A Tight Knit Family

Falsettos – Broadway in Chicago

You’ll need a deep intake of oxygen before the opening number of this manic, accelerated musical. Why? Because you’ll be left breathless by the waves of emotion rolling in, and that’s only by the end of Act I. Then, get ready for the stirring roller coaster ride that’s Act II. This show packs more levels of the human condition into its first hour than in any other play in recent memory. It’s peopled with seven multilayered, unflinchingly realistic characters who are always dissatisfied with their lives, for various reasons. The musical is tightly packed with 37 songs, a number of finely choreographed interludes, a countless amount of scene changes and a tsunami of emotions.

This full-length musical is actually a melding of two, 75-minute one-acts, that originally appeared separately but now play back-to-back in one production. With a book by William Finn (“A New Brain,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) and James Lapine, with music and lyrics by Finn, the story begins in 1979. Marvin has recently divorced his wife, Trina, because he’s found love and passion with a younger, male lover, named Whizzer. The couple has a spirited, 10-year-old son named Jason, and they all have sessions with a therapist, named Mendel. The relationships between these five characters go through all kinds of ups-and-downs, with Trina and Mendel falling in love and marrying, Marvin and Whizzer breaking up and getting back together, Jason preparing for and then refusing his bar mitzvah and the introduction of Dr. Charlotte and her partner Cordelia, referred to as the “lesbians next door.” The tone of the second act, which takes place two years later, builds happily until the tone suddenly changes when, as the doctor’s song says, “Something Bad is Happening.”

This is a topnotch, professionally-produced Equity production, deserving the Broadway in Chicago label. Staged with spirit by original director, James Lapine, and choreographed with vigor, by Spencer Liff, this National Tour looks and sounds fresh and original, as if it’d been recently written. P. Jason Yarcho accompanies on piano while conducting his gifted, four-piece, onstage orchestra, tucked away behind David Rockwell’s Manhattan-inspired scenic design. Rockwell has filled the stage with a mountain of portable soft blocks of varying sizes and shapes, which the actors rearrange throughout the show into doorways, furnishings and different performance levels. Jeff Croiter has lit this production with wit and cleverness, bathing the production in light while illuminating the highrise windows of New York City.

The cast is handsome and talented, with lots of Broadway credits on their resumes. Max Von Essen strongly leads the cast as Marvin, an ever-dissatisfied Jewish who never appreciates his happy life until it becomes too late. He introduces all the characters with his “A Tight Knit Family;” and later, he bares his soul with his heartfelt, “What More Can I Say?” as well as in duets like “Thrill of First Love,” “Father and Son” and “What Would I Do?” Mr. Von Essen brings his handsome, good looks and beautifully trained vocals to this role, much as he did playing Sonny Malone, in the National Tour of “Xanadu.” The actor also impressed on Broadway in “An American in Paris,” “Evita” and, more recently, “Anastasia.” 
As Whizzer, hunky, mega-talented Nick Adams dazzles as a gay young man who isn’t quite sure he’s ready for monogamy, but eventually discovers that he’s inescapably fallen in love with both Marvin and his family. Adams is remembered on Broadway for his portrayal of over-the-top of drag performer, Adam/Felicia, in “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” The actor opens up his heart in this show with “The Games I Play” and “You Gotta Die Sometime;” then he shares the stage with his cast mates in rousing, humorous songs like, “March of the Falsettos” and “Welcome to Falsettoland.”

Known for her Broadway portrayals of the title role in the musical “Brooklyn,” as Maureen, in “RENT,” but more particularly as Elphaba in “Wicked,” Eden Espinosa is a standout as Trina. She commands the stage in two exquisite numbers: “I’m Breaking Down” and “Holding to the Ground.” The likable, very talented Nick Blaemire, who was seen in “Spongebob Squarepants, the Musical,” here in Chicago, is delightful as Mendel. He provides the necessary backup in songs like the wonderfully silly, “Four Jews in a Room Bitching,” “A Marriage Proposal” (with Trina) and the hilarious “Everyone Hates His Parents.” Alternating the role of Jason with Jonah Mussolino, Thatcher Jacobs brings the appropriate rebellious, tween angst to Jason. His spunky persona and clear, male soprano vocals add much to the musical numbers, particularly in “The Miracle of Judaism.”
Playing the “lesbians next door,” Bryonha Marie Parham is stellar as Dr. Charlotte. This actress with a fantastic voice and just the right attitude, has been seen on Broadway in “Book of Mormon,” “After Midnight” and in “Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess,” but came to everyone’s attention as Sarah’s Friend in “Ragtime.” As her partner, Cordelia, Audrey Cardwell, starred in the gorgeous National Company of “Bright Star.” Gifted with a terrific voice, Ms. Cardwell is very funny as a personal planner who’s obsessed with creating the perfect treats for Jason’s bar mitzvah.

The score, although a bit sing-songy, is filled with a variety of musical styles. Delivered by a talented cast, there are some rich, lovely ballads, a number of sprightly uptempo numbers and a few recitatives that fill out this sung-through contemporary opera with memorable melodies. But it’s Finn’s clever, telling lyrics that often make each musical number so unique. Finn and Lapine’s musical addresses so many issues, from the changing face of love to fidelity, from religious devotion to facing down death. Mr. Lapine’s new production, based upon his 2016 New York revival, is strong, fresh and filled with emotional electricity. It’s a tale of a “Tight Knit Family” who, like all families, must endure all the changes and various moments of life.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented May 28-June 9 by Broadway in Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre (formerly the Oriental Theatre), 24 W. Randolph, Chicago.

Tickets are available at all Broadway in Chicago box offices, the BIC Ticket Line at 800-775-2000 or online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.