Tony-Winning FUN HOME Opens July 5th in Weston

The Weston Playhouse Theatre is thrilled to present the five-time Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home to its new flexible 140-seat Second Stage, Weston Playhouse at Walker Farm. Refreshingly honest and wildly innovative, Fun Home is based on Vermont author and cartoonist Alison Bechdel's acclaimed graphic memoir. Audiences will follow Bechdel at three different life stages as she grows and grapples with her uniquely dysfunctional family, her sexuality, and her father's secrets.

The 90-minute musical first premiered Off Broadway at The Public Theater in 2013 and transferred to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre in 2015. With a book by Lisa Kron and a score by Jeanine Tesori, Fun Home ran for a year and a half on Broadway before touring the country. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Score. The New York Times raved, "Heart-gripping and cathartic, Fun Home occupies the place where we all grew up."

Weston's production stars Andrea Prestinario (Guys and Dolls), Caitlin Kinnunen (Pregnancy Pact and The Prom, opening on Broadway this fall), and Ava Vercellone (Hartford Stage's A Christmas Carol) as Alison, Medium Alison, and Small Alison, respectively. Weston favorites David Bonanno (The Music Man, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) and Susan Haefner (Tenderly, Mamma Mia!) play Bruce and Helen, Alison's parents. Holly Gould, Ryder Scott, Adam Shonkwiler, and Emmett Smyth round out the ensemble cast.

Fun Home is directed by Weston Founding Director Malcolm Ewen, whose credits include The Music Man, Guys and Dolls and To Kill a Mockingbird. Dan Pardo is music director and Susan Hunt Hagan is choreographer. Weston proudly welcomes back award-winning set designer Howard C. Jones (The Music Man, Mamma Mia!), costume designer Mara Blumenfeld (The Light in the Piazza, Chicago), lighting designer Stuart Duke (Death of a Salesman, Pump Boys & Dinettes), and sound designer Duncan Robert Edwards (Floyd Collins, Of Mice and Men). Production Stage Manager is Martin Lechner.

In conjunction with the production, and with support from the Fleming Museum of Art at the University of Vermont, a condensed installation of Alison Bechdel's exhibit "Self-Confessed!" will be on display at Manchester Community Library from July 12th through 28th. Ms. Bechdel will be on hand for a special meet and greet and book signing reception on July 14th from 4-6 pm. One and all are welcome!

A Vermont Arts 2018 event, Fun Home runs July 5th-28th at Weston Playhouse at Walker Farm (705 Main St in Weston). Show times are at 7:30pm on Tuesday-Saturday, 2:00pm on Wednesday and Saturday, and at 3:00pm on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office between 10:00-6:00pm at 802-824-5288, or by visiting westonplayhouse.org. Pre-theatre dinner reservations at West Town Eatery, the farm to table restaurant in the lower level of Weston's Main Stage, can be made when booking tickets.

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