A one-night-only, site-appropriate benefit reading of the Tony-winning musical Fun Home was presented December 19 at 8 PM at New York's Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.
Directed by Daniella Caggiano, the reading starred Tony nominees Jenn Colella (Come From Away) as Alison, Caitlin Kinnunen (The Prom) as Medium Alison, Will Swenson (Waitress) as Bruce, and Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!) as Helen with Pierson Salvador as Christian, Isabelle McCalla as Joan, Jelani Alladin as Roy/Others, and twin actors, newcomer Noelle Hammond as Small Alison and Lennon Nate Hammond, as John.
Julianne B. Merrill served as the music director for the reading.
Based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, Fun Home has a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori. The unconventional show made history as the first Broadway musical written by women to win the Best Musical Tony, as well as the first Tony-winning musical to have a lesbian as its main character. Tesori and Kron also won the Tony Award for Best Original Score. The musical won five Tony Awards in all, including Best Book (Kron) and Best Direction (Sam Gold).
Quintessence of Dust Theatre Company/Rachel Kunstadt, in association with Jamie Maletz Musicals, presented the reading.
