Arden Theater Company presents William Finn and James Lapine’s Falsettos

The musical opens sometime in the 1970s and chronicles the familial drama of Marvin (Steve Pacek), who left his wife Trina (Katherine Fried) for his male lover Whizzer (Will Stephan Connell). Marvin tries to maintain a veneer of normal family life for his son with Trina, Jason (Joey Caroto), despite this upheaval. Trina goes on to marry Mendel (Ari Axelrod), the psychiatrist she shared with Marvin, Jason comes of age, and Whizzer and Marvin’s turbulent relationship is impacted by the AIDS epidemic.

Tonal trouble

The musical itself (music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Finn and James Lapine) has some trouble conveying the tone of key relationships. The plot-important emotional closeness between Jason and Whizzer is unclear until early in Act II, though it’s referenced briefly in Jason’s desire for Whizzer’s opinion when his parents suggest he see a psychiatrist—a move that’s puzzling in that moment. Similarly, Trina sings about how she is “trying not to care about this man who Marvin loves” late in Act II. While she and Marvin have a contentious relationship, she has few (if any) direct interactions with Whizzer and her dislike for him isn’t well-conveyed until she surprises herself with how upset she is about his health.

And while I hope real-life mental-health providers from that era had decent professional standards, much of the musical’s plot wouldn’t be possible without a litany of grossly unethical practices. Mendel convinces Marvin to get Trina to his office, pumps Marvin for sexual information about her, and begins treating their son in Trina’s home. Marvin is a deeply unlikable character, but Mendel might be the real villain here.

Tackling a technical challenge

Despite flaws in the material, there can be few complaints about this production directed by Kevin Glaccum. Scenic designer James Kronzer sets the stage simply: a large and impressive abstract outline of a house created from a single white line dominates the space, the only static décor around which other set pieces and props are moved. The home denotes which activities occur there or elsewhere, and lights by Jorge Arroyo literally color the mood.

This is a long performance, running more than two hours (not including intermission). It has 37 songs with emotional solos everywhere and is completely sung through by a cast of seven (only five of whom are in Act I). It is a demanding technical challenge, and this cast knocks it out of the park. Fried as Trina is an absolute powerhouse. Her emotional range and vocals are astounding as she brings us through her grief, anger, and a manic emotional breakdown. Though the production presumably follows Marvin, Fried’s performance helps to highlight how Trina is the character who really experiences the most change.

Axelrod brings warmth and gratitude to Mendel which softens actions that would otherwise be distractingly slimy and manipulative, while Pacek doesn’t let us forget that Marvin is more often than not a callous, self-centered, rigid man, despite being the alleged protagonist. Jessica Johnson and Jessica Money, as Marvin’s lesbian neighbors Dr. Charlotte and Cordelia, have beautiful voices—I wish they got more stage time. Connell’s Whizzer and Caroto’s Jason have the only truly selfless relationship. I wish the writing allowed for more scenes illustrating their closeness and ease together, wonderfully contrasting their relationships with the selfish Marvin.

A musical with complexity

Though this isn’t necessarily a “fun” musical in the style of, say, Cinderella or The Music Man, Falsettos illustrates that musicals as a medium can convey meaningful and heartfelt messages even on complex and emotionally devastating topics, and the Arden’s company does this exceptionally well. Though often dark and indirect, the show at its heart is an earnest look into the complexities of modern-ish life, Judaism, masculinity and gender, and the AIDS epidemic. It challenges audiences to find hope and meaning amid tragedy—a quality that makes it exceptionally worth seeing.