The first scene of "Fun Home" lays out the ending. The 20th Century family gathers in a house set for the Victorian Era, showing us that this is a family that is stuck between past and future.
And then the main character, Alison, says this:
"My dad and I both grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town. And he was gay. And I was gay. And he… killed himself. And I… became a lesbian cartoonist."
The character who says that is Alison Bechdel. Bechdel is a real-life, lesbian cartoonist who wrote the graphic memoir that "Fun Home" is based upon. Bechdel is also the originator of the Bechdel Test for movies and TV.
The problem is that Alison - growing up in the '70s - acknowledged she was gay when she got to college. Her father was deeply closeted, and deeply troubled by that.
Yet despite this storyline, and despite the fact that the term "Fun Home" is short for the funeral home the family runs, the musical is incredibly upbeat, funny, and poignant.
The character of Alison is actually played by three actors - one child, one college age, and one adult.
Abby Corrigan who plays "Medium Alison" said three separate parts is important for the story.
“I think in order to successfully share the story with an audience it has to be separate because you have to see her thought process,” she said.
This is not Alison's story. It's her dad's story. And the three Alison's serve as a device for the author to go back and try to understand her dad's life. And, in relief, the lives of her and her mother.
Robert Petkoff plays "Bruce Bechdel," Alison's father. He said the character is an extremely complex man and nothing like any musical theater character he has played in the past.
Petkoff credits Alison Bechdel's original work for helping fill the shoes of the character.
“The graphic novel is a great help because you can read amazing literate descriptions about people but to see Alison’s visualizations of her father in a drawing…. It was an interesting tool that I’ve never had before,” he said.
While the circumstances in the musical may not match every family's experience, Petkoff said the themes of the story and the relationships are relatable to everyone.
“The story that Alison went through in her real life with her father and her family is indeed a story so many people go through,” he said.
Corrigan agreed that like all good works of art "Fun Home" is universal.
“It’s about sexual awakening. It’s a true story. It’s about family. And it’s not just about being gay. It’s just about being human,” she said.
"Fun Home" won five Tony Awards in 2015, including best musical. It was the first musical written by an all women writing team to win a Tony. But, even as the Tony Awards for 2015 were being given out, the musical was overshadowed by "Hamilton," which had opened in time for the 2016 season.
Yet, critics compare the two favorably. The Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones calls "Fun Home," "an exquisite piece of work" that is the equal to that play about our founding fathers.
And tickets are available at the Smith Center through Jan. 8.
Robert Petkoff, "Bruce Bechdel," "Fun Home"; Abby Corrigan, "Medium Alison" (the college student), "Fun Home"
