Next musical after Heathers: Falsettos
🕑 Added 2025-08-05 22:01:50 +0000 UTC
Hey all!
I could use some help. The next musical after Heathers is set to be Falsettos. I understand that this musical is close to many people's hearts, so I want to do it justice. I have heard that Jewish and LGBTQ+ identity is key to properly understanding the context of the musical. While I don't intend on speaking on those issues extensively since it's not my expertise, I DO want to take a short period to educate myself on it so that I can properly meet the musical where it is at. Not in an effort to prepare for the musical plot itself, but out of a desire to understand its landscape in a way I cannot just by reacting.
Here is where I could use your help! If you are familiar with the musical and its intersection with these identities, I would love any SPOILER FREE tips on what parts of the cultures I should focus my study to enhance my appreciation for the musical. My understanding is that it features chosen family, Jewish identity, queer love, and the AIDS epidemic.
Again, this isn't so I can become an expert to speak on the topic, but instead so I can properly understand the landscape this musical was created in and treat it with the respect it deserves for being dear to so many viewers.
Thanks!
P.S. If you have insights to share that you aren't comfortable with publicly talking about, you can email me at jacobppenrod@gmail.com or message me on Patreon. I would love to hear from anyone who identifies with this musical, its themes, and the identities it explores.
(Also I am cross-posting this to YouTube for visibility!)
Comments
Yara Kaas
I wrote my Comparative Literature MA thesis on queer literature written during and about the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80's and 90's, and if you want two major recommendations to get an idea of what the community was going through at the time, I would highly recommend two things: The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer (a play that got adapted into a movie with Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer a few years ago) and Angels In America by Tony Kushner - another play, but this one got adapted as a mini series. Both the play and the series won a ton of awards (including a Pulitzer) - I would consider it a hallmark piece of queer media and one of the best pieces of writing I've come across. I think The Normal Heart does a fantastic job at covering a piece of history, but Angels In America is so much more than that. I honestly cannot recommend it enough. The musical Rent touches upon the AIDS epidemic as well, but not with the same depth as those two plays, I'd argue.
Isabella C
If you’re interested in these kind of melancholic shows i HIGHLY recommend Bare: a Pop Opera! Unfortunately there’s no professional recordings but the soundtrack and various other recordings are available
