I went into “Fun Home” knowing only that it was about feminist cartoonist Alison Bechdel. I thought a musical about a cartoonist would be a light-hearted romp about an artist’s typical struggles. Reality hit me like a truck.
Although art plays a central role in The Phoenix Theatre’s newest musical, “Fun Home”, it is at its heart a play about the secrets that can split apart a seemingly perfect family.
While Alison’s father can be a loving family man, his inner turmoil over his sexuality troubles the relationship he has with Alison, who discovers she’s a lesbian while away at Oberlin College.
Heavy themes such as family dysfunction, emotional abuse, repressed sexuality and even suicide shackle the story to reality, although some of the soundtrack’s light-hearted songs let the story fly into the clouds for a much-welcome breath of fresh air.
Framed by current-day Alison (Becca Ayers) writing her graphic memoir, “Fun Home” is a series of memories strung together by beautiful songs and seamless musical staging by director Robert Kolby Harper.
William Kirkham’s lighting is gorgeous: little lamps throughout the set glow various colors to reflect the mood, and Dave Temby’s sound design is flawless. “Fun Home” is a technical marvel, with incredibly smooth transitions that impressed me with how well they flowed.
Often times, a set piece would be center stage, but once I turned away from the actors, the set piece would have somehow disappeared. Every transition was perfectly orchestrated to ensure the emotion of each individual scene was preserved.
Three different actresses portray Alison throughout her life, all of whom put a unique spin on Alison’s character.
The song “It All Comes Back” sets the stage for Alison and her father’s conflict. Although she adores him, he often retreats into his own little world.
Olivia Fearey is charming as Young Alison, and her young voice expresses the wonder and admiration she felt for her father Bruce, played by Rusty Ferracane, whose deep voice booms with passion and softens with tenderness as he looks over old antiques.
Kaitlyn Russell’s portrayal of Alison in her college days is pleasantly anxious and frumpy, with a subtle hunch that emphasizes her insecurity in a new environment.
Yet all of Alison’s awkwardness melts away once she and girlfriend Joan (Lauren McKay) enter into a relationship and have their first night together.
“I’m changing my major to sex with Joan, with a minor in kissing Joan!” Russell sings, her soaring voice both beautiful and incredibly authentic.
“Changing my Major” is the perfect representation of pure infatuation. Funny at it is, it’s also incredibly satisfying for the audience to finally see Alison reject years of repression and jump headfirst into love.
Yet as celebratory as the moment is, Alison soon realizes that her happy moment of celebration is a cause for conflict with Amelia’s home. As she steps out of the closet, Bruce lingers inside. Soon Allison realizes that her father’s lifelong repression splintered the relationship between Allison’s parents and caused her father to retreat into the arms of strangers, such as Allison’s childhood babysitter, Roy, played by Drake Sherman, who has little time on stage but makes a lasting impression with his humorous stage presence and memorable daisy duke outfit.
“Come to the Fun Home” stars Young Alison along with her brothers, John (Griffin Raia) and Christian (Ian Gray). The entire scene drips with nostalgia and youthful energy, and the young actors’ enthusiasm is palpable, especially Raia, whose bright smile and effervescent energy can’t help but catch your eye whenever he’s on stage. Although he’s the youngest of the three, Raia has a hilarious screen presence, strutting his stuff while dancing to the music and making audiences laugh with his silly poses.
While some of the play’s sweetest moments are in its funniest songs, its heart comes through the emotional ballads sung by Alison, Bruce and her mother Helen, played by Elyse Wolf, who shines during her chilling performance in “Days and Days,” a song about enduring family hardships over years. Helen ends the song by telling her daughter, “I didn’t raise you to give away your days.”
Although Bruce wasn’t able to live long enough to see “Fun Home,” his memory lives on through Alison’s memoir, as well as this beautiful, heartbreaking performance, made all the more beautiful by the Phoenix Theatre’s talented cast and crew. I’m glad I went into “Fun Home” blind because it had an incredible emotional impact. By the time the last song ended, I was trying not to cry.
Contact the reporter at sosulli2@asu.edu.
