The pop-art set and furnishings may be black and white, but Falsettos goes through many shades of emotion as it explores changing ideas of family. It's 1979 and Jewish New Yorker Marvin has left his wife Trina for a man, Whizzer. He wants, however, to remain important in and, importantly part of, his "old" life, especially of his son Jason.
Though she realizes "Love Is Blind," Trina is not the only one upset.
If, Jason wonders, "My Father's a Homo", will he be one too? Psychiatrist Mendel, sought for help, falls in love with Trina and proposes. He also likes the idea of a ready-made family.
Trina's growing sense of desperation and Marvin's of (at one time violent) frustration get passed on to those who love them, expressed by all in the poignant "I Never Wanted to Love You."
By 1981, Marvin has left and reunited with Whizzer. Trina and the nonreligious Mendel have wed. Because the time for Jason's bar mitzvah ("The Miracle of Judaism") draws near, the focus is on him and his relations with what's become his extended family. That increases with introduction of a lesbian couple, kosher caterer Cordelia and Dr. Charlotte. The latter reporting "Something Bad Is
Happening" brings in the AIDS factor, coming to light at the time, that affects Whizzer.
Final moments combine joy and sorrow. The story ends poignantly in a double coming of age.
As a sung-through musical with Finn's clever, demanding lyrics, Falsettos requires strong, distinctive voices. VT's cast -- especially Gianna Campo (also always-dramatic Trina), Timothy J. Fitzgerald (articulate Mendel) and young Eli Schlildkraut (authentic, likeable, never wavering vocally) come through. In the difficult role of Marvin, Jason Kimble seemed to me exhausted from the get-go but he shouldered on. Trim, vigorous Kristofer Geddie has so attractive a way about him that his Whizzer takes on the same quality. His African-American presence includes biracial coupling in the "family" identity. For the lesbian mates, Debbie White's Cordelia and Linda Mounce's Dr. Charlotte do the same.
Director Brad Wages commendably stresses human issues, still relevant to everyone, in what could be thought of as a period or an ethnic piece. Sometimes pacing's too quick for all the exposition to come through; sometimes, slow. The faults are mainly the authors'. They pile on info at the start of each act and repeat actions and emotional revelations more than necessary. When the writers combined two one-act plays into one, they could have edited more. I suspect they didn't want to shed any of the good songs, wide-ranging in type if not in moving the musical forward.
Musicians are much appreciated heard at VT though not seen. The tech staff provide a variety of fine designs for the production.
A small quibble: prop types, such as Glad plastic containers and bouquet flowers, should be backdated (e.g., Tupperware) to the period.
VT's Stage III deserves credit for bringing shows, like Falsettos, that snap pictures too long missing from the area's theatrical productions record.
