Welcome to March of the Falsettos!
Set in New York in the late 1970s, March of the Falsettos (written by William Finn, who is Jewish and who grew up in Natick, MA) follows Marvin as he divorces his wife, Trina, and leaves his child, Jason, to be with his “male lover” Whizzer. Marvin’s therapist, Mendel, ends up entangled in his family, and Marvin struggles to deal with the consequences of his actions and ruined relationships. This musical also explores the characters’ Jewish identity as well as Marvin and Whizzer’s Queerness. Both of these identity groups are currently under attack in the US.
It is extremely hard to be Jewish during these times. The first song of the show, “Four Jews in a Room Bitching” has the potential to be problematic if performed in the wrong context. As our actors perform this piece, I want to highlight its satirical message of Jewish Americans participating in self-deprecating humor as a means of wrestling with their own identity. Sometimes, Jews are portrayed in pop culture as “bitching” about everything (arising from the emphasis on questioning in Jewish education), and these Jewish characters are calling that out in a humorous way to make the audience aware of this harmful stereotype and to poke fun at themselves. As the Israel-Hamas war continues, I hope that this show leaves you with a call to action: to choose love rather than hate. We must support our Newton community and provide a space where everyone can thrive.
Queer people are also under attack in the US. Countless bills attacking Trans people’s bodily autonomy continue to pass through state legislatures, and hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people are continuing to rise. This show uses several hateful words (fairy, patsy, etc.) to describe Queer people and particularly effeminate Queer men. I hope that when these words are used, they highlight the historical stereotypes about Queer people and make you think about how queerphobia/transphobia continues to plague our society today.
These are central lenses that I implore you to explore as you watch the show.
Thank you again to the amazing cast and crew for this opportunity to work with you all - I’m honored to be a part of this “Tight-Knit Family.”
Enjoy the show!
Ben Miner
