**** Recommended Falsettos, produced in Partnership with Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company, and directed by TimeLine co-founder and Associate Artistic Director, Nick Bowling, is an unusual musical in that it defies classification. It’s about the angst-ridden lives of six New Yorkers, but it’s not annoying – at least most of the time. It has funny bits, but it’s not a comedy. It has really sad bits, but it’s not a tragedy. The entire script is sung, but it’s not an opera or even an operetta, it’s a musical soap opera. 4 Spotlights
The show opens with a blockbuster song called Four Jews in a Room Bitching which generates enough angst for three shows but doesn’t actually tell you anything about this one!
So, Marvin (Stephen Schelhardt) and Trina (Sarah Bockel) got married and had a son they called Jason (Charlie Long alternating with Eli Vander Griend). One day in 1979, Marvin announced he was gay, left Trina and moved in with his lover, Whizzer (Jack Ball). Marvin has a lot of angst – he lives in New York, after all – so he sees a shrink, Mendel (Jackson Evans).
Trina isn’t exactly happy about Marvin’s departure. In fact, she’s downright angry about it, as she admits in a song called I’m Breaking Down, while she tries her best to destroy her kitchen – which brought down the house!
When Marvin suggests a shrink, she goes to see Mendel. She’s talking about how angry she is, while Mendel is falling in love. Since they’re trying to make life easier for Jason, his parents insist he see Mendel too, which doesn’t go well at all. Trina marries Mendel, but Marvin breaks up with Whizzer.
Act II, in 1981, which opens with an insane song, Falsettoland, two crazy lesbians have moved in next door to Marvin, Dr. Charlotte (Sharriese Hamilton), who specializes in internal medicine, and Cordelia (Elizabeth Stenholt) who wants to be a caterer. Jason lives with his mother and Mendel, visiting Marvin on weekends. He’s going to be 13 soon, so he’s practicing for his Bar Mitzvah.
Marvin, Trina, Mendel, Dr. Charlotte and Cordelia all attend Jason’s Little League game, sitting in lawn chairs cheering for him when he strikes out. When Whizzer shows up, he shows Jason how to swing his bat, so next time he’s up, he actually gets a hit. Jason tells his parents he invited Whizzer because he likes him.
Marvin and Whizzer reunite, settling into a good life together. Meanwhile, Jason’s Bar Mitzvah has become an obsession for Marvin and Trina. There’s so much conflict, Jason decides he doesn’t want one. Then, one day, Whizzer collapses and ends up in the hospital.
I loved Arnel Sancianco’s colorful set. The combination of a multi-colored stripe on the wall, bright orange, yellow & green doors, and blue and white tiled floor, reminded me of a skating rink – totally apt – since there is a roller skating scene. Loved the convenient shelves which opened out of the wall.
Falsettos started as two stand-alone one-act plays, written by William Finn and James Lapine. A 1981 hit, Falsettos is about the lives of a gay man, his wife, his lover and his son in 1979. Falsettoland, which premiered in 1990, is about the same people, but two years later, during the AIDS crisis. In 1992, the two plays were combined into one for a Broadway run.
Falsettos runs through December 8th at the Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago. Parking is free in the adjacent garage, exit gate will open ½ hour after curtain.
Running time is two hours, 30 minutes, with an intermission. Performances are Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $58-$90. FYI (773) 753-4472 or www.courttheatre.org.