eliastheokay's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
baileysmusical's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite musical so naturally the script gets 5 stars. An amazing show showcasing a complex family, and how the AIDS crisis destroyed so many lives in an intimate way.
lesacreduprintemps's review against another edition
5.0
watching the 1992 production of this musical for real changed the trajectory of my life. that was 2 years ago and i still think about this at least twice a week
lenah9773's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
allygator's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is one of my favorite musicals and the script does it a lot of justice. I definitely recommend listening to either the original off-Broadway or Broadway revival soundtracks while reading it to get an idea of how melody relates to lyrics and plot, but even just reading this is deeply impactful. Falsettos is an iconic and hugely influential piece of queer media, even beyond the theatre space, and reading it gives you a good look into what it meant to live through the beginning of the AIDS crisis. It's a complex story about complex characters who aren't always good people and don't always make the right choices but are still enjoyable to watch and who you are unashamed to root for by the end. The songs are catchy and funny and balance out the often heavy and very sad plot points. This show is brilliant and 100% worth learning about and experiencing whether it's through reading the script, listening to the soundtrack, or watching the professionally filmed 2016 revival.
dkrane's review against another edition
5.0
Thrilled to direct this in a couple months. A beautiful musical unmasking the kids inside every adult, the confusion and joy in building a family, beautifully complex queer characters, and, ultimately, an affirming picture of what family truly means.
miajakobsen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I’m listening to these men who aren't quite men yet but aren't boys, make noise and throw their knives; their toys are people's lives"
This musical is perfect in every aspect. Each lyric and detail is incredibly meaningful. All of the characters are written so well, and I love their development. This is a devastatingly beautiful show, and William Finn does a wonderful job of making you feel all the emotions. I really could talk about this musical forever, thank you William Finn for this work of art.
This musical is perfect in every aspect. Each lyric and detail is incredibly meaningful. All of the characters are written so well, and I love their development. This is a devastatingly beautiful show, and William Finn does a wonderful job of making you feel all the emotions. I really could talk about this musical forever, thank you William Finn for this work of art.
lilmatt050's review against another edition
5.0
52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge Completed: A Play.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG THIS IS SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!
If its still available on YouTube I highly recommend everyone to go watch the musical and be entranced by the LGBTQ elements, the coming-of-age story, and the absolute humor and emotionally draining this musical is. I cannot believe I have not heard of this musical until it was nominated and showcased at the 71st Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical. The musical is basically Fun Home (but 1000x lighter) meets The Normal Heart (1000x funnier) with a dash of Modern Family (meaning LGBTQ family oriented and 1000x sadder).
I hated reading Fun Home and I tried twice to read the damn graphic novel and still I was not able to stomach it. When I started hearing these comparisons it made me want to throw up but I can reassure by the time that the first musical number is done you will love this musical. It is incredible how William Finn was able to tackle this musical and the dark topics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and luckily collaborating with James Lapine opens the door for this to be perform on Broadway back in 1992 and 2016.
The story deals with Jason in this coming-of-age story where he is trying to form his identity and yet is stuck in this predicament that this personal journey is left to himself without help from mom and dad because his parents are getting a divorce. This is 1979 in New York City, mixed with Jason being a Jew and the divorce might seem harsh but the reasoning behind this divorce is because Jason's father, Marvin, is a homosexual. We the audience get to see the struggles especially for that time period that gay men would fulfill the heteronormative narrative of meeting a girl, getting married, produce an offspring, and any homosexual engagement will happen on the side and the man would never leave his family.
And yet 10 years after the Stonewall Riots aka the Gay Liberation movement, the family dynamic is changing and Marvin thinking he can have it all goes into despair when he meets the love of his life aka Whizzer. Being together showcases that Marvin does not have to remain in the fake heteronormative life that he has created and while he can still be there for his son, he create a new life and be happy with a man. And yet that conflict of identity and acceptance permeates with our characters juxtapose to the AIDS crisis that is going to spark like wildfire.
On top of all of this drama, Marvin was seeing a psychiatrist named Mendel who is completely infatuated with Marvin's wife, Trina, and together they fall in love and create this disarray and chaos for Jason as he tries to process all of this, his identity, and prepare for his bar mitzvah. I do not want to give any spoilers so I will leave my review here. What I can say is while I figured out the ended does not mean that the journey was spoiled or ruined. I was reading this play book while watching the musical and I had a true and spectacular time discovering and being impacted by this musical.
By the end I was in tears: tears of joy, tears of sadness, and tears that my humanity was able to touched and recognized how far we've come as a society towards LGBTQ+ history and representation and how far we still have to go. A true joy and thank you William Finn for creating this masterpiece!
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG THIS IS SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!
If its still available on YouTube I highly recommend everyone to go watch the musical and be entranced by the LGBTQ elements, the coming-of-age story, and the absolute humor and emotionally draining this musical is. I cannot believe I have not heard of this musical until it was nominated and showcased at the 71st Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical. The musical is basically Fun Home (but 1000x lighter) meets The Normal Heart (1000x funnier) with a dash of Modern Family (meaning LGBTQ family oriented and 1000x sadder).
I hated reading Fun Home and I tried twice to read the damn graphic novel and still I was not able to stomach it. When I started hearing these comparisons it made me want to throw up but I can reassure by the time that the first musical number is done you will love this musical. It is incredible how William Finn was able to tackle this musical and the dark topics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and luckily collaborating with James Lapine opens the door for this to be perform on Broadway back in 1992 and 2016.
The story deals with Jason in this coming-of-age story where he is trying to form his identity and yet is stuck in this predicament that this personal journey is left to himself without help from mom and dad because his parents are getting a divorce. This is 1979 in New York City, mixed with Jason being a Jew and the divorce might seem harsh but the reasoning behind this divorce is because Jason's father, Marvin, is a homosexual. We the audience get to see the struggles especially for that time period that gay men would fulfill the heteronormative narrative of meeting a girl, getting married, produce an offspring, and any homosexual engagement will happen on the side and the man would never leave his family.
And yet 10 years after the Stonewall Riots aka the Gay Liberation movement, the family dynamic is changing and Marvin thinking he can have it all goes into despair when he meets the love of his life aka Whizzer. Being together showcases that Marvin does not have to remain in the fake heteronormative life that he has created and while he can still be there for his son, he create a new life and be happy with a man. And yet that conflict of identity and acceptance permeates with our characters juxtapose to the AIDS crisis that is going to spark like wildfire.
On top of all of this drama, Marvin was seeing a psychiatrist named Mendel who is completely infatuated with Marvin's wife, Trina, and together they fall in love and create this disarray and chaos for Jason as he tries to process all of this, his identity, and prepare for his bar mitzvah. I do not want to give any spoilers so I will leave my review here. What I can say is while I figured out the ended does not mean that the journey was spoiled or ruined. I was reading this play book while watching the musical and I had a true and spectacular time discovering and being impacted by this musical.
By the end I was in tears: tears of joy, tears of sadness, and tears that my humanity was able to touched and recognized how far we've come as a society towards LGBTQ+ history and representation and how far we still have to go. A true joy and thank you William Finn for creating this masterpiece!
charlietheworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0