HOW HAS THE CONTEXT OF FALSETTOLAND INFLUENCED THE CONTENT AND WRITING OF THE PIECE AND HOW DOES THE CONTEXT RELATE TO A MODER

Authors Avatar
HOW HAS JUDAISM AS A FAITH AND ITS VIEW ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND AIDS IN THE 1980s ALONGSIDE THE REFORM MOVEMENT CONTRIBUTED TO WILLIAM FINN'S FALSETTOLAND?

Judaism and Jewish culture have always been central to William Finn, writer of a trilogy of short works following Marvin, a homosexual living within the Jewish faith. Falsettoland itself forms the final part of the trilogy whilst In Trousers and March of the Falsettos are the first two instalments respectively. Christianity condemns homosexuality within its faith, therefore, surely Judaism would take a moral stand and condemn any theatrical portrayal of such events? Did the Reform movement which began to grow in America in the 1830s have any effect upon the time Falsettoland was written, and, if so, how was Falsettoland as a music theatre work subject to such effects?

From the outset it is important to define the boundaries within which the term 'Judaism' and 'Reform Judaism' will be used. This paper focuses upon Judaism (be it Orthodox or Reform) within America and does not focus upon the origins of Judaism in Europe. Although perhaps some beliefs and moral standings were reflected across the Atlantic, for the purposes of this argument this will be negligible.

When analysing the musical content of Falsettoland it is important that one does not get carried away on the intended meaning, although only suggested as a guide and personal response to the music, the analysis is by no means definite and as the author intended.

We're free to borrow from both European operatic tradition and American

musical tradition, toss out what we don't need and invent whatever creature

we want, whatever we choose. And above all else, entertain.1

Jewish life in America changed dramatically throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The majority of Jews being those with a Reform standing. This meant that, as a faith, they rejected the traditional rules which governed dress code, diet, and purity. There was a sense of community rather than a religious longing and yearning to return to Palestine. Reform Jews were considered to be more of a social gain than a religious cult, some even saw the Reform movement as bringing Judaism 'up to date'. It is difficult to determine the type of Judaism represented in Falsettoland as no explicit references are made, however, throughout the course of this paper, the use of features of both traditional Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism suggest that Falsettoland depicts a hybrid of the two.

Judaism in America began growing in the 1830s when the Jews of Germany began to arrive on American soil. An important factor in the Jewish immigration is that these Jews were either Reform Jews or were secular Jews who had, for whatever reason, dropped Judaism altogether. In New York the Lower East Side of Manhattan quickly became the most populated Jewish area, however, the more successful Jew moved to live on the Upper East Side. The founder of the American Reform Movement was Isaac Meyer Wise who himself was a German immigrant. In 1875 the Hebrew Union College opened in Ohio and made history by serving untraditional, treyf food. The German immigrants built Temple Emanuel, the largest reform synagogue in the world and by 1880 (50 years after the influx) there were about 200 synagogues in America alone with the majority being Reform.

In opposition were the traditional Jews; those who were offended by the Reform Movement and so founded the Jewish Theological Seminary to compete with the Hebrew Union College. Solomon Schecter was the head of this seminary, however, it is interesting to note that he was a Jewish scholar from Cambridge. Why, after graduation of such a prestigious university did Schecter choose to emigrate to America and begin to uphold the traditional beliefs of the Torah and the word of God? Perhaps this question could be applied to William Finn and his writing of Falsettoland in that why would Finn, notably part of the Reform movement, choose to present characters of religious ambiguity and of questionable faith in an era struggling against anti-semitsm and, in contrast, health concerns across the world in the form of AIDS?

Before continuing to discuss the Reform movement, let us take stock and analyse the traditional Jewish beliefs. Fundamentally, Judaism lives by purpose; the mere fact of their belief in God subjects Jews to a purpose - a reason for life. However, the main difference between Jewish belief and those of a Christian is the belief in Jesus. Jews reject Jesus outright suggesting that God (the creator) would not subject the human race to any form of mediator or one who shall carry the word of God to man. Some would argue that the key to Judaism is the term 'Torah'. Most commonly associated as the book of Judaism, the Torah is to the Jews as the bible is to Christians. Although, on closer analysis the term has a broader meaning, extending further to mean teaching and law. Not only is the Torah a combination of the five books of Moses, but is the criteria and properties outlined by which those adopting the Jewish faith should abide. Traditional beliefs are made reference to in the number: 'Everyone Hates His Parents' where Mendel, a psychiatrist, gives Jason advice after he states that he doesn't want a bar mitzvah. In this scene, the verse...
Join now!


...Everyone hates his parents, that's in the Torah, it's what history shows.

In fact, God said to Moses: "Moses, everyone hates his parents, that's how

it is", and God knew because God hated his...2

...is used to introduce and expand upon Jason's idea of religion. Although it would be absurd to think that this is infact what God said, Finn and the character of Mendel are simply using religion to explain to Jason that feelings which he is incurring are quite common in life. This perhaps shows the characters in Falsettoland to be ...

This is a preview of the whole essay