'March of the Falsettos’ kicks off ABT After Dark

Unlike most of the main stage productions, "March of the Falsettos" isn't the typical family-friendly fare seen at Arizona Broadway Theatre.

"March of the Falsettos" delves into such topics as sexually transmitted diseases, homosexuality and infidelity. The musical, which opens next weekend in the theater's Encore Room, launches a new series for the venue, ABT After Dark.

The play runs after "The Music Man" at 10:30 p.m. and offers an alternative to regular musicals shown at the theater.

Brad Rupp and Amanda Kuchinski, cast members and co-directors of the show, said the After Dark series is intended for young adults and anyone with an open mind who wants more of an alternative musical for entertainment.

"We certainly don't want regular ABT subscribers to think this is another show for the whole family," said Rupp, who is married to Kuchinski. "This is a show you must view with a love for lesser-known musicals and are open to not-so-squeaky clean text."

Marilyn Eisenberg, marketing director for ABT, said the series will be the start of showcasing productions for mature audiences that appeal to a younger demographic and serious theater goers in hopes of gaining newcomers to the facility.

ABT After Dark takes places in the intimate Encore Room, which seats 85 people as opposed to a few hundred in the main stage theater.

"It'll be like experiencing a show in your own living room," Eisenberg said.

The one-act musical, written by William Finn, who also penned "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," revolves around Marvin, who's trying to find inner peace and happiness. His life is complicated by ex-wife, Trina; son, Jason; gay lover, Whizzer; and psychiatrist Mendel, who makes matters worse by becoming involved with Trina.

"It's a beautiful representation about real life and relationships," said Kuchinski. "We want people to see that just because a show has a different kind of story, it doesn't need to be uncomfortable to watch." 

Rupp, Kuchinski and cast member Seth Tucker, who portrays Jason, were involved in a student production of this show at Arizona State University. They reprise their roles with addition of two people from the current production of "The Music Man."

If the show is a success, Rupp and Kuchinski believe other shows with a small cast and racier material could be part of the After Dark series. They include "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," "I Do, I Do," "The Last Five Years" and "A New Brain."

"It would be great for the theater to be able to expand to the same type of shows that Nearly Naked Theatre and Stray Cat Theatre have been doing," said Rupp. "Most of the cast has worked for at least one of those theatres, and we can all say that doing these lesser-known shows is very rewarding because of how much heart the team puts into them."

Mitchell Vantrease may be reached at 623-876-2526 or mvantrease@yourwestvalley.com.