FUN HOME Launches TheatreSquared's 12th Season

Season 12 at TheatreSquared (T2) begins this month with the critically acclaimed recent Broadway hit, the five-time 2015 Tony Award-winner Fun Home. This "beautiful heartbreaker of a musical" (New York Times), with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori, is based on the bestselling graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, and traces her childhood memories growing up playing with her brothers around satin-lined caskets in the Bechdel Funeral Home. Six weekly performances are scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, August 23-September 17, with single tickets now on sale at theatre2.org or (479) 443-5600. Season packages are also on sale, with six-play packages starting at just $89.

"Before there was Hamilton, there was Fun Home," said T2 Artistic Director Robert Ford. "It was Broadway's hottest ticket, and it raised the bar for the modern musical. It's a six-time Best Musical Award winner, but it's also one of the best works of theatre-period-that we've encountered in our twelve years as a company. We are proud to be one of the first national theatres to acquire the rights to independently recreate it, a coup for Northwest Arkansas."

After her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison Bechdel dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood and coming-of-age story at the Bechdel Funeral Home. Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, cathartic, and wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.

T2's production is directed by associate artistic director Amy Herzberg, who directed One Man Two Guvnors, Amadeus, Next to Normal, Good People, and many more audience favorites at T2. Mountain View native and Broadway veteran Rob Sutton is returning to the area to appear as Alison's father, and Rita Harvey, who played Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, will play her mother. The cast also features Christiana Cole, Christina D. Eskridge, Fayetteville native Halley Mayo (Sundown Town), Max Meyers, Alexander Margulis, Nikolai Margulis, and Autumn Rae Shannon.

The lead creative team includes music director Jason Burrow, scenic and lighting designer Shawn Irish, costume designer Ruby Kemph, sound designer Michael Prieto, properties master Brodie Jasch, and production stage manager Shannon Jones.

The New York production, which originated at The Public Theatre before its Broadway run, received universal critical acclaim. The New York Times called it "a rare beauty, extraordinary and heart-gripping. Fun Home finds a shining clarity that lights up the night." The Chicago Tribune called Fun Home "exquisite. An emotional powerhouse that never lets you out of its embrace for a moment. No wonder the audience sprang as one from its seats at the ending." And New York Magazine called it "something of a miracle."

TheatreSquared's production is made possible in part with support from lead show sponsors Joel and Lynn Carver, George and Rosemary Faucette, and Margaret and Dick Rutherford, and from show sponsors Ellis and Kay Melton.

Performance Schedule

Performances are scheduled August 23-September 17, 2017, Wednesdays through Sundays at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville, AR).

Monday, Tuesday: No Performances
Wednesday-Friday: 7:30pm
Saturday: 2:00pm; 7:30pm
Sunday: 2:00pm
An added Sunday evening performance is scheduled for September 17 at 7:00pm.

Fun Home contains adult language and mature themes and is recommended for ages 13+, with parental guidance advised. The running time is 100 minutes.

Ticket & Subscription Info

Tickets range from $17-$48 and are available at (479) 443-5600 or online at theatre2.org. Through T2's Lights Up! For Access program, supported by the Walmart Foundation, SNAP benefit recipients can purchase $5 tickets and patrons under the age of 30 can purchase $10 tickets. For more, visit theatre2.org/lights-up.

Subscription packages for TheatreSquared's 2017/18 Season are also on sale. Subscription options include six-play packages starting at $89, five-play packages starting at $79, and four-play packages starting at $67. Series options include Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, as well as Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Limited tickets are also available to T2's Opening Night Series on the first Friday of each production, which includes a catered reception and a champagne toast, as well as the Preview Saver Series on the first Wednesday and Thursday of each production. Subscriptions can be reserved by calling (479) 571-2785 or by visiting theatre2.org/subscribe.

About T2

TheatreSquared is Northwest Arkansas' professional regional theatre, offering an intimate live theatre experience for 40,000 patrons each year in its 175-seat space and in schools throughout the state. TheatreSquared was recognized by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards, as one of the nation's ten most promising emerging theatres. TheatreSquared has experienced remarkable growth in recent seasons, expanding its audience tenfold in the past five years. The theatre recently broke ground on a new 50,000 square-foot facility to be completed in mid-2019. Designs are available online at ournextstage.org.

For further information, contact TheatreSquared at (479) 445-6333 or visit theatre2.org. Subscriptions to TheatreSquared's upcoming 2017/18 season are now on sale. Six-play packages are available for purchase at theatre2.org or (479) 443-5600, beginning at $89 for the Season 12 Preview Saver Series.

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