The Little Theatre presents “Falsettos”

BY WILLIAM PESEK

Staff Reporter

After the release of “Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,” the Sacred Heart Theatre Arts department put on its next show, “Falsettos,” in the Little Theatre from Oct. 24 through Nov. 3.

Set in New York City, the show tells the story of a dysfunctional family. Marvin divorces his wife Trina and begins dating a man, Whizzer. This takes a toll on his young son, Jason.

Trina falls in love with the family physiatrist, Mendel, leaving Jason in a state of confusion. The family is forced to come together in the end, when Marvin’s boyfriend, Whizzer is diagnosed with AIDS and eventually dies.

“What makes this show so special, in my opinion, is the true and raw honesty and heart of it,” said senior Justin Weigel, who plays Dr. Mendel Weisenbachfeld.

“The show tells you that you don’t have to be married to be a family, or to love each other, and it’s a message that is more relevant now than ever before,” said Weigel.

Senior Andrew Patino was the producer of “Falsettos.” He is also the president of the Theater Arts Program [TAP].

“As producer of Falsettos, it is my job to oversee all technical aspects of the show. I help each department head for costume, props, lights, and set as they prepare for the show. Along with this, I am also responsible for handling the budget of the show and marketing,” said Patino.

The cast of the show consisted of members of the Sacred Heart University Theater Arts Program and included a ten-year-old boy from the Fairfield area. Jake Doble, Johannah Johnson and Charlie Fusari are among some of the students who starred in the musical.

“This cast is so unique because of their vocal strength. The actors are singing extremely complex music for nearly two and a half hours a night. I truly idolize their ability to do this,” said Patino.

For some cast members, being apart of the show has been demanding yet a rewarding experience.

“This show has been extremely challenging. It is essentially a rock opera, as there is no dialog and the show is sung through,” said senior Jake Doble. “It’s a show with seven characters and the storytelling is very intricate, and because of that I have enjoyed the challenge immensely.”

Doble is a senior and is a double major in Theatre and Media Arts. Doble also had a major role in last year’s spring musical, “Hair.”

“What makes this cast different is that we are working with a ten-year-old boy! It has changed the dynamic greatly and it’s been a nice change from just working with people you already see every day,” said Doble.

The box office sold out tickets for the first weekend from Oct. 24 through Oct. 27. The second weekend sold out all shows except for the Halloween showing, which was still a near sellout.

Audience members were impressed with the talent and theme that was shown throughout the musical.

“I loved the show! It was very well put together and I really like how they were able to include a ten-year-old boy in the show. The show was such a strong message, it shows that even if a family has arguments, they all come together in the end,” said sophomore Shea Gormley.

“After seeing this show, the audience will recognize the power of love in various forms. Love between a mother and child, a father and son, a husband and wife, and a same-sex couple has the ability to tell a million stories. Every audience member can learn something from this musical,” said Patino.

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