Bechdel’s Fun Home Snares Five Tonys

NEW YORK – Sunday night was a great night for the musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir “Fun Home.” It was Tony night on Broadway and “Fun Home” came home with five of the coveted awards, including best musical and Michael Cerveris garnering the Tony for best leading actor in a musical.

Cerveris portrays Alison Bechdel’s late father Bruce, a former undertaker and teacher at Bald Eagle-Nittany High School. Cerveris, in his acceptance speech, noted he was carrying a tie that belonged to Bruce Bechdel.

“Fun Home” also won the award for best direction of a musical, Sam Gold; best original score, music and/or lyrics, Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron; and best book of a musical, Lisa Kron.

“Fun Home” dramatizes graphic cartoonist Bechdel’s coming of age in Beech Creek in the 1970s and her complex relationship with her closeted father. She was ushered to the fore while onstage at Radio City Music Hall as show principals accepted the best musical award.

Bechdel is a 1978 graduate of Bald Eagle-Nittany and later attended Oberlin College in Ohio.

“Fun Home” began its Broadway run with previews at the Circle in the Square Theatre on March 27, with opening night April 19. The musical has been critically acclaimed since its inception off- Broadway in September of 2013.