Fun Home

by Lisa Kron (Book and Lyrics), Alison Bechdel (Original author), Jeanine Tesori (Music)

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.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Read For School

78 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

Reviews

[charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

good play. probably the best i’ve read for this script analysis class.
the most memorable and relatable part of this play is the experience of being a baby lesbian and seeing a strong self-assured butch in the wild. it’s so.. [clutches my chest and falls to the ground]

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the original graphic novel a few years ago and enjoyed it. I can’t remember enough specifics to compare details, but I do feel like Fun Home captured the essentials of that story and kept the heart of Bechdel’s memoir.

I’ll also admit it’s difficult to judge a musical on the page, but this one is more readable and coherent than most. Recommended.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good tragicomedy! really really funny but also so emotionally affecting... can't wait to see it live

update: this is five stars in performance.

update update: cannot stop thinking about fun home mtc it’s getting upgraded idc

[josephine miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is what i thought coming out would feel like

[Harry Palacio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, let me explain I haven’t cried like this since my dad died. If you want to read the criteria for nostalgic derision, and unfeel the undying love for your first super hero; read ‘Fun Home.’ This book is a waltz of the day of the dead for fathers and dads. A story from the daughter’s lightness. Come miserate with the enchanting dour pairing of cut tobacco breath, and sad effulgence. If I had my papi with me I’d laugh and tell him, ‘lo que desea; lo hago pero hago lo que quiero.’

[Kimberli · Rating 4 out of 5]

i laughed and I cried and i marvelled at the writing so

[Michael Gravante · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like Fun Home as much as I did, but it surprised me! The music is both catchy and haunting, the characters (specifically Alison and her parents Bruce and Helen) and plot are well-written and developed, and it has great emotional depth. It really helps to listen along to the 2015 original Broadway cast recording while reading, because you can really get a feel for the overall aesthetic and tone of the musical. My favorite songs are probably "Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue," "Raincoat of Love," "Ring of Keys," and "Days and Days." I would have liked some more songs rather than musical underscoring, and the ending was a little unclear, but I will be re-listening to its songs and would like to hopefully see a production of it in the future!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This show is like a punch in the gut. I wish I could have seen it live. I read this play while listening to the soundtrack and 10/10 recommend doing that. It’s interesting to see the difference and the music makes the story more impactful.

[maya🪷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

better than le mis

[Zuzanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[emery dunbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

i would rather be punched in the gut than listen to pony girl because it makes me fucking sob every time just like 90% of this musical

that said this is one of my favorite pieces of theater i’ve ever read

[Vijaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember that #badassbookchallenge? Lol This is book #7; a well known author's first novel. Yes this is the Bechdel of the Bechdel test and I actually first read this book about 5 years ago. The way she bore her truth and her family's truth was a little frightening back then but today, it's inspiring.

[Yourfiendmrjones · Rating 5 out of 5]

So propulsive it takes my breath away.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is unlike any musical I have read or seen in recent memory. The subject matter is complex and dark and explored through some truly stunning musical numbers. On first pass, I would have given this 4.5 stars due to the script, but I could not stop thinking about Fun Home for days after I saw it live. I have recommended it to multiple people.

The script is a little forced, but given the nonlinear storytelling and the adaptation from a slice of life comic, it's understandable. This was the weakest element of the musical.

Rating the music on a 6 star system because so many numbers are indescribably moving and beautiful.

6 star songs:
- Ring of Keys
- Days and Days
- Telephone Wire
- Edges of the World

5 star songs
- Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue
- Come to the Fun Home
- Changing My Major
- Flying Away

[niko · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was my first real engagement with "fun home." i knew about it during it's coinciding popularity with hamilton, but never really listened to the music or watched any clips of it because i was so fully integrated in the lin-manuel miranda bubble (yeah, i'm not ashamed to admit it).

i find it interesting that my professor chose this book/musicals as one of our discussion assignments. i listened to the soundtrack as i read, to make it easier and more engaging to follow along with. i really feel like i'd have to listen to the soundtrack again to actually get a good feel for the sonic elements and plot, but this first time read through didn't disappoint.

it's also georgia's favorite musicals. or something like that. so shoutout to her.

[Jessica Whittemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in the middle of a run of Fun Home playing Adult Alison. I love this musical. The story is good. The source material is good. The book is good. The songs are good. The characters are good. Everything is honest and unflinching. It makes me genuinely laugh out loud and also cry huge rolling tears down my cheeks. The story is beautifully rendered. The writers (both Alison Bechdel for the graphic novel and Lisa Kron for the play) have empathy for all the characters they are sharing, which makes it so honest and you truly care about everyone even when they do things that are awful. Ring of Keys is iconic, Alison Bechdel is a legend.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the graphic novel that this is based off a few years ago, but wasn’t as profoundly moved or affected as I was reading the script for the play. I think it was the way the autobiography was condensed here, having the different timelines meet-up and interact, as well as having the song lyrics written out, goodness gracious. I really felt these characters and their world in such a way I felt I was observing their lives being drawn out: “caption.” “Caption.” in the manner Alison is reflecting and processing her memories.

[Letitia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising, different, and like the book is called- tragicomic. This show isn't quite like other shows, and sometimes that is its strength, although sometimes the storytelling does seem forced and the arc is unfamiliar to the audience. I'm not sure I like Bechdel narrating the whole thing. But the dialogue, the music, the honesty of it, the joy of it, the pain of it...that is all full and alive and makes this worth seeing. Little Alison's song "Ring of Keys" took me completely by surprise and left me in tears. It was the highlight of the show.

[Luke Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a masterclass in adaptation!

You would think that adapting Fun Home would be nearly impossible for its non-linear vignette approach to narrative does not leave a lot to work with when it comes to constructing a character arc. So the idea to have the play take a step back and focus on an Alison Bechdel writing the graphic memoir, working through the memories she recollects, is a work of pure genius and I admire Lisa Kron for putting the pieces together like she did. It is a true work of genius and is worthy of all the praise that it has achieved over the years.

[nevaeh galluccio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the presentation of this play. Even just reading it without hearing the music was really compelling and made me very connected to the relationship between Alison and Bruce. The seamlessness between her three stages of life is really well done and creates a unique non chronological structure. I love the hints of the cracks in the glass early on and how everything connects back to the main events of the play.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to explain the profound impact that this play had on me. When I first saw it as a kid it was the first time I had ever seen a character that I truly could relate to. The journey of Alison Bechdel and her relationship with her father was so profound and so impactful to me. It felt like I was watching my own Dad on stage. I can only hope that our story doesn't end the way of Alison's.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic novel about the author's childhood with a closeted gay father and her own coming out in college. As the book goes on, the literary allusions get thicker and thicker, til towards the end it became almost incomprehensible to me. Lots of allusions to parallels to James Joyce's Ulysses. I wanted to like this book but it got too out there with the literary allusions.

[Paul Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the graphic novel that this musical is based off of, but I can't help but feel like just reading this play without having heard any of the music or seen any productions of it keep this feeling a little flat on the page. Still enjoyed it, especially the complex triple timeline narrator device, but my brain can't assign any sort of tune when I read lyrics.

[Deniz Demirkurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lyricwriting of this show is beautiful, it is so deep and touching. And the book is written really well too, the themes explored always find a way to come back, and end in perfect balance at the end.

[Jim Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

- read this for a pandemic play reading group at Speakeasy.

Read this and the original graphic novel it was based upon . Allison Bechdel wrote so beautifully about her life growing up and Lisa Kron brought it vibrantly to life on stage.

[Payton Theile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read both the script version (which is this one) and the actual graphic novel it was based on. It's very interesting to see how the graphic novel translates into a musical. This story and lyrics are heartbreaking.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a beautful play i genuinely got whiplash in 9 different ways. the most impressive thing is that you can fit the word "pennsylvania" in so many songs and it doesnt sound out of place. seriously impressive.

[elle vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't stop crying. this show is so important and special and i loved every second of it

[Alexis Banaszak · Rating 5 out of 5]

So powerful... left me with chills and tears.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally forgot I read this script. It’s beautiful. 10/10 would recommend this musical.