Review by KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Despite the name, there isn’t a lot of “fun” in the musical “Fun Home”. The play, which is based on a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, focuses on memories from Alison’s childhood and early adulthood that mainly center on her father, Bruce Bechdel.
Bruce was an English teacher, home renovator and funeral parlor director – hence the name of the play. The family nicknames the funeral business “fun home”.
But Bruce harbors a secret – he is gay. Living in a time when gay marriage, rights and acceptance was pretty much nonexistent, this secret seems to gnaw away at Bruce – making him angry, resentful and ultimately pushing him to end his life. Like I said, not a fun story but still an important one to tell.
Los Alamos Little Theater and Los Alamos Light Opera teamed up for this local production of the Tony-award winning musical. In it, Alison (Allison Zastrow) is busy drafting her graphic novel and as she recalls events throughout her life to include in the memoir, they come to life on stage. Abbie Johnson reenacts Alison’s childhood experiences while Anna Gattis portrays Alison’s time in college when she realizes that she too is gay.
These are perhaps my favorite moments in the play. Gattis expertly portrays Alison’s response to meeting her first, big love, Joan (Gloria Galassi). Her number, “Changing My Major” encapsulates all the giddiness, awkward nervousness and full-on devotion of young love.
The other really striking number is “Telephone Wire”, which Zastrow sings while her character shares an imaginary car drive with her father, and she frantically urges herself to talk to Bruce about what is on her mind and in her heart. This is something I, and I suspect many others, can relate to. Haven’t we all mentally scolded ourselves to open up, and talk honestly to the people we care about?
Speaking of her father, Patrick MacDonald plays Bruce and his performance easily steals the show. MacDonald depicts all the pent-up rage Bruce has toward having to deny who he truly is but also Bruce’s vulnerability. A real heart-wrenching moment is his response to his daughter when she tells him she is a lesbian.
Kudos should also go to Mitsi Pair Willard as Alison’s mom, Helen. Willard has a fantastic voice and she utilizes it well in expressing how she feels about her husband’s closeted homosexuality, infidelities and temper.
Other standouts are the sets. Before attending Sunday’s matinee, I watched a YouTube video about the play, which showed clips of the real-life Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel. The sets on the stage mirror the novel’s drawings to a T.
When the play concluded, and it ended on a bittersweet note, I left with a complicated feeling toward the play. It is not your typical musical; it is the only one that I know of that portrays serious, real-life issues like infidelity, depression and suicide in music and song. Still, going back to the YouTube video, the video included testimonials from individuals in the LGBTQ+ community who said through the play they felt seen and valued. That is something that is important and cannot be discounted. So, I encourage everyone to go and watch “Fun Home” because while I can’t promise it will be a fun time it will be an impactful one.
“Fun Home” shows continue at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Performing Arts Center, 1670 Nectar St. Tickets at $25 (general admission)/ $20 (students/seniors) are available online at www.losalamoslightopera.org, and www.lalt.org.
Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, and there are no fees associated with online presales.
