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| Scene from Falsettos |
The story begins with a glowing box sitting in front of a backdrop of skyscrapers. There is a mystery as to what this box represents, and it isn't immediately clear. With an opening song that highlights the nagging nature of Jews, the comedic musical takes its time getting it. The production at the Ahmanson is sparse, making enough stage space for its seven actors, grounded by a central family with a wacky infidelity story. Everything intertwines in a matter that does plenty to add humanity to these absurd ideas, such as a homosexual father Marvin (Max von Essen) and wife Trina (Eden Espinosa) falling in love with a psychiatrist Mendel (Nick Blaemire). Suddenly, the box is full of Tetris-like pieces that turn into chairs and tables, and even doorways. If the box symbolizes one thing as it transforms throughout the entirety of the story, it's the heart and soul of this family who doesn't everything they can to not fall apart. Every piece matters in making the vision more whole.
One would assume that the comedy of Falsettos comes from someplace that it doesn't. Marvin is gay. Trina knows and is dating Mendel anyways. Maybe Marvin's boyfriend Whizzer (Nick Adams) is some kind of pariah? Nope. He's a positive mentor to Marvin's son Jason (Thatcher Jacobs). At every turn, the musical presents a story where the unconventional is conventional, where these differences don't draw each other apart. Instead, they're odd transgressions that make us human and everyone in the show has accepted it. The story is still an intimate comedy dealing with these issues, but none of the hot-buttoned elements are what makes the music and humor of the story work. They're more drawn from the egos clashing as they try to understand why Jason is a bit of an outcast, or why Marvin is maybe a disappointment as a father. It works because it returns to the drama and humanity of its characters who make up a nuclear family in 1979, in a time where psychiatry ruled almost every family when conversations seemed moments from turning into an argument.
The show exists to deconstruct the idea of the modern family. It comes from the feeling that Marvin and Trina are about to go through a divorce and it explains the psychological tolls on their son. There's a whole song in which Jason is told that he needs to the psychiatrist by his parents and overtly responds no. It's clear that the men in Jason's life aren't great role models, so the world outside of the home is scary and full of danger. It isn't until he meets Mendel that things begin to click. Marvin's insecurity to divorce and realize he's a bad link in the puzzle, adding a sadness made worse by his break-up with Whizzer. He is alone right as his family becomes whole. Mendel, as a psychiatrist usually is, is the voice of reason and seems to turn everything around
As these events unfold, pieces still in the box on stage serve as a spectators' area where "off stage" actors sit and observe the scene. The box changes shape over the course of the story, falling more apart as pieces are used to make the scene feel more lived in. Still, it manages to serve as this world created by a family that is fragile yet beautiful, simple in its grey and boxy designs. While these are the prominent props throughout the show, there are various other things used, such as cooking wear and tennis racquets. The show's stage design in the second half, set in 1981, changes slightly as it begins to incorporate more outside imagery, including drapes, to better convey its story. However, the theme is still all true: the deconstruction of a family.
The six actors all deserve credit for making a show with such a demanding set become something so appealing. Not only do they sing and dance, but among these actions, they are moving furniture around to prepare for the next scene. The first act is more action oriented, meaning that a lot of the set pieces are more clever and require physical dexterity. There's even a hallucinogenic sequence in which many of the key actors dance along with the sets. Besides managing to convey deeply rooted angst through singing, these actors are great at comedic timing and manage to make every inflection count. The story's comedy is often hidden in a verse, so patience is required to fully appreciate the show's nuance.
While the show centers around a family, it ends as a story about the AIDS epidemic. It's to be expected, given Whizzer and Marvin's open relationship. After a very fun show that saw everyone looking towards a brighter future, there's a wrench thrown into everything. It's one that was meant to make a statement and bring emotional truth to the theater. While it could get points for its depiction of LGBT in ways that weren't one dimensional, it feels like its legacy lies in the ability to sympathize an AIDS patient without making that their sole identity. These people held so much more value in our lives, and the slow reveal manages to show just how fragile life can be. For all of the trouble in our lives, it doesn't feel so wrong to come together and try to make a change. The ending is one of longing and the painful feeling that we'd go through this pain all again. Why? Because it made us happy. Because it made us human.
Falsettos is sold as this upbeat infidelity comedy. To stop there, however, would be a great disservice to everything that it has underneath. From its clever use of the set design to its toe-tapping songs that will make you laugh the whole way through, it's a unique journey into a situation that could be lampooned but is instead mined for pathos. The show may be a bit imperfect, but that's only because of its audacity to constantly be reshaping the stage and finding new ways to connect with its characters. Relationships on any level are messy, and this show knows that very well. It may not always say it the right way, but it leaves enough of an impression of the impact of family friends and psychiatrists in our lives to show that everyone makes a difference to each other, even if it's very small. This isn't a story that uses its premise as a crutch, and it's all the stronger for that. In its place is a dysfunctional family that actually has answers instead of arguments. For all the nagging, they still know how to love.
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