Wait in the Wings, a digital documentary series offering deep dives into Broadway history, has released a new film tracking the development of Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori's Fun Home, 2015's Tony Award-winning Best Musical.
In the documentary, theatre historian Brendon Henderson traces the history of Fun Home from graphic novel to Broadway phenomenon, featuring exclusive footage of Alison Bechdel’s childhood home on Maple Avenue in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, exclusive photos of early set mockups and Bruce Bechdel yearbook images, and interviews with set designer David Zinn and Chrisopher Hibma, former Director of the Sundance Institute, where the adaptation was developed.
Watch below:
After a successful run Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre, Fun Home opened on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre April 19, 2015. The musical, directed by Sam Gold with choreography by Danny Mefford, played 26 previews and 583 performances before closing September 10, 2016. The production earned 12 Tony Award nominations, winning five, including Best Musical.
Based on Bechdel's graphic novel memoir of the same name, Fun Home follows the lesbian cartoonist as she dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. The musical featured music by Tesori and a book and lyrics by Kron.
The musical's original Broadway cast starred Sydney Lucas as Small Alison, Emily Skeggs as Medium Alison, and Beth Malone as Alison, alongside Michael Cerveris as Bruce, Judy Kuhn as Helen, Roberta Colindrez as Joan, Zell Steele Morrow as John, Oscar Williams as Christian, and Joél Perez as Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy, with Jim Stanek, Nicole Van Giesen, Gabriella Pizzolo, Lauren Patten, and Marrick Smith as understudies.
Fun Home featured scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Ben Stanton, video content by Lucy Mackinnon, and sound design by Kai Harada, with stage management by Lisa Dawn Cave, Kevin Bertolacci, and Kelly Stillwell.
