

Falsettos
James Lapine
Awards & Recognition
Winner! 1981 Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Off-Broadway Play
March of the Falsettos" is the title song of this act of the show.
William Finn planned on calling the show "The Pettiness of Misogyny", but then he decided to go with a less direct and more subtle title, calling it "March of the Falsettos".
But what does the title mean?
The central theme of the show is the characters lack of maturity (as they also state themselves in this song) and their journey of growing out of their childish behavior.
Something that for instance Marvin needs to do to be the father Jason needs.
Jason, whose voice hasn't yet changed, sings an octave higher than the other three men throughout the show.
This is the only song, that all four men sing in the same register, since Marvin, Medel and Whizzer sing in the falsetto, losing the symbol of manhood - their changed voices.
None of these men have grown up yet.
All of them are still very self-centered, self-involved and insist on getting whatever they want.
The "March of the Falsettos" is their journey from childhood to becoming adults.
"One feels the unmistakable charge of pure talent."
— The New York Times
"Has an exhilarating champagne tang... In an operatic mode, sans dialogue, Finn... unveils the bitter sweet saga of Marvin, who divorces his wife to be with his male lover... In astringency and cleverness, Finn is the child of Stephen Sondheim."
— Time
| Character |
|---|
| Trina his ex-wife |
| Jason his son |
| Whizzer Brown his lover |
| Mendel his psychiatrist |
| Marvin |
March Of The Falsettos is a American play written by William Finn and published by Samuel French in New York (1981).
Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle .
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