Hitting the right note

Lauren Vane

A cast of five actors deliver a story line of complex family

relationships, singing every word at a rapid pace along to

unconventional music for more than an hour. For the actors involved

it sounds like a recipe for an anxiety attack, but the cast attests

to the contrary.

Actors in Gallimaufry Performing Arts’ newest production, “March

of the Falsettos,” said it is a play that tests their stamina and

stretches the audience’s perception, but it is a satisfying

professional experience despite the challenge.

“It feels like you’re stepping on a bullet train,” said Pat

Warren, of Laguna Beach, the play’s musical director and only female

member of the cast.

“It’s fun, but it’s definitely a challenge concentration wise and

attention wise,” Warren said.

Steve Josephson, Gallimaufry’s executive director, said the play

is entirely sung -- there is no dialogue. But though the cast

describes the music as having a fast tempo, it maintains a

conversational tone. Josephson said the play is particularly

challenging because of the difficulty in the music.

“The music is so original that it’s almost difficult to get a

grasp of sometimes,” said Casey Marshall, of Anaheim Hills, who plays

the lead male role.

It’s not only the musical elements that make the play challenging,

it’s the subject matter as well.

“March of the Falsettos” tells the story of family dealing with

divorce after the father leaves to be with another man. At the time

it first debuted in 1981, the play was controversial, and although

the material is more widely accepted now, cast members say it still

raises a few eyebrows.

Warren said she thinks the play has strong educational value. “I

still know people who don’t understand gay life,” Warren said.

Although the cast said that the play is not for all audiences,

especially children, it has been well received by audiences so far.

“The universality of the story of divorce, of the effects of

family, is really timeless, it will never go out of fashion,”

Josephson said.

“I think it’s a really universal message,” Josephson said. “I love

the simplicity of the story and the complex nature of the music.

“It’s one of the pieces you can go back and see it several times.”

“March of the Falsettos” is the second part of a trilogy written

by William Finn. The combined performance of “March of the Falsettos”

and the third play in the trilogy, “Falsetto Land,” earned two Tony

awards on Broadway.

The play is being performed by Promiscuous Assemblage, a small

repertory company that is part of Gallimaufry. Warren said that the

name was chosen because it is one of the definitions of the word

“gallimaufry.”

Josephson said the assemblage is comprised of about 10 local

performers who have performed in previous Gallimaufry productions.

“We want to try and focus on doing some smaller pieces,” Josephson

said.

Gallimaufry was formed in May and has thus far performed “42nd

Street,” “Into the Woods Junior” and “Dance Days.”