A few days ago my blogging buddy Barbara sent me an email which included a Youtube link to a musical I performed in, back in 1994 called Falsettos.

Thanks Barb!

Well…I was shock to shit because I had no idea this video even existed on the Internet. I’m assuming it was made by one of the cast members.

Throughout my years performing onstage, I’ve collected various video tapes of some of the shows I was in, however I never got a copy of this particular show.

Being a part of Falsettos was one of the most enjoyable and exciting highlights of my acting career. And not only because of the show, but more so because of the cast. Once in a great while a cast will come together that almost seems as though it was destiny – and that was the case with this show. Not only was I honored to be performing along side such great talents, but it was also the respect, support, and love we had for one another that made this experience extra special.

Falsettos was perhaps the most challenging musical I was ever in because it’s basically sung like an opera with no spoken words. All the dialogue is expressed through music. And the challenging part for me is that I can’t read music. Therefore, I had to learn a three hour complicated musical score by ear. The cast was incredibly patient and supportive, as most of them were musically trained. I can sing, but I’ve never had any formal training in music. To be perfectly honest, I felt very insecure being cast in this show but I knew it was something I needed to try.

Falsettos is a story about relationships….

The plot:

After years of being married, Marvin discovers that he can no longer suppress his homosexuality and leaves his wife Trina and son Jason. Eventually he finds a male partner, Whizzer, who he ends up living with, while Trina ends up marrying her ex-husbands psychiatrist, Mendel.

There are also two other characters, Charlotte and Cordelia, the lesbian couple who live next door (one is a doctor and the other is a stay-at-home-wife). The musical is a series of scenes depicting the challenges and struggles, as each couple adjusts to their newly formed relationships. Jason also struggles with his father being gay, but eventually finds acceptance.

Even though this musical is predominately a comedy the plot suddenly changes towards the end, as Whizzer is diagnosis with AIDS and dies.

The story ends as all the characters come together in a hospital room supporting one another, showing us that the one thing all relationships share in common…

…is Love.

The Youtube clip is the opening number in Act 2 – “Welcome to Falsettoland”

I apologize that it’s so long (holy cow…over 8 mins). If you don’t have time to watch it I totally understand. This post will be up all weekend, so if you wish to view it later, please do.

I portrayed Mendel, the psychiatrist. I’m the guy you’ll see holding a flashlight at the opening of the number.

(other cast members include: Lucy Carney, Brad Howell Houghton, Ian Russell, Hilda Philips, Christine Robison, and John McColms, who has since then passed away)

Have a faaabulous weekend everyone!