In 2018, the Proud Mary Theatre Company took a poll of its patrons.
“What musical would you like to see on stage?”
The top vote-getter was “Falsettos,” the laugh-out-loud and poignant show about a dysfunctional Jewish family in the 1970s and early ’80s.
Fittingly, Proud Mary is staging the Tony Award-winning musical featuring a cast of Upstate actors including Brady Coyle-Smith and DeAna Earl. The show opens Oct. 29 for six performances in Spartanburg (Oct. 29-30) and Greer (Nov. 5-6).
“This is a modern classic for the LGBTQ community,” said Sandy Staggs, artistic director and founder of Proud Mary.
‘Visionary musical’
The small-scale musical (there are seven cast members) is sung throughout and begins with the breakdown of a marriage. Marvin has left his wife Trina to be with a male lover. Trina, meanwhile, finds herself attracted to Marvin’s psychiatrist.
Caught in the middle is the 10-year-old Jason, the son of Marvin and Trina. “Sometimes, Jason is the only adult in the room,” Staggs said.
The score features witty Broadway-style ensemble numbers and solo ballads by William Finn, who won two 1992 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Book.
“Falsettos” was created from Finn’s two one-act musicals, “March of the Falsettos” (1981) and “Falsettoland” (1990). Playwright James Lapine co-wrote the book with Finn.
The second part of the show centers on Jason’s approaching bar mitzvah. (Josh Begelman, the actor playing Jason, happens to be planning his own bar mitzvah in real life. Begelman is already a veteran actor, having appeared on Saturday Night Live and most recently on the Disney+ miniseries “WandaVision.”) Meanwhile, young gay men in New York City are becoming sick with a mysterious new disease, which would come to be known as AIDS.
“It’s the sort of musical where you laugh hysterically even while it’s breaking your heart,” said director John Fagan.
Laura Thomason serves as music director for “Falsettos,” leading a four-person music ensemble. Choreography is by Michael McCrary.
Partnering with local agencies
The musical was the first Broadway show to deal with the AIDS epidemic, a subject later taken up by shows such as by Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” and Jonathan Larson’s musical “Rent.”
Now in its fifth year, the Proud Mary Theatre Company is dedicated to amplifying LGBTQ+ voices through theater in the Upstate.
For “Falsettos,” Proud Mary is partnering with Piedmont Care and AID Upstate to raise awareness of HIV prevention and accepting donations for these organizations at each performance.
Theater-goers should note: “Falsettos” includes strong language and is best for ages 12 and up. Seating is limited due to COVID-19. Proud Mary is practicing social distancing in the audience and masks are required.
If you go
What: “Falsettos”
When and Where: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29-30; 2 p.m. Oct. 30 (Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, 210 Henry Place in Spartanburg); 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5-6; 2 p.m. Nov. 6 (City of Greer Center for the Arts, 804 Trade Street in Greer).
Tickets: $25
Info: proudmarytheatre.com or 864-202-6555.
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By popular demand, Proud Mary stages Tony Award-winner 'Falsettos' - Greenville Journal
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