A two-time Tony Award winner in 1992,
Falsettos depicts a spectacularly dysfunctional family. The play's bittersweet tone recalls
Little Miss Sunshine, and the omnipresent music (all of the exposition is conveyed through singing) inspired a
Time critic to dub lyricist and composer William Finn "the child of Stephen Sondheim." Much to the befuddlement of his 10-year-old son, Jason, Marvin leaves his wife, Trina, to move in with his male lover, Whizzer. Little Jason's first solo begins,
My father's a homo/
My mother's not thrilled at all. Marvin explains his situation to his psychiatrist, Mendel, who eventually becomes taken with Trina. The adult characters struggle to relate to one another from ever-evolving, often awkward perspectives while Jason, awaiting his bar mitzvah, ponders his impending manhood. Directed by Mark Swezey, who helmed local productions of
The Wizard of Oz and
Angels in America in 2007,
Falsettos opens at the Lewis and Shirley White Theatre (5801 West 115th Street in Overland Park, 913-327-8054) tonight at 7:30.
Lewis and Shirley White Theatre
Sat., Jan. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 6, 2 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 13, 2 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 20, 2 p.m., 2008
