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The lights come up and four men of various ages surround a small table center stage. The rest of the space is empty, and on the table rests a board game. As the four men lean in to begin the game, they suddenly snap to the audience and burst into the opening number
“Four Jews in a room bitching.
Four Jews in a room plot a crime.
I’m bitching, he’s bitching, they’re bitching, we’re bitching.
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch bitch
Funny, funny, funny, funny
Bitch, bitch
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch
All the time
What do they do for love?
What do they do for love?”
Laughter erupts in this packed theater. Movement director William Carlos Angulo’s choreography is precise, and each performer hits the moves just right, making the piece even funnier with each punctuation.
The number is hilarious, and as more of the performers come out to join in the complaining, the audience’s laughter at this performance only heightened. In addition, you may also find that the number offers the perfect window into what you are about to experience. Life has its many ups and downs—and Falsettos certainly does not shy away from the many downs that can come in that journey. However, the show also highlights the importance of community. If your loved ones are close, then there can often be a little light at the end of that tunnel.
Directed by Nick Bowling, Falsettos takes place in New York City between 1979 and 1981. The story follows Marvin (Stephen Schellhardt) after he leaves his wife, Trina (Sarah Bockel) for Whizzer, his male lover (Jack Ball). As his parents battle out the many nuances of the divorce, we witness their young son Jason (Charlie Long) experience feeling stuck in the middle, wishing they could only get it together so he can focus on preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah. As the family drama explodes, new friends and lovers come into the mix, as well as the heartbreaking impacts of the AIDS epidemic.
With music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine, the show is completely sung through from start to finish. The score features a range of material that captures the comedic moments of the show as well as the many challenges that arise for this family. Fans of Falsettos will recognize all of the hits including "The Thrill of First Love," "Making a Home," "I Never Wanted to Love You," and "What More Can I Say?" The ensemble as a whole is quite strong, with Schellhardt driving the show through his emotional solos.
The heart of the show is about the family, and Bowling’s talented artistic team helps highlight that theme—particularly through scenic designer Arnel Sancianco’s sparse set. As furniture pieces move in and around the performers, we as an audience are able to see the chaos physically consume them.
"I’m Breaking Down" is one such number that highlights the creativity of all involved. The number appears early in Act One as Trina navigates the turmoil of losing her husband in the divorce, but still having to find a way to co-parent and keep him in her life. At the beginning of the number, Bockel rolls a small kitchen island to the foot of the stage. As she begins to sing of her panic and heartbreak, we watch her struggle to prepare dinner. Lighting designer Maggie Fullilove-Nugent zooms in on Bockel, and especially with so little space between the actor and the audience, there is little to distract from the pure emotion of the moment, particularly as it becomes increasingly harder to keep it together. You may just find that the simplicity allows the audience to focus on Bockel’s gut-wrenching performance, and invites us to lean in a little closer to witness her story.
With knockout performances, intimate design, and an emotional roller-coaster of a story, this production of Falsettos pulls on all the heartstrings.
Falsettos runs through December 8 at Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave. Tickets are $23.50 - $61.50 for performances running from Wednesday-Sunday. Running time is 2 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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