Top Five Songs: Falsettoland

Gun to my head, I think I prefer the music in Act I of Falsettos slightly more than Act II, but that’s not to say that Falsettoland doesn’t have some damn good songs in it.  As with March of the Falsettos, I had to work to get my favorites down to just five (spoilers.)

“Falsettoland / About Time” – Really brisk, catchy number reintroducing the main characters after Act I (and introducing the new characters,) as well as establishing the scene.  I love the jaunty melody and the list-song style, and Marvin’s interruptions to fill in the gaps with more detail are well-done – right away, you start to get an idea of how he’s changed between acts, and we see where the characters stand with one another now.

Best lyric:  It’s about growing up, getting older, living on a lover’s shoulder, / Learning love is not a crime - / It’s about time.”

“The Baseball Game” – This is a terrific number for the whole group, a nice scene-song that covers a fair amount of plot ground (namely, the beginning of Marvin and Whizzer’s reconciliation) while also bringing some good humor and character moments.  Some fun lyrics here, especially as the adults are describing the baseball players.

Best lyric:  We’re sitting / And watch the kid as he misses! / We’re watching Marvin throw kisses. / We’re watching sixty-seven pounders, / Watching Jewish boys miss grounders…”

“What More Can I Say?” – What a beautiful song.  While Whizzer sleeps, Marvin reflects on love.  The melody is simple and pure, the lyrics utterly heartfelt, and Christian Borle’s performance so gentle and affecting.  It’s the last completely bright moment in the show, as the dark turn begins in the very next number, but it’s worth it.

Best lyric:  “If I say I love him, / You might think my words come cheap. / Let’s just say I’m glad he’s mine, / Awake, asleep.”

“Holding to the Ground” – I think Trina has the best all-around solo game.  In addition to the awesome “I’m Breaking Down,” she also has a couple of really beautiful, heartbreaking numbers, including this one.  After Whizzer gets sick, Trina looks back on the life she’s had compared to the life she expected, both the good (family she didn’t anticipate) and the bad (tragedies she can’t understand.)  Plaintive and lovely.

Best lyric:  “Holding to the ground / As the ground keeps shifting, / Trying to keep sane / As the rules keep changing, / Keeping up my head / As my heart falls out of sight…”

“You Gotta Die Sometime” – I love this song.  Whizzer, alone in the hospital, faces the prospect of his impending mortality.  He tries to rationalize, to brush it off like he’s okay about it, and he imagines death as a lover.  And all the while, he tries to quell his rising panic.  A fantastic number that packs a devastating punch.

Best lyric:  “I quit - / That’s the ball game. / It’s the chink in the armor, / The shit in the karma, / The blues.”