Joshua Mooiweer

Musical Theatre Foundations 2017

Musical Analysis 2000s

FUN HOME

1. Composers
Music: Jeanine Tesori
Book & Lyrics: Lisa Kron

2. Premiere Date:
April 19, 2015

3. List of Characters/Type/Voice Part

Character Description Type VOICE PART

Alison Bechdel A successful lesbian Intellectual and Alto
cartoonist looking back on articulate woman,
her earlier life grounded
Bruce Bechdel An anal retentive, closeted Distant and closed Baritone
father of a family adult man, lost
Helen Bechdel Alisons mother that has Emotional and Alto
become submissive to her unfulfilled woman,
husband broken
Small Alison A child version of Alison A hopeful child, Alto
energetic and
adventurous
Medium Alison Alison in college An insecure Alto
teenager, unsure of
herself
Christian Allisons younger brother Extremely energetic Tenor
Bechdel child
John Bechdel Allisons younger brother Extremely energetic Tenor
child

4. Music

TITLE SUNG BY SONG TYPE/BALLAD-

It All Comes Back (Opening)
Welcome to Our House on
Maple Avenue
Small Allison, Bruce, Alison &
Company
Helen, Alison, Small Alison,
Christian, John, Bruce & Roy
UPTEMPO
Exposition/Uptempo
Exposition/Uptempo
 Not Too Bad Medium Alison I am/Uptempo
Come to the Fun Home John, Christian & Small Alison I am, special
function/Uptempo
Helens Etude Alison, Roy, Bruce, Small I want/Uptempo
Alison, Helen, John, Christian
& Medium Alison
Party Dress Small Alison, Bruce, Medium Conflict, I want/Uptempo
Alison, Alison
Changing My Major Medium Alison Narration, I am/Uptempo
Maps Alison I am/Uptempo
Raincoat of Love Bobby Jeremy & Company I want, cameo/Uptempo
Ring of Keys Small Alison I want/Uptempo
Days and Days Helen Emotional climax/Ballad
Telephone Wire Alison & Bruce Emotional climax/Uptempo
Edges of the World Bruce Emotional climax/Ballad
Flying Away (Finale) Alison, Medium Alison & Special function/Uptempo
Small Alison

5. Plot Summary with Location of Songs

A successful middle aged lesbian cartoonist recalls her life (It All Comes Back). Part her
childhood (Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue) and part her college life. (Not Too Bad)
Their family lives at a funeral home. (Come to the Fun Home) The main theme throughout the
story is the Alisons relationship with her closeted father and the affect his sexuality it has on
their family. (Helens Etude) Throughout her childhood, Alison and her family deals with her
fathers anal retentive behavior and cheating. (Party Dress) In college, Alison deals with her
awakening and acceptance of her sexuality (Changing My Major) and her crumbling relationship
with her family. Alison analyses the connection with her fathers simplistic life and suicide with
her coming out. (Maps) Bruce is arrested because it is discovered that he was with an underage
man. Bruce and Helen fight and Small Alison fantasies about a happier family life (Raincoat of
Love). Small Alison starts feeling connections with other women. (Ring of Keys) Medium Alison
finds out about her fathers suicide after writing a letter, coming out, and returns home. Her
mother expresses her life with an unfulfilled marriage. (Days and Days) Alison reminisces over
the last time she saw her fathers suicide (Telephone Wire) and then pictures his end (Edges of
the World). Alison finds contentment and draws a positive memory from her childhood (Flying
Away)

6. Climactic Plot Structure

Stasis Alison currently, a lesbian cartoonist thinking
over her life
Exposition Alison shows her familys unhappiness at
home
Inciting Incident Alison discovers she is gay
Rising Action Alison tells her family, no emotive response
 Crisis Alisons father is found to have been cheating
with other men
Climax Alison finds her father commits suicide
Denouement Alison remembers the last time she saw her
father
Resolution/Conclusion Alison finds content with herself and her
dads death
New Stasis Alison ends book with memory of her life
flying in her dads arms

WORKS CITED
Tesori, Jeanine, Lisa Kron, Chris Fenwick, John Clancy, Beth Malone, Sydney Lucas, Michael
Cerveris, Emily Skeggs, Judy Kuhn, Griffin Birney, Noah Hinsdale, Roberta Colindrez, Joel
Perez, and Alison Bechdel. Fun Home: A New Broadway Musical. N.d. CD.