Bill and Marta Kiesling have been involved in the area theater for many years, including the founding of what is now Steel River Playhouse, but it is their current venture which has taken them to Broadway and the Tony Awards.
The couple invested in a little musical called “Fun Home,” because they believed in its message. No one expected it to be huge – it doesn’t have a large cast and big production numbers – but as Marta described it, “It’s like the ‘Little Engine That Could.'”
At the recent Tony Awards it took home five of the top awards including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor in a Musical and Best Director.
“After we left Steel River, we were looking for something to follow our passions,” Marta said. “A friend of ours, Amy Kaissar, was involved in funding for ‘Fun Home’ and asked if we would be interested in investing.”
“We had never invested in a Broadway show before,” Bill explained, “We read the script and it moved us tremendously. It’s a remarkable human work that touches people on a number of levels. We felt it needed to be heard, needed to be exposed. We knew that 85 percent of Broadway shows are losses. We went into not to make money – we saw it as a donation.”
The show however, has been embraced by critics, theater professionals and most importantly, the public. It is playing to sold-out houses and it is expected to have a long run on Broadway and beyond.
“Fun Home” tells the story of a 40-something lesbian cartoonist who is looking back on her childhood with her closeted gay father, his suicide and dealing with her own sexual identity. It moves back and forth between present day and the past. Three actresses play the protagonist at different ages. It is based on a graphic memoir by cartoonist Alison Bechdel and perhaps that is why its story and message is ringing true to so many theatergoers.
Bill and Marta attended the opening which was a special experience. “It’s the only show we’ve ever attended – it’s in the round – where every person stands up, even before it’s over,” Bill said. It was a “spontaneous group moment,” Marta agreed.
“Besides its universal themes that apply to everyone, “Marta said, “it also advances musical theater as an art form.”
“For me,” Bill said, “I have always been committed to allowing people of different beliefs to feel comfortable in who they are and to support them.” Getting out the message of acceptance is important, he said. “The awards mean it will be seen. Society needs shows like ‘Fun Home’ to expand horizons.”
The couple has met many of the cast and creative team and Marta actually attended the Tony Awards show. “We’re so proud to be involved,” Marta said, “There are only nine in the cast and five of them were nominated.” The show had a total of 12 nominations.
“It was interesting to see the behind-the-scenes TV production and how they worked with the audience, Marta said, “but it is unfortunate that the TV audience didn’t get to see all of the show” – particularly the female writing duo (Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori) who penned “Fun Home.”
Marta was particularly impressed with 12-year-old Sydney Lucas who plays the young Alison. Her performance at the Tony ceremony wowed the crowd. The after-parties were also fun, she said, especially the “Fun Home” party, which felt like family.
The Broadway experience is like a dream come true for the couple. Both have been involved in theater since their school days and they actually met and fell in love playing romantic leads opposite each other in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Iolanthe” while they were studying law at Georgetown University. The rest is history. Everywhere they went, the arts were a large part of their lives. They dedicated many years to developing Steel River Playhouse (formerly the Tri-County Performing Arts Center) in Pottstown.
The beginnings of what is now Steel River Playhouse happened in their Spring City home with Gershwin and Cole Porter nights and “My Fair Lady.” Marta with her gift for fundraising was front and center in its formative years and headed the organization until last year. The couple supported the organization both financially as well as with countless hours of sweat equity to develop and grow the theater into a successful non-profit producing excellent local theater, but more importantly according to the Kieslings, to provide opportunities for young people to perform and hone their skills.
Their sons, Matt and Michael, along with many other young people, learned the ropes about acting and musical theater in classes and on the Steel River stage. Michael, is a junior at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and is a tenor in their vocal performance/opera program. He is taking coursework in marketing, film studies, and theater criticism and analysis. Matt is a senior at NYU/Tisch in the New Studio on Broadway for Music Theatre.
The Kieslings are also staying hands-on in the arts. Marta recently became chief operating officer for the Philadelphia Film Society and Bill just finished directing Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience” with the Savoy Theatre under the stars at Longwood Gardens.
“Fun Home” was in development for 7 or 8 years with a dedicated creative and production team forging ahead, despite some naysayers. Its message kept the team going and that is what drew Marta and Bill to the project. “When you do something because you believe in it, it’s more likely to be successful,” Bill said.
For more information about “Fun Home,” go to http://funhomebroadway.com/
For more on what makes “Fun Home” special, check out the New York Times Review.
