Character guide
Alison
from Fun Home
Alison is the adult narrator of Fun Home, Jeanine Tesori's 2015 musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir about her father and her own coming out.
- Show
- Fun Home
- Broadway premiere
- 2015
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Jeanine Tesori
Who is Alison?
Alison is a cartoonist looking back on her childhood and adolescence, trying to draw and understand her relationship with her father Bruce, whose closeted life and sudden death continue to haunt her years later. As the narrator, she steps in and out of scenes from her past, sometimes observing her younger selves directly as she works to make sense of memories that resist easy explanation.
Her search is as much artistic as emotional, since the show frames her process of creating the memoir itself as a way of processing grief, guilt, and the complicated inheritance of a father she never fully knew.
Alison's role in Fun Home
Alison is a lead role in Fun Home, serving as the show's narrator and framing device, present on stage for nearly the entire piece even when the action belongs to her younger selves. Beth Malone originated the role on Broadway in 2015, anchoring the production with a performance built on restraint and quiet observation rather than big theatrical moments.
Audiences remember Alison for the show's unusual structure, watching her actively piece together her own past in real time, which gives Fun Home its distinctive, reflective tone.
Alison: frequently asked questions
What show is Alison from?
Alison is the lead character and narrator of Fun Home, which opened on Broadway in 2015.
Is Alison a lead or supporting role?
Alison is a lead role, originated on Broadway by Beth Malone.
Who wrote the music for Fun Home?
Jeanine Tesori composed the music, with a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron.
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