trina's Song - Reprise"). Marvin tries to teach Whizzer how to play chess, but both of their bitterness boils over, causing them to fight and break up ("The Chess Game"). Meanwhile, Trina and Mendel move in together ("Making a Home"). As he packs his things to leave, Whizzer reflects on his life and relationship with Marvin. He has been used by other men his whole life, and finally decides that he doesn't want to live like that anymore ("The Games I Play"). After receiving Mendel and Trina's marriage announcement, Marvin breaks down in rage and slaps Trina ("Marvin Hits Trina"). Shocked by his actions, everyone confesses that they never intended to feel so deeply about the people in their lives, and they accept the pain that love can bring ("I Never Wanted to Love You"). Jason discovers his attraction to girls, to his relief. In the wake of the destruction of his relationships with both Whizzer and Trina, Marvin sits Jason down for a talk. Marvin tells Jason that no matter what kind of man Jason turns out to be, Marvin will always be there for him, ending the act with the two in a warm embrace ("Father to Son"). Act II: Falsettoland It is 1981, two years later. Two new characters are introduced: Marvin's lesbian neighbors, Dr. Charlotte, an internist, and Cordelia, a gentile caterer who is beginning to attempt to offer Jewish cuisine. Marvin has not seen Whizzer for two years and has not gotten over him ("Falsettoland"). Marvin observes that it's time for him to grow up and get over himself ("About Time"). He has managed to maintain his relationship with Jason and now shares split custody of him with Trina, who has married Mendel. Marvin and Trina begin planning Jason's bar mitzvah, and each character has a different opinion regarding how it should be celebrated ("Year of the Child"). Later, at Jason's Little League Baseball game, Jason ponders which girls he will invite to the bar mitzvah ("Miracle of Judaism"). Whizzer arrives at the baseball game after being invited by Jason. Marvin cautiously asks Whizzer on a date just as Jason manages to hit the ball ("The Baseball Game"). An interlude ends with everyone reflecting on how wonderful life is ("A Day in Falsettoland"). Soon afterwards, Marvin and Trina argue at length about the logistics of the bar mitzvah ("The Fight"). Jason wants to call it off because of all the arguing, and Mendel consoles him, telling him that hating his parents is normal for his age, but everyone eventually matures ("Everyone Hates His Parents"). Later, Marvin sits in bed looking at a sleeping Whizzer, and wonders at how much he loves him ("What More Can I Say?"). Dr. Charlotte, meanwhile, is becoming aware that young gay men in the city are arriving at the hospital sick with a mysterious illness that no one understands ("Something Bad Is Happening"). Whizzer collapses suddenly during a game of racquetball and is hospitalized ("More Racquetball"). Trina is disturbed to realize how upset she is at his condition ("Holding to the Ground"). In Whizzer's hospital room, everyone gathers to cheer him up, commenting on how well he looks. They agree that it is days like this that make them believe in God, but Jason is honest and tells Whizzer that he looks awful ("Days Like This"). Jason wants to wait for Whizzer to get well before holding his bar mitzvah, but Mendel and Trina sit him down to inform him that Whizzer may not recover ("Canceling the Bar Mitzvah"). Marvin sits in Whizzer's hospital room, joined by Cordelia and Dr. Charlotte, and the four reaffirm their commitment to each other despite Whizzer's worsening situation ("Unlikely Lovers"). As Whizzer's condition deteriorates, Jason turns to God, offering to "get bar mitzvah-ed" in exchange for Whizzer getting better ("Another Miracle of Judaism"). Dr. Charlotte explains more about the illness to Marvin and implies that Marvin may become sick as well ("Something Bad Is Happening - Reprise"). Whizzer's illness becomes terminal, and he resolves to face death with dignity and courage ("You Gotta Die Sometime"). Everyone bursts into the room; Jason has decided he wants to hold the ceremony in Whizzer's hospital room ("Jason's Bar Mitzvah"). As Jason completes his recitation, Whizzer collapses and is taken from the room, followed by everyone but Marvin. Marvin, left alone, asks the departed Whizzer what his life would be like if they had not loved each other. Whizzer's spirit appears, asking if Marvin regrets their relationship, and Marvin states he would do it all again ("What Would I Do?"). Marvin's friends and family surround him, and he breaks down in their arms. Mendel steps forward, declaring: "This is where we take a stand" ("Falsettoland - Reprise"). ==Song list==

;Act One • "Four Jews in a Room Bitching" – Whizzer, Marvin, Jason, Mendel, and Trina • "A Tight-Knit Family" – Marvin • "Love Is Blind" – Marvin, Jason, Whizzer, Mendel, and Trina • "Thrill of First Love" – Marvin and Whizzer • "Marvin at the Psychiatrist" – Mendel, Marvin, Jason, and Whizzer • "My Father's a Homo" – Jason • "Everyone Tells Jason to See a Psychiatrist" – Jason, Marvin, Trina, and Whizzer • "This Had Better Come to a Stop" – Marvin, Whizzer, Jason, Trina, and Mendel • "I'm Breaking Down" – Trina (Added for 1982 LA run of "March of the Falsettos" and Hartford Stage's "Falsettos" production; written originally for In Trousers) • "Please Come to Our House" – Mendel, Trina, and Jason. • "Jason's Therapy" – Mendel, Trina, Whizzer, Marvin, and Jason • "A Marriage Proposal" – Mendel • "A Tight-Knit Family (Reprise)" – Mendel and Marvin • "Trina's Song" – Trina • "March of the Falsettos" – Mendel, Marvin, Jason, and Whizzer • "Trina's Song (Reprise)" – Trina • "The Chess Game" – Marvin and Whizzer • "Making a Home" – Mendel, Jason, Trina, and Whizzer • "The Games I Play" – Whizzer • "Marvin Hits Trina" – Marvin, Mendel, Jason, Trina, and Whizzer • "I Never Wanted to Love You" – Marvin, Mendel, Jason, Trina, and Whizzer • "Father to Son" – Marvin and Jason ;Act Two • "Falsettoland" – Mendel & Company • "About Time" – Marvin & Company • "Year of the Child" – Marvin, Trina, Mendel, Jason, Charlotte, and Cordelia • "Miracle of Judaism" – Jason • "The Baseball Game" – Company • "A Day in Falsettoland" – Company • "The Fight" – Mendel, Jason, Marvin, and Trina • "Everyone Hates His Parents" – Mendel, Jason, Marvin, and Trina • "What More Can I Say" – Marvin • "Something Bad Is Happening" – Charlotte and Cordelia • "More Racquetball" – Marvin and Whizzer • "Holding to the Ground" – Trina • "Days Like This" – Company • "Cancelling the Bar Mitzvah" – Mendel, Trina, and Jason • "Unlikely Lovers" – Marvin, Whizzer, Charlotte, and Cordelia • "Another Miracle of Judaism" – Jason • "Something Bad Is Happening (Reprise)" – Charlotte • "You Gotta Die Sometime" – Whizzer • "Jason's Bar Mitzvah" – The Company • "What Would I Do?" – Marvin, Whizzer • "Falsettoland (Reprise)" – MendelEncore • "In Trousers" – Marvin and Ladies † † - Indicates a song not included on the cast recording == Productions ==

Original Broadway production Falsettos opened on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on April 29, 1992, and closed on June 27, 1993, after 487 performances. Directed by James Lapine, the cast included Michael Rupert as Marvin, Stephen Bogardus as Whizzer, Barbara Walsh as Trina, Chip Zien as Mendel (he played Marvin in In Trousers), Jonathan Kaplan as Jason, Heather MacRae as Charlotte, and Carolee Carmello as Cordelia. Rupert, Bogardus, and Zien reprised their roles from the original off-Broadway productions of March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, MacRae reprised her role from Falsettoland, and Walsh reprised her role from a Hartford Stage regional production of Falsettoland. Scenic design was by Douglas Stein, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, and lighting by Frances Aronson. In January 1993, Broadway and screen star Mandy Patinkin took over the role of Marvin from Rupert. The cast and producers were unsure if the show would find a strong following on Broadway, but were encouraged when Frank Rich of The New York Times gave the musical a positive review. Producers Barry and Fran Weissler tried various marketing strategies to promote the musical. Hoping to create an easily-identifiable logo inspired by the minimalist design of Cats, the Weisslers used the work of artist Keith Haring in which two adults and a child hold up a bright red heart. Riley and Sheldon were both awarded Green Room Awards for this production, winning Best Female Artist in a Leading Role and Best for Best Male Artist in a Supporting Role, respectively. In her review of the production, Cassie Tongue of Aussie Theatre viewed the production as a "promising sign of things to come" for the Sydney theater scene, and praised the casting by remarking, "Henderson's Marvin and Retallick's Trina are clear standouts, and de Ferranti and McCann are so essential to the emotional weight of the second act that they are just as impressive as if they had been there from the first". In 2022, the National Institute of Dramatic Art presented a production directed by David Berthold, with music direction by Michael Tyack and choreography by Kelley Abbey. 2016 Broadway revival {{multiple image Producer Jordan Roth announced in 2015 that he would revive the show under the direction of James Lapine in the spring of 2016. The set design incorporated a cube made of large blocks that the actors rearranged throughout the show. The production began previews on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on September 29, 2016, and opened officially on October 27. Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, Stephanie J. Block, and Brandon Uranowitz played Marvin, Whizzer, Trina, and Mendel, respectively. Tracie Thoms played Dr. Charlotte, Betsy Wolfe played Cordelia, and Anthony Rosenthal played Jason. The production closed on January 8, 2017. Two performances were filmed on January 3 and 4, 2017, which were repackaged into a presentation for the PBS television series Live from Lincoln Center and aired on October 27, 2017. A North American tour of the 2016 Broadway revival launched in February 2019, under Lapine's direction, and ended in late June 2019. Max von Essen starred as Marvin, with Eden Espinosa as Trina, Nick Adams as Whizzer, and Nick Blaemire as Mendel. 2019 off West End Selladoor Worldwide announced that they would produce Falsettos at The Other Palace, an off West End theatre in London, for a limited run. The show began previews on August 30, 2019, before officially opening on September 5. The original cast featured Daniel Boys as Marvin, Laura Pitt-Pulford as Trina, Oliver Savile as Whizzer, Joel Montague as Mendel, Gemma Knight-Jones as Charlotte, and Natasha J. Barnes as Cordelia. The show closed on November 23, 2019. Before the production opened, a group of more than 20 Jewish actors and playwrights, including Miriam Margolyes and Maureen Lipman, signed an open letter to the producers, concerned about the lack of Jewish presence within the cast and creatives. Despite this, the show opened to mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the cast, story, and music, but aiming criticism at the scenic design. The show was nominated for Best Video Design and won Best Off-West End Production at the 2020 WhatsOnStage Awards. ==Themes==

Judaism Jewish culture and identity plays a significant role in Falsettos, humorously depicting "Jewish neuroses and self-deprecation." In the song, Marvin, Mendel, and Jason state that they are Jewish, while Whizzer specifies that he is half-Jewish. The first act, March of the Falsettos, was originally intended to be titled Four Jews in a Room Bitching until Lapine insisted that Finn change the title. Jason's bar mitzvah is a major plot point. He also noted that due to the musical's matter-of-fact depiction of homosexuality, "the lesbians are most interesting for being goyim." Finn, who played Little League baseball as a child, invited Koufax to a performance of Falsettos in Los Angeles, and Koufax was reportedly offended by the joke. AIDS epidemic While Falsettos never explicitly names HIV or AIDS, the disease plays a major role in the second half of the musical, with Whizzer suffering from the disease and ultimately losing his life to it. Examples of implicit references to the virus include "Something that kills/Something infectious/Something that spreads from one man to another" and "Something so bad that words have lost their meaning". The first half of the musical takes place in 1979, before the start of the epidemic, and the second half takes place in 1981, the year the epidemic began, leading to a tone shift from primarily comedy to tragedy. Finn said about Falsettoland: "I can't have AIDS be peripheral in the show, and I don't know that I could write about AIDS head-on because the horror is too real and I don't want to trivialize it." The inclusion of lesbian characters Charlotte and Cordelia is a tribute to the lesbians who assisted gay men during the epidemic. Lapine was inspired to revisit the show when attending a performance of The Normal Heart with a recent college graduate. He recalled: "At intermission, she just looked at me and she said, 'Well, I kind of know about AIDS, but was it really like this?'" Masculinity Critic Charles Isherwood asserts that definitions of masculinity form "a sharp undercurrent in the show." In the first act, Marvin attempts to force Whizzer into the role of "pretty boy homemaker," which causes Whizzer to pull away from the relationship. Though Marvin is in a same-sex relationship, he still tries to assume the more traditionally masculine role of the provider. Daily Herald writer Jennifer Farrar characterized the arguments between Marvin and Whizzer as "testosterone-laden." The song "March of the Falsettos" is an ode to the immaturity of the male characters, and features the three adult male characters singing in falsetto to match Jason's preadolescent voice. In "Trina's Song", Trina complains about the men who rule the world and "her fondness for the man-babies in her life battling with exasperation and needy resentment at every turn." Trina's struggles with the men in her life are also expressed in "I'm Breaking Down", where she manically chops bananas and carrots, "an unusual combination but an appropriately phallic one." About the major plot point of Jason's bar mitzvah, Finn explains: "There's so much about what it means to be a man in the show. It's not only the kid becoming a man – it's kind of all the men becoming men. It's a metaphor that resonates." Critics interpreted the set design of the 2016 revival to reflect immaturity by representing the New York City skyline in the form of children's building blocks. The musical additionally explores the link between masculinity and sexuality, with Jason questioning his sexuality and worrying that his father's homosexuality could be genetically passed down to him. ==Reception==

Early performances Frank Rich of The New York Times praised the 1992 opening night performance as "exhilarating and heartbreaking", speaking favorably of the musical's cast, humor, and emotional depth. Gerard thought "Four Jews in a Room Bitching" "hilarious" and praised the musical's pacing, opining that "Lapine and Finn tell their complex story with astonishing economy". In 2016, Daily Herald writer Jennifer Farrar wrote that the play was considered "groundbreaking for its time" upon its 1992 debut. Clive Barnes of the New York Post wrote that the musical "clatters like a set of false teeth in a politically correct ventriloquist's dummy". She viewed the first half as more complex than the second, which she described as "more conventional, its narrative arc familiar, its characterizations less intense, particularly those of the lesbians." Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune wrote that Falsettos "throbs with passion and compassion, a masterwork strong enough to bare formative comparison to the work of Stephen Sondheim, but a whole lot more cuddly of a show." He praised the performances of Block, Thoms, and Wolfe. Linda Winer of Newsweek praised Finn's "enormously quotable, conversational lyrics that catch in the throat as often as they stick in the mind." Winer also commented on the show's set design, noting that though the blocks "can get a bit monotonous, they support the passion by getting out of the play's powerful way." Christopher Kelly of NJ.com praised Rannells and Block, but felt that Borle "comes across as too staid – it impossible to see what Whizzer sees in the guy." Melissa Rose Bernardo of Entertainment Weekly gave the show a B+ and noted the musical's emotional impact. She described "The Baseball Game" as "a work of lyrical comic genius." ==Recordings==

The original cast recordings of the Off-Broadway March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland were both released by DRG Records on January 1, 1991. The Broadway revival cast album was released on January 27, 2017. This album peaked at number two on the Billboard Cast Albums chart and number 98 on the Billboard Album Sales chart. PBS aired a filmed performance of the revival as part of Live from Lincoln Center on October 27, 2017. For this recording, several lines were edited for profanity. == Notable casts ==

; Replacements/Transfers (Original Broadway Cast) • Marvin – Adrian Zmed, Mandy Patinkin, Gregg Edelman • Trina – Randy Graff • Mendel – Jason Graae • Cordelia – Maureen Moore • Jason – Sivan Cotel, Anthony Roth Costanzo ==Awards and accolades==

Falsettos won Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical at the 46th Tony Awards. The 2016 revival cast performed "A Day in Falsettoland" at the 71st Tony Awards. Original Broadway production 2016 Broadway revival 2019 Off-West End ==References==