Homosexuals. Women with children. Short insomniacs. Ex-ex lovers. Happy lesbians. And a teeny, tiny band. What a world they live in— welcome to ‘Falsettoland.’ Give these extraordinary performers a hand— the performers of Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre’s Falsettos, that is. This delightfully dizzying musical about LGBTQ+ life in New York as the AIDS crisis is getting underway features some of the most dazzling and haunting music with a striking story. With book by James Lapine & William Finn, and Music & Lyrics by William Finn, this cacophonous series of stories is a tangle of narratives that is both chaotic and wondrous all at once. Directed by Kurt Boehm with Musical Direction by Nathan Beary Blustein, this performance features the sensational talent of seven core performers who have extraordinary voices and a remarkable handle on how to deliver emotions while singing.
Scenic Designer Elizabeth McFadden and Lighting Designer Lynn Joslin work in tandem to create a breathtaking, albeit simplistic, setting for the show. While the libretto unfolds in a glamourous knot of blinking illumination— think tangled Christmas lights that get plugged in before they get unwound— McFadden and Joslin work silently to let the background and lighting designs augment the story and the characters without overpowering it. McFadden has carved a realistic looking city skyline into the background, with a midline part to partially conceal/reveal the ‘tiny band’ (Nathan Beary Blustein- keys, Matthew Dohm- synthesizer, Lindsay Williams- reeds, Victor Younge- percussion.) Joslin uses a series of lighting tricks and magic to illuminate this set— including widow-curtain gobos to insinuate the interior of an apartment and a glorious rainbow wash, highlighting both joyous moments during the performance as well as lending a nod to Pride Month. McFadden and Joslin have seasoned knowledge on how to make the set and lighting inclusive to the experience rather than overwhelm the performance.
Musical Director Nathan Beary Blustein, in addition to conducting the pit and playing keys, gest astonishing sounds of this ensemble of seven. William Finn’s score is complex and intricately complicated; this proves to be no match for Blustein, who delivers smoothly blended harmonies whenever the performers taking to singing in pairs of two or more, and who exemplifies a concentrated ability to clearly deliver articulate sounds when the singing tramples over itself, often during larger group numbers where everyone is singing at once, but they’re all singing different things. Director Kurt Boehm keeps the pacing sharp, the show moving tightly, and with the implementation of Intimacy Consultant Shaquan Pearson, the scenes feel believable and authentic.
Cordelia (Cate Ginsberg) and Charlotte (Valerie Nagel) don’t even arrive until the second act, playing the upbeat, neighboring ‘happy lesbians’ who become an integral, albeit unexplained, part of the story. It’s almost like James Lapine & William Finn have a section of the libretto that happens during the intermission that no one but the players is privy to, wherein the Cordelia & Charlotte couple arrive, become invested and involved, and are an accepted, inherent part of the narrative’s continuation in the second act. Both Ginsberg and Nagel fit seamlessly into the story, arriving as if they’ve been a part of the show the entire time. Nagel has a powerful solo— “Something Bad is Happening” (and its reprise), which is laid thick with disconcerting unease. Both Nagel and Ginsberg bring beautiful married harmonies together for their portions of “Unlikely Lovers” which is a quartet that features the aforementioned pair and the Marvin and Whizzer characters. These two performers add beautiful sounds to the company of seven and are lively every step of the way once they join the journey in the second act.
Trina (Emma Hanks) is a character who finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to raise a son with her ex, who turns out to be gay, whilst marrying her gay ex-husband’s therapist. It’s quite the character but Hanks has it well in hand. She has excellent control over her roving vocal range, delivering stellar tonal quality within said expansive range and she possesses the ability to infuse her solo moments with real emotional grit. “I’m Breaking Down” becomes both hilarious and strangely moving, which showcases the complex duality of the character, which in Hanks’ capable hands is fascinating. You get the utter lunacy of this number straight away but Hanks doesn’t just play the song for laughs; she finds the truth of it while still giving the audience something to laugh about. You get a sampling of her true vocal prowess during the company number “Days Like This” and also during her solo “Holding to the Ground.”
Jason (Darien Chan, a rising eighth-grade soon-to-be-star) is the son caught up in all of this chaos. And not only is the Jason character the son but he’s the son who is about to turn 13 and about to have a Bar Mitzvah. Chan, who is beyond impressive with both his stage presence and his vocal control when it comes to singing up against these young adults, really gives the character an extra kick of panache. There is something to be said for Chan’s ability to show the character’s growth. From the plucky and humorous “Miracle of Judaism” where Chan captures the humors of the characters in solid singing form, to “Another Miracle of Judaism” where Chan showcases the emotional rawness of the character and just how difficult it is to conceptualize and understand what he’s going through. Chan holds his own when dancing with the older male cast during “Four Jews in a Room Bitching” and “March of the Falsettos” (which is such a bizarre fever dream that one wonders how it made its way into this musical in the first place.) Showing great vocal power as well as the keen understanding of the character’s journey, Chan is an excellent addition to the cast.
Playing the psychiatrist turned lover-husband, Sam Intrater gives Mendel great vocal clarity and a strong sense of presence of mind. His voice blends well with the others; he can often be heard in various sections like “Making A Home”, “The Year of the Child”, and especially “Everyone Hates His Parents.” The direct relationship that Intrater’s character has with Chan’s Jason is both fascinating and authentic. The musical numbers are structured in such a way that most of the characters don’t necessarily get whole solo songs but rather solo sections in bigger group numbers; may of Intrater’s musical moments of victory are featured in these moments. He has a great stage presence in addition to strong vocals.
Whizzer (Jimmy Bartlebaugh) and Marvin (Ben Clark) or Marvin and Whizzer. Homosexuals. Dysfunctional. Lovers. All of those words are more come together in the talented hands of Bartlebaugh and Clark. While the characters exist outside of one another— clearly as Marvin has a period of time that he spends apart from Whizzer— the pair are often featured together. At first glance the chemistry between Bartlebaugh’s Whizzer and Clark’s Marvin can be only be described as volatile. This is best witnessed in the vocal showdown between them, “Thrill of First Love.” It is further carried on in “The Chess Game.” The pair are perfect vocal compliments to one another and they harmonize sublimely. Bartlebaugh, as the edgy, cheeky, and somewhat cocky Whizzer, his a glorious sound featured first in “The Games I Play” and again in “You Gotta Die Sometime”, with the latter being so wholly moving and deeply disturbing that you can’t help but feel for him. Clark, as the stoic and somewhat aloof Marvin, really brings his emotional A-game to the table during “Father to Son”, where you hear that stunning voice overflowing with sincere feelings.
As a unit, the seven performers bring laughter and tears, joy and heartache, and everything in-between with their phenomenal voices, outstanding acting, and overall impressive performances. Falsettos is a rarely produced musical and with amazing cast it is definitely one for the books— a must-see for this summer season.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission
Falsettos plays through June 26, 2022 with Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre— in the Theatre Arts Building of the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College— 51 Mannakee Street in Rockville, MD. For tickets call the box office at (240) 567-5301 or purchase them online.
