Falsettos at Keegan Theatre bursts with humor and heart as the musical’s talented cast explores the hope and chaos, and frustrations and forgiveness that are woven through the bonds of family and friendship.
Kurt Boehm directs and choreographs the Tony Award-winning musical. Falsettos, by the esteemed duo William Finn (book, music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book) weaves a poignant tale of connections among family – both chosen and biological – against the backdrop of post-Stonewall gay liberation of the late 70s abruptly meeting the AIDS crisis in the early 80s, mixed with high drama bar mitzvah plans, family neurosis, sharp humor and heartbreaking tenderness.
John Loughney as Marvin is the center of the story. Loughney is a solid anchor and gives a nuanced performance of this flawed man with heart and compassion. Marvin “wants it all” but hurts the people around him as he tries to figure it out. From the opening “Tight-Knit Family” to “What More Can I Say?” to “Unlikely Lovers,” Loughney brings to life Marvin’s complicated, earnest, selfish, loving heart.
Katie McManus (Trina) has a powerfully soaring voice, great comedic timing, and masterful acting chops. McManus’s first act solo “I’m Breaking Down” is a hilarious literal showstopper that was marked by great guffaws and prolonged applause on opening night, while in the second act her “Holding to the Ground” is a deep and guttural gasp to try to make sense of all the confusion whirling around her.
We shouldn’t like or trust a psychiatrist who woos and marries his patient’s ex-wife. But with Ryan Burke inhabiting the role that Finn and Lapine penned, Mendel is a mensch. He’s a shoulder to cry on and he offers wise perspective … and yet he is so distracted by family issues that he tunes out and calls a patient by the wrong name. Burke’s dry and earnest rendition of “Everyone Hates His Parents” is a high point of the show.
Kaylen Morgan’s Whizzer is attractive, intense and passionate – and at first that is all we see of him in the first scenes of the tumultuous initial relationship with Marvin. Yet as we move through the years, Morgan peels away Whizzer’s layers. It is kind and patient Whizzer who coaches Jason in baseball and eases Jason through so much confusion. Whizzer and Marvin grow to be more at ease. Morgan evolves from a character of great vitality to a man who is scared and drained and vulnerable.
In Act 2 the circle expands to include “the lesbians next door.” Shayla Lowe as internist Dr. Charlotte shares both the intensity of a committed physician and the buoyancy of a partner in love. Her “Something Bad is Happening” is especially powerful and haunting. Kylie Clare Truby (Cordelia) brings light but not lightness – Truby has great complexity as the caterer who sees her beloved partner save lives while she works on the best gefilte fish recipes. Lowe and Truby bring great energy and heart to “A Day in Falsettoland” as they ask “do you know how great my life is? Saving lives and loving you.”
Keegan Theatre timed the production to run during the 2025 World Pride festival in Washington, DC. Falsettos marks an important historical era, yet it is timeless in celebrating the myriad bonds we forge. Keegan brings us a show of great humor and depth by a talented cast that wins our hearts.