Now Playing

music and lyrics by William Finn
book by William Finn and James Lapine
directed by Nick Bowling

November 8 – December 8, 2024

at Court Theatre,
5535 S. Ellis Ave
Chicago, IL 60637

Produced in partnership with

The Tony Award-winning Falsettos is a tribute to family and its many forms; a playful interrogation of faith and identity; and a celebration of the beauty, complexity, and necessity of love.

Marvin has left his wife, Trina, for his male lover; Trina has married Marvin’s therapist; and their son, Jason, is grappling with his parents’ divorce and his looming Bar Mitzvah. Everyone’s world has been upended and now, they must explore what their new lives may hold. Featuring a sung-through score and set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos is a humorous and heartbreaking web of ex-spouses, co-parents, new lovers, and the lesbians next door.

TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling returns to Court Theatre—where he served as Associate Artistic Director nearly 30 years ago alongside Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell—to make his Court directorial debut. Groundbreaking in its depiction of queerness, Falsettos shines with ingenuity and contemporary relevance.

PLEASE NOTE:
All performances of Falsettos take place at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago
The best way to see Falsettos, and to support TimeLine this season, is with a TimeLine FlexPass!

Runs approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including one intermission

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Cast

Production Team

Understudies

* Member of Actors Equity Association

# Member of United Scenic Artists

~ Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

+ TimeLine Company Member

^ TimeLine Associate Artist

§ TimeLine Playwrights Collective

Features

  • Windy City Times

    November 1, 2024

    [Director Nick] Bowling says Falsettos overlaps the missions of both companies. For TimeLine, there’s the historical cultural moments depicted in the musical. And Bowling adds that with Falsettos, Court Theatre is exploring “the classic gay canon” of theater literature that treats the gay protagonist “as a leading man who is incredibly flawed.” It’s a contrast to gay men typically being depicted as a token comic sidekick or traumatized victim in most mainstream media during the 1980s and ’90s.

    —Scott Morgan

    Read the full feature

Discussions & Events

  • FALSETTOS: Post-Show Discussion with James Lapine
    Thursday, November 14

    This post-show panel features the Tony Award-winning librettist.

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  • FALSETTOS: Virtual Discussion with Cast Members
    Tuesday, November 19 at 7pm

    Join us for this virtual discussion featuring members of the cast of Falsettos!

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  • Exploring History's Ripples: The '70s Sexual Revolution, the AIDS Crisis, and Today's LGBTQIA+ Community
    Sunday, November 24 at 4:45pm

    This one-hour post-show panel discussion features experts on the themes of the play.

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