Lyric Theatre presents OKC Premiere of "Fun Home"
by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief
It’s the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist. Lyric Theatre will explore the complexities and dysfunction of an American family in Fun Home.
Pride Night, sponsored by The Gayly, is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12. Select tickets are discounted $10 by entering the code “FunPride” at www.LyricTheatreOKC.org.
Fun Home covers three time periods in the life of Alison; present time, Alison as a child and as a college student. The scenes intertwine as the characters paint the picture of a fascinating family careening toward tragedy, living a lie they can’t begin to imagine.
Alison’s father dies unexpectedly, and she dives deep into her past. A story evolves of this volatile, demanding man’s temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. She embodies a growing understanding of her sexuality and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires.
“The complexity of this musical allows us to reflect on our own families and how they influence us as adults,” said Lyric Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron who will also direct Fun Home. “I’m especially proud to have Lyn Cramer play the adult Alison. I’m also thrilled to welcome back Sandra Mae Frank, a deaf actress last seen at Lyric as Hodel in our American Sign Language-integrated (ASL) production of Fiddler on the Roof.”
In an interview with The Gayly, Frank had this to say about playing Joan, Alison’s girlfriend, “Joan is this confident woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s blunt but caring at the same time. She calls Alison out and shows her to be proud of who she is; I can relate to her that way.”
Frank said the show reminds her of her friends growing up. “They’d come out to me but be afraid of telling their parents. It’s a beautiful story and spotlights Alison’s journey throughout her childhood to her adulthood.
“This is the type of musical that is honest, beautiful and it will touch your heart in many ways.”
She added, “What I like about this production compared to others; it’s not about my character being Deaf and finding her way like most plays do with Deaf characters. Joan is just part of the story that happens to be Deaf and meets Alison.”
Lines will be captioned (projected on stage) from the outset in this production of Fun Home, so it won’t throw the audience off when Joan appears and begins signing her lines.
The hit Broadway production earned five Tony Awards in 2015, including Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. Jeanine Tesori has composed more scores than any other female in Broadway history.
Huffington Post said it’s “the best Broadway musical in years with the finest score in a decade.”
In addition to Cramer (Alison) and Frank (Joan), Lyric’s cast features Mateja Govich as Bruce Bechdel and Mandy Jiran as Helen Bechdel. Other cast members include Taylor Yancey (Medium Alison), Reese Freund (Small Alison), Coulter Hershey (John Bechdel), Connor Willis (Christian Bechdel) and Taylor Blackman (Roy).
The production will feature scenic design by Dawn Drake, costumes from Jeffrey Meek, lighting design by Art Whaley and sound design by Anthony Risi. Music direction will be provided by Brian Hamilton with choreography by Matthew Sipress.
The three-week run of Fun Home opens April 11 and continues through April 29 at the Plaza Theatre, 1725 NW 16 St. Single tickets for Fun Home start at just $25. The production is recommended for mature audiences only.
In addition to Pride Night April 12 (“FunPride” for $10 off), Lyric is partnering with Coop Ale Works for Pint Night April 19, at 7:30 p.m. Online ticket purchasers using the promo code “FunPintNight” will receive admission to that performance, a limited edition commemorative Lyric/Coop pint glass to take home, and a Coop beer and a bag of snacks for the show.
For ticket information, visit www.LyricTheatreOKC.org or the Lyric box office at (405) 524-9312.
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma was founded in 1963 and is the state’s leading professional theatre company. Shows are presented at two Oklahoma City venues; the intimate Plaza Theatre and summer shows at the Civic Center Music Hall.
The Gayly. April 3, 2018. 9:37 a.m. CST.