Stage 212 in La Salle to open production of ‘Falsettos’ on Jan. 5

Stage 212 in La Salle will return to the stage with its offseason 2024 rendition of “Falsettos” by William Finn and James Lapine, a hilarious, heartbreaking and utterly unique musical about family, relationships, bar mitzvahs, baseball and AIDS.

The production opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, and Saturday, Jan. 6, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, at Stage 212, 700 First St., under the direction of Reid Tomasson.

“Falsettos” is based on a trio of one-act musicals that appeared off-Broadway, including “March of the Falsettos” and “Falsettoland.” When Marvin (Kevin J. Alleman) leaves his wife Trina (Ashley Hurst) and son Jason (Holly Malmassari) to be with his lover Whizzer (Thomas Bailey), tempers flare as he struggles to keep his family together.

Also appearing in the cast are Eric Masini as Mendel, Reilly Jaeger as Charlotte and Olivia Bergfeld as Cordelia.

Production staff includes director Reid Tomasson, assistant director Andrew Beer, producer Natalie Smigel, production assistant Ivy Soens, music director Megan Cullinan, stage manager Forrest A. Boes, costumer Tori Duttlinger, prop coordinator Christin Mitchell, set builder Cory Tomasson, light operator Robert Malerk, spotlight operator Claire Brousseau, sound operator Fred Davis, stage crew Doug Alleman and Ella Johns, and orchestra members Mary Schallhorn, Paula Baker, Amber Backus and Leah Megli.

“At its heart, it’s really just a story about relationships and family and how they get in each other’s way,” Tomasson said. “The father leaves his wife to pursue a new lover and suggests she sees a shrink, and then the wife ends up falling for their family psychiatrist.”

The family dynamics evolve as Marvin and Trina plan their son’s bar mitzvah, and Whizzer is diagnosed with AIDS.

Alleman said first act Marvin and second act Marvin are completely different people.

“He has to come to terms with his sexuality, which was hard for anyone – especially in his situation in the ‘70s,” Alleman said. “And he doesn’t deal with it maybe as well as he should. But he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

Tomasson said he was inspired by the recurring themes in the production, one of which is chess. The son Jason sees his life as a chess game, and Tomasson wants to convey that to the audience throughout the production.

“He kind of deals with all of his struggles and issues through chess,” he said. “So when you walk in, the entire stage is set up like a game of chess; all the furniture is half-black, half-white.”

“Falsettos” contains strong adult language and themes and may not be suitable for viewing by children. “Falsettos” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

To buy tickets, visit stage212.org or call the box office at 815-224-3025 and leave a message.

What: “Falsettos”

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, and Saturday, Jan. 6, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7

Where: Stage 212, 700 First St. in La Salle

Cost: $22

Information: Tickets can be bought online or by calling the box office at 815-224-3025 and leaving a message.