This year we’re going back to 2015 for some history making musical theatre. This week’s TONY Tuesday is:

‘Ring of Keys’ from Fun Home at the 2015 TONY Awards Ceremony. 

Fun Home is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron. The musical is based on the graphic memoir of the same name by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel, which tells the autobiographical story of her life growing up in rural Pennsylvania, her relationship with her father and navigating her sexual identity. 

When Bechdel’s memoir was released in 2006, it premiered to critical acclaim. Its full adaptation for the stage took place over the course of 5 years. The production first started development with a reading at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in August 2009. A reading containing original cast members Beth Malone and Judy Kuhn took place at the Public in 2011. July 2012 saw another reading at the Public before the show ran as part of their developmental lab season from October to November 2012. The musical was then fully commissioned and premiered for its Off-Broadway run at the Public Theatre from September 2013 to January 2014. Throughout this run, the show was still being revised with cast members being given rewrites and redirection to implement in pretty much every performance during its time at the Public. The musical received critical acclaim and extended several times before its January closing. 

The production transferred to Broadway in Spring 2015, opening at the Circle in the Square Theatre in March. The production was directed by Sam Gold, with costumes and sets by David Zinn, lighting by Ben Stanton, projections by Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg, and choreography by Danny Mefford. The opening night cast included Beth Malone as Alison Bechdel, Michael Cerveris as Bruch Bechdel, Judy Kuhn as Helen Bechdel, Sydney Lucas as Small Alison and Emily Skeggs as Medium Alison. Again, Fun Home opened to critical acclaim, recouping its entire investment within its first 8 months and being nominated for twelve 2015 TONY Awards, winning 5 including ‘Best Musical’. Fun Home marked the first time a TONY was awarded to an all-female writing team. The show closed on 10 September 2016. 

In October 2016, a year long US national tour launched starring Kate Shindle as Alison and Robert Petkoff as Bruce Bechdel. The musical has its Manila premiere in 2016 starring musical theatre star Lea Salonga as Helen Bechdel. The musical made its London premiere at The Young Vic running from June to September 2018. The production starred Kaisa Hammarlund as Alison, with Zubin Varla as Bruch Bechdel and Jenna Russell as Alison Bechdel. The run received critical acclaim, selling out and being nominated for three 2019 London Olivier awards, however, the musical failed to win any.

Rumour tells us that Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker have secured film rights to the musical with a view of Gyllenhaal starring as Bruch Bechdel and Sam Gold marking his feature film directorial debut. 

Besties, if you haven’t listened to Fun Home yet, this is essential musical theatre geek listening. It is a truly beautiful production. Get on it!

Cast recording available on streaming sites. 

FACTS:

Music: Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics: Lisa Kron
Book: Lisa Kron
Theatre: The Circle in the Square Theatre
Run: 27 March 2015 – 10 September 2016 (26 previews and 582 regular performances)

TONYS: 

(NOMINATED) Best Leading Actress in a Musical – Beth Malone, Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Judy Kuhn, Sydney Lucas, Emily Skeggs, Best Orchestrations – John Clancy, Best Scenic Design of a Musical – David Zinn, Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Ben Stanton.

(WON) Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical – Lisa Kron, Best Original Score – Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, Best Direction of a Musical – Sam Gold, Best Leading Actor in a Musical – Michael Cerveris. 

OLIVIERS:

(NOMINATED) Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical – Zubin Varla, Outstanding Achievement in Music – Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron.