Burlington Players Bring 'Fun Home' Musical to Life with Powerful Storytelling and "Queer Joy"

Three vocal parts drift through the auditorium over a piano’s uplifting melody, blending into one rich harmony. The show is Fun Home, and the cast and crew are preparing for opening night on May 2.

Fun Home focuses on main character Alison Bechdel, who relives two important periods of her life (around ages 10 and 19) while going through memorabilia after her father dies, and sees herself and her parents in a new light.

The play, a musical of self-exploration based on Bechdel's graphic memoir, explores themes that are applicable not only to the queer community but to a broader audience as well. The musical illustrates how the relationship between a child and parents changes over time — and the understanding that comes with looking back at the past while grappling with questions left unanswered after a loved one dies.

“Fun Home is often called a tragic comedy,” said Shira Gitlin, the show’s director. “There are moments of beautiful, queer joy. There are moments of really thoughtful reflection.”

April 19 marks the 10th anniversary of the musical’s official opening on Broadway. Fun Home, which opened two months before a Supreme Court ruling legalized same-sex marriage in the United States, was the first queer narrative Gitlin saw on Broadway, they said.

The Burlington Players, an adult volunteer theater group, asked a year ago if Gitlin wanted to direct this show, and Gitlin instantly agreed. Gitlin, who identifies as queer and nonbinary, works as a freelance theater artist and has been involved with theater companies along the East Coast; they and do work with DEI and gender inclusion training around transgender identity.

Gitlin and actor Adam Sell, who plays Alison’s father, Bruce, said they knew this cast was special from the first read-through. When everyone sat in a big circle and sang through the songs for the first time, it was evident that everyone brought passion and intimacy to the show, Sell said.

“It really gave me a ton of confidence that this is going to be a special production,” Sell said. “And that’s rare.”

This is Sell’s second show with the Burlington Players, but he has worked with around 30 theater companies in Massachusetts, acting in around 50 productions over the past 18 years, he said. Outside of theater, Sell works in research for HUMAN Security, a cybersecurity company.

The show features contemporary musical theater music, with a mix of pop, rock and classic belting, Gitlin said. Some cast members described the music as “free form,” ranging from poignant songs to upbeat “bops.”

“There’s a lot of motifs that come up over and over again,” said Ari Schmidt, who plays adult Alison. “I think it aids in Alison remembering memories.” 

This is Schmidt’s second time playing the adult version of Alison, having played the character in Firehouse Center for the Arts’ production of Fun Home in 2023, they said. Schmidt said their girlfriend Lily played the character Joan alongside them in the Firehouse production, and the experience strengthened their relationship. 

In the Burlington Players production, Schmidt said, the emotional connection to the show is still there, but Schmidt is acting more intentionally this time, especially with physicality and reactions. Because this musical is based on the real Alison Bechdel, Schmidt said they watched interviews of Bechdel to study mannerisms that could aid in their performance. 

The show is for everyone, say the Burlington Players, whether they are a part of the queer community or not. 

Many people have complex relationships with their parents, said Gitlin, and Sell said the musical explores the theme of “not understanding your parents as actual humans” until they're gone.

Co-stage manager Chiara Buchanan said she loves the show because it tells a story about imperfect characters. 

“You can be flawed just like anybody else and still be worth love and attention and care and respect,” Buchanan said.

The last couple of months have been challenging for many people, especially with rhetoric suggesting the transgender community should “go away,” Gitlin said. And that, they said, is why the show is as important as ever.

The show runs at the Park Playhouse, 1 Edgemere Ave., from May 2 to 17 for nine performances. Tickets are $25 ($23 for students and seniors).

This story is part of a partnership between Burlington Buzz and the Boston University Department of Journalism.