Maisie Erin M. Tan Eng 13 THR 2, Prof.

Lumba-Tajonera
2018-00648 2nd Sem, 2019-2020

First Draft of the “Falsettos” Paper Outline

Thesis Statement: In the musical Falsettos, the character of Marvin is a narcissist and this has

created toxic behaviors in his relationships with his former and current lovers.

I. Falsettos is a musical that is composed of two one-act musicals, March of the Falsettos and

Falsettoland, that were made in 1981 and 1990 respectively.

A. The two musicals were officially combined in 1992 by the creators William Finn and

James Lapine.

B. A revival of this musical was produced in 2017 that garnered critical acclaim and a

massive fanbase for the once unknown musical.

C. It is a musical about a family where the father, Marvin, left his wife to be with another

man and the effects of his actions.

II. Marvin is a narcissist shown by his actions primarily in the first act of the show.

A. He had a divorce to be with his boyfriend, however he still expects to maintain all his

relationships.

B. He paid no mind to Trina and the struggles that she may be going through in the divorce

and just tells her to tell someone else about her issues.

III. Trina has developed a dependence on men because she has always been a housewife and

does not know how to do anything else.

A. She feels like her life is falling apart without her child and family relationship.

B. She feels the need to take care of the men in her life because of her belief that men get

older but they do not mature mentally.

IV. Whizzer is a free spirit embodying the more open sexual expression of the 1980s.

A. Marvin and Whizzer find the act of fighting and arguing as a key part of their relationship.
 B. Marvin attempts to manipulate Whizzer into fitting his ideal instead of letting Whizzer be

his own person.

V. The musical does not show Marvin’s situation as hopeless rather it shows that people can

change if given support by people around them.

Intitial Bibliography:

Haun, H. (2016, Oct 2). William Finn Explains How Falsettos Came to Be. Playbill. http://

www.playbill.com/article/william-finn-explains-how-falsettos-came-to-be

Helbig, J. (2000). Deconstructing Harold Hill: the insiders guide to musical theatre. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann.

Jeffreys, M. E. (2009). Torah, Tradition, And Trina: Analysis And Development Of Trina In

William Finn's Falsettos From A Faith-based Perspective. http://etd.fcla.edu/CF/

CFE0002546/Jeffreys_Margaret_E_200905_MFA.pdf

Smart, J. (1996) Labels Are Not Characters: Critical Misperception of Falsettoland. Journal of

Dramatic Theory and Criticism, (Spring 1996).

Weinzierl, F. (2016). Making a Fun Home: The Performance of Queer Families in Contemporary

Musical Theater. Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies, 17(1).