Fun Home

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Fun Home

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  4w, 2m, 1girl(s), 2boy(s)

Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel

Adapted from Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking graphic novel, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.

Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Fun Home

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 2m, 1girl(s), 2boy(s)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Biography
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Five 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book
    Finalist! 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
    Winner! Two 2014 Obie Awards, including Outstanding Musical
    Winner! 2014 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical
    Winner! Three 2014 Lucille Lortel Awards, including Outstanding Musical
    Nominee: Three 2019 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical
Fun Home

Details

Summary
When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires. Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.
History
Fun Home premiered at The Public Theater in New York City on 22 October 2013, under the direction of Sam Gold. The show premiered on Broadway at Circle in the Square Theatre on April 19, 2015. Directed by Gold, the Broadway production featured Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Sydney Lucas, Beth Malone and Emily Skeggs.
Keywords
Performing Groups
ALISON – 43 years old, a cartoonist (Range: E3-D5)
MEDIUM ALISON – 19 years old, a college freshman (Range: G3-E5)
SMALL ALISON – around 9 years old (Range: A3-E5)
BRUCE BECHDEL – Alison’s father (Range: A2-G4)
HELEN BECHDEL – Alison’s mother (Range: A3-E5)
CHRISTIAN BECHDEL – Alison’s brother, around 10 years old (Range: C#4-D5)
JOHN BECHDEL – Alison’s brother, around 6 years old (Range: C#4-E5)
ROY – a young man Bruce hires to do yard work (Range: G3-A4 (opt. D#5))
MARK – a high school junior 
JOAN – a college student (Range: G3-G4)
PETE – a mourner
BOBBY JEREMY AND THE SUSAN DEYS – imaginary television characters 

*The roles of Roy, Mark, Pete, and Bobby Jeremy are performed by the same actor.
The Susan Deys are played by the actors playing Medium Alison and Joan.

The authors have authorized licensees the opportunity to cast people of all ethnicities and races in any and all roles.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century, 1970s
  • Setting The Bechdel family's home, the Bechdel's family-owned funeral home, and Oberlin College.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“A rare beauty, extraordinary and heart-gripping.” – Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“Wondrous… Tesori and Kron’s light touch lets the work soar to sky limits. It shifts remarkably between light and shade, sweet and aching moments, haunting dissonance and perfect harmony.” – The Guardian, 2021

“Fun Home is a beautiful, sensitive, insightful, innovative and heartbreaking musical, addressing themes including sexual identity, family, memory, truth and lies, and suicide… The show is ingeniously structured, using a non-linear narrative that moves back and forth in time to amplify the theme of memory and the impact of our parents and family on who we become.” – Limelight, 2021

“The best musical of the season.” – New York Magazine

“Few shows are as moving, relatable, and funny.” – Associated Press

“The best Broadway musical in years, with the finest score in a decade.” – Huffington Post

“Exquisite. An emotional powerhouse.” – Chicago Tribune

“FIVE STARS. Fun Home has enormous intelligence and sensitivity. It's not your ordinary Broadway musical, because it is extraordinary.” – Time Out New York

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

27 Plays & Musicals for Book Lovers
by Annette Storckman
August 2, 2019

Musical Theatre and the LGBTQ+ Audience: An Interview with Patrick Pacheco
by Jim Colleran
June 20, 2019

Our Picks For The 2019/20 Season
Lawrence Haynes
January 7, 2019

FUN HOME, CURIOUS INCIDENT, Kelli O’Hara, Helen Mirren, Michael Cerveris and Alex Sharp Lead Tony Awards!
by Courtney Kochuba
June 8, 2015

Videos

  • Tony Acceptance Speech: BEST MUSICAL youtube thumbnail

    Tony Acceptance Speech: BEST MUSICAL

  • Fun Home on Broadway - Montage youtube thumbnail

    Fun Home on Broadway - Montage

  • Fun Home - Works and Progress at the Guggenheim youtube thumbnail

    Fun Home - Works and Progress at the Guggenheim

  • Fun Home - Broadway.com Preview youtube thumbnail

    Fun Home - Broadway.com Preview

  • Fun Home at Sydney Theatre Company 2021 - Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Fun Home at Sydney Theatre Company 2021 - Trailer

  • Fun Home - Journey to Broadway youtube thumbnail

    Fun Home - Journey to Broadway

  • Fun Home - Off-Broadway Montage youtube thumbnail

    Fun Home - Off-Broadway Montage

  • Emily Skeggs - "Changing My Major" youtube thumbnail

    Emily Skeggs - "Changing My Major"

  • Tony Acceptance Speech: Lisa Kron youtube thumbnail

    Tony Acceptance Speech: Lisa Kron

  • Tony Acceptance Speech: Jeanine Tesori youtube thumbnail

    Tony Acceptance Speech: Jeanine Tesori

  • Tony Acceptance Speech: Director Sam Gold youtube thumbnail

    Tony Acceptance Speech: Director Sam Gold

  • Tony Acceptance Speech: Actor Michael Cerveris youtube thumbnail

    Tony Acceptance Speech: Actor Michael Cerveris

Show more +

Photos

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Fun Home

    Image: 2015 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Show more +

Music

Music Samples

1. “It All Comes Back (Opening)” – Small Alison, Bruce, Alison & Company
1a. “Helen’s Etude” – Orchestra
2. “Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue” – Helen, Alison, Small Alison, Christian, John, Bruce & Roy
2a. “Medium Alison: Not Too Bad” – Medium Alison
2b. “Thanks” – Orchestra
2c. “Oberlin College” – Orchestra
3. “Come to the Fun Home” – John, Christian & Small Alison
3a. “Is That All?” – Orchestra
3b. “Danke” – Orchestra
3c. “Can We Watch TV?” – Orchestra
4. “Helen, Bruce and Roy” – Helen, Bruce, Roy & Kids
4a. “Dear Mom and Dad” – Orchestra
4b. “She Draws” – Orchestra
4c. “Hi” – Orchestra
5. “Tough Titty” – Small Alison, Bruce & Medium Alison
6. “Changing My Major” – Medium Alison
6a. “After Changing My Major” – Orchestra
7. “Maps” – Bruce, Alison
7a. “Bruce and Mark” – Orchestra
7b. “Danville” – Orchestra
8. “Raincoat of Love” – Bobby Jeremy & Company
9. “Pony Girl” – Bruce
9a. “After Pony Girl” – Orchestra
9b. “What Else Would I Be” - Orchestra
10. “Ring of Keys” – Small Alison
10a. “I Checked Out” – Orchestra
10b. “You’ve Done Too Much” – Orchestra
11. “Days” – Helen
12. “Bruce At The Piano” – Bruce
13. “Telephone Wire” – Alison & Bruce
13a. “After Telephone Wire” – Orchestra
14. “Edges of the World” – Bruce
14a. “After Edges” – Orchestra
15. “Finale: Flying Away” – Alison, Medium Alison & Small Alison
16. “Bows” – Orchestra
  • Musical Style Pop/Rock, Contemporary Broadway
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Medium
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
10   Piano-Conductor (rehearsal & performance)

1   Reed – Flute, Clarinet, English Horn, Bass Clarinet & Tenor Sax
1   Guitar – Electric, Acoustic, Nylon, 12 string-acoustic, 12 string-electric
1   Drums – Bell Tree, Cajon, Crotales, Djembe, Eastern Finger Cymbal, Finger Cymbals, Mark Tree, Mounted Finger Cymbals, Orchestra Bells, Shaker & Triangle
1   Violin/Viola
1   Cello
1   Bass – Upright, Electric, 5 string electric, Acoustic & 5 string electric - fretted

10   Piano-Conductor (rehearsal & performance)
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Authors

Lisa Kron

Lisa Kron

Lisa Kron is a writer and performer whose work has been widely produced in New York, regionally, and internationally. Her plays include Well, 2.5 Minute Ride and The Ver**zon Play. She wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Fun Home (with music by composer Jeanine Tesori), ...

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Jeanine Tesori

Jeanine Tesori

Jeanine Tesori has written a diverse catalog for Broadway, opera, film and television. Her Broadway musicals include: Fun Home (2015 Tony Award Winner, Pulitzer finalist); Violet; Caroline, or Change; Shrek the Musical; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Twelfth Night (LCT); John Guar ...

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Author

Alison Bechdel

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