About the work
Falsettos is a through-composed musical by William Finn (music and lyrics) with a book by Finn and James Lapine, premiered on Broadway in 1992. Developed from two Off-Broadway one-act musicals, it won two Tony Awards. As one of the first Broadway musicals, it openly addressed homosexuality and the AIDS crisis.
Plot
In New York around 1980, Marvin leaves his wife Trina and son Jason for his lover Whizzer. While Trina marries the psychiatrist Mendel, all involved struggle toward a new form of family—a "tight-knit family" beyond conventional patterns. In the second part, some years later, Whizzer falls ill with AIDS. Around Jason's bar mitzvah, the estranged characters find love, forgiveness, and a deeply felt togetherness as they face the approaching loss.
Cultural significance
Falsettos was a milestone in the depiction of queer life and the AIDS crisis on the musical stage, combining this serious subject with wit, warmth, and musical sophistication. Finn's rapid, through-composed songs demand much of the performers. An acclaimed 2016 Broadway revival confirmed the work's enduring relevance as a moving portrait of family, love, and loss.