When I found out we were going to watch Fun Home I wasn’t too excited. Audiences watching books turned into movies, plays or musicals are often left unimpressed. I was nervous that Fun Home: The Musical would ruin the great and funny memory I had of Fun Home, the novel. I’m really happy to say… IT DIDN’T! I usually don’t like musicals; I find them corny and exaggerated. But Fun Home was well directed and all the songs added to the storyline instead of just being filler songs. The way the stage rotated was a genius way to transition between time periods of her life. Seeing a comic book played out by a group of talented actors changed my perception of the novel a bit. Looking at humans versus cartoon characters made the words of the story heavy with emotion. While reading the book, I honestly forgot it was based on a true story since it was a comic. I realized just how young Bechdel was when her father was living a secret life and how it must’ve affected her.
The children in the play were so good that they stole the attention away from the adults at times. The disco themed scene where the kids, the gardener, and the parents were singing something was one of the most entreating scenes in the play. It was a great way to lighten the audience’s mood and have a happy scene since the story is a tragicomic after all.
The set design was breathtaking. It made the theater seem much taller and bigger than it was. Allison’s home seemed strangely big for a small family. This may allude to her father’s desire to have a perfect home so people would think the people inside are perfect too. In such a huge home, emotions can get lost and secrets can hide. The family often spent time alone, and when they were together there was tension. When it was just a parent with the children there was a great relationship but when both parents were together, it seemed like they both knew the secret.
