Falsettos

Falsettos

Lincoln Center Theater

Walter Kerr Theatre

October 15, 2016

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Lincoln Center Theater is celebrating William Finn’s Falsettos with a poignant revival at the Walter Kerr Theatre.  Under the directions of James Lapine, this powerhouse cast delivers breathtaking performances.  The production offers a chance to stop and think of not only how far we have come in just a few short decades, but what took place that propelled us forward and how important it is to not fall back.

Act I takes place in 1979.  Marvin (played by Christian Borle) has left his wife, Trina (played by Stephanie J. Block), and son, Jason (played by Anthony Rosenthal), for his lover, Whizzer (played by Andrew Rannells).  In an attempt to maintain a sense of connection, Trina and Jason see Marvin’s psychologist, Mendel (played by Brandon Uranowitz).  The entanglement intensifies when Mendel falls in love with Trina and they get married.  The emotional upheaval that comes with the breakdown of the traditional family is tenderly illustrated in this act.  Uncertainty is felt by all the characters.  Stephani J. Block keeps the humor high in her rendition of the song “I’m Breaking Down.”  She and the men in the cast comically illustrate her point of view about this tough transition in the song “March of the Falsettos.”

The cast of Falsettos
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Act II takes place in 1981.  Marvin has split with Whizzer and befriended his neighbors, Dr. Charlotte (played by Tracie Thoms) and her girlfriend, Cordelia (played by Betsy Wolfe).  When Jason invites Whizzer to his baseball game, Marvin and he start up again.  While plans for Jason’s Bar Mitzvah are underway, Whizzer is diagnosed with AIDS.  Tracie Thoms succinctly expresses the helplessness and confusion that was felt at the beginning of the AIDS crisis.  Christian Borle creates a number of sincere and honest moments that connect to what he tells his son in Act I, that love is most important.  It is the chemistry of this amazing ensemble that allows the message of Falsettos to ring true and come full circle.

This production lacks the groundbreaking effect that it had when it was originally produced at Playwrights Horizon in 1981.  It does, however, allow us to reminisce on decades past and reflect on what is important to carry forward in the decades to come.

Domenick Danza