Show guide
Falsettos
Falsettos is a sung-through musical by William Finn about Marvin, a man who leaves his wife for another man, and the makeshift family that forms around him as the AIDS crisis arrives.
- Broadway premiere
- 1992
- Music by
- William Finn
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 1980s
Falsettos: quick answers
What is Falsettos about?
- Falsettos follows Marvin, who leaves his wife Trina and son Jason for his lover Whizzer but still wants to keep his family together, as Trina falls for his psychiatrist Mendel and, two years later, the AIDS crisis reaches their circle.
When did Falsettos open on Broadway?
- Falsettos opened on Broadway on April 29, 1992, at the John Golden Theatre and closed on June 27, 1993, after 487 performances. A Broadway revival opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on October 27, 2016.
Is Falsettos sung-through?
- Yes. Falsettos is sung-through, with its story told almost entirely in song by a cast of seven. It joins two earlier Off-Broadway one-acts by William Finn, March of the Falsettos (1981) and Falsettoland (1990), into one full-length musical.
Where and when is Falsettos set?
- Falsettos is set in New York City, with its first act in 1979 and its second act in 1981.
The story of Falsettos
Falsettos takes place in New York City around 1979 to 1981 and follows Marvin, who has left his wife Trina and their son Jason for his lover Whizzer Brown, while insisting everyone around him remain one big, tightly knit family. Trina, reeling from the divorce, eventually finds stability with Marvin's psychiatrist Mendel, and the show tracks the awkward, often funny renegotiation of what a family can look like.
In its second half, the arrival of AIDS reshapes the story, transforming a comedy of modern manners into something far more somber as the characters confront illness and loss together. Themes of chosen family, masculinity, and the limits of Marvin's need for control run throughout.
The music and the makers
Falsettos was written by William Finn, who composed the music and lyrics, with a book co-written by Finn and James Lapine, who also directed. The show combines two earlier one-act musicals, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, into a single sung-through score with almost no spoken dialogue.
Finn's music is fast, wordy, and neurotic, full of tongue-twisting patter and abrupt emotional shifts that mirror the characters' anxious inner lives. That density gives Falsettos a distinctive comic rhythm in its first act, which turns devastating by contrast once the tone darkens in the second.
Falsettos on Broadway
Falsettos opened on Broadway in April 1992 at the John Golden Theatre, combining the two shorter musicals that had each played Off-Broadway earlier. Michael Rupert starred as Marvin and Stephen Bogardus as Whizzer, with Finn and Lapine winning the Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Book of a Musical.
The show was among the first Broadway musicals to address the AIDS crisis directly, and it has remained a touchstone for its blend of comedy and grief. A 2016 Broadway revival at the Walter Kerr Theatre, directed again by James Lapine and starring Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells, introduced the show to a new generation and was filmed for PBS's Live from Lincoln Center.
Falsettos: frequently asked questions
Where and when does Falsettos take place?
Falsettos is set in New York City. Its first act, March of the Falsettos, takes place in 1979, and its second act, Falsettoland, jumps to 1981, just as the AIDS epidemic begins to touch the characters' lives.
Is Falsettos a sung through musical?
Yes. Falsettos is sung-through, with almost no spoken dialogue, combining the two shorter musicals March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland into one continuous score.
Did Falsettos win the Tony Award for Best Musical?
No. Falsettos lost Best Musical to Crazy for You at the 1992 Tony Awards. William Finn and James Lapine won Best Book of a Musical, and Finn also won Best Original Score.
When did Falsettos open on Broadway?
Falsettos opened on Broadway in April 1992 at the John Golden Theatre.
Who composed Falsettos?
William Finn composed the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book with director James Lapine.
What is Falsettos about?
It follows Marvin, his ex-wife Trina, his lover Whizzer, and their extended chosen family in New York City as the AIDS crisis begins around 1980.
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