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Who wrote the music for Fun Home?

Published in Musical Theatre Composers 3 mins read

The acclaimed composer Jeanine Tesori wrote the music for the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home.

The Musical Genius Behind the Score: Jeanine Tesori

Fun Home is a groundbreaking musical based on Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir of the same name. It delves into Bechdel's childhood and youth, exploring themes of family, memory, sexual orientation, and the search for truth.

Jeanine Tesori is celebrated for her diverse and innovative contributions to American musical theatre. Her work on Fun Home earned her critical acclaim and a Tony Award for Best Original Score in 2015. Tesori's music for Fun Home is highly regarded for its:

  • Emotional Depth: The score masterfully captures the complex emotions of the characters, from the innocent curiosity of childhood to the profound introspection of adulthood.
  • Intricate Storytelling: Her melodies and harmonies are integral to advancing the narrative, subtly revealing character nuances and emotional truths that extend beyond dialogue.
  • Genre Blending: Tesori skillfully integrates various musical styles, crafting a unique soundscape that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Tesori's compositional style often features rich orchestrations and complex harmonic structures, which are perfectly suited to the nuanced storytelling of Fun Home. Her ability to create music that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant is a hallmark of her distinguished career.

A Collaborative Masterpiece: The Creative Team

While Jeanine Tesori composed the unforgettable music, Fun Home was truly a collaborative effort. The highly respected playwright and performer Lisa Kron wrote both the book and the lyrics for the musical. Kron's insightful book and poignant lyrics, combined with Tesori's evocative music, forged a seamless and powerful theatrical experience. This collaboration was pivotal to the musical's success, allowing for a cohesive and profound exploration of Bechdel's deeply personal story.

The synergy between Tesori's music and Kron's words created moments of profound emotional impact, solidifying Fun Home's status as a benchmark in contemporary musical theatre.

Creative Role Contributor Key Contributions
Music Composer Jeanine Tesori Composed all the musical numbers, forming the melodic and harmonic foundation.
Book & Lyrics Lisa Kron Wrote the script (book) and all the song lyrics, adapting the graphic memoir.
Source Material Alison Bechdel Authored the original graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.

Impact and Legacy

The music of Fun Home, under Tesori's brilliant direction, became a defining characteristic of the production. Songs such as "Ring of Keys", "Changing My Major", and "Telephone Wire" are celebrated for their capacity to convey complex emotional states and drive narrative development through song. The score's unique blend of introspection and narrative propulsion has made it a favorite among critics and audiences alike, firmly establishing Tesori's position as one of the most significant composers in modern musical theatre.

The musical's critical and commercial success, including winning the 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical, stands as a testament to the powerful combination of Tesori's music, Kron's book and lyrics, and the original memoir by Alison Bechdel.