Fun Home, which sold nearly 2,000 units in its first week, placed behind the perennial top-seller Wicked and ahead of well-known titles such as Kinky Boots, Book of Mormon and Once.
In addition to its Cast Album Chart placement, Fun Home finished at 17 in Top Internet Sales, #45 in Top Independent Albums and even broke into Billboard’s Top 200 at #178. The PS Classics Feb. 25 release of Yank! came in at #7 on the Billboard Top Cast Album Chart.
"This is the best first week we've ever had for an Off-Broadway cast album – I mean, by far," PS Classics co-founder Philip Chaffin told Playbill.com. "And an Off-Broadway show that's already closed – we're obviously thrilled. I think it's a real tribute to how much people loved this show, and how moved they were by the performances and the material. We had customers writing us the day before release, just to let us know that they were staying up till midnight to download it from iTunes the minute it was available."
The writers and original cast will gather at the Upper East Side Barnes and Noble March 13 to perform songs from the musical.
Tesori is the Tony-nominated composer of Caroline, or Change; Shrek; Violet; and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Book writer and lyricist Kron, a Tony nominee for Well, also penned In the Wake and 2.5 Minute Ride. Fun Home, which dramatizes lesbian cartoonist Bechdel's coming-of-age and her relationship with her closeted gay father, opened to acclaim Oct. 22, 2013. Directed by Sam Gold (The Realistic Joneses, Seminar) the production ended its extended run at the Public Jan. 12. Listen to "Ring of Keys," performed by Beth Malone as Alison and Sydney Lucas as Small Alison. Music direction is by Chris Fenwick; the orchestration is by John Clancy.
The cast album of Fun Home is produced by PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker. PS Classics previously recorded and released the cast recording of The Public Theater production of Road Show.
The track listing follows:
. It All Comes Back (Opening)
2. "Sometimes my father appeared to enjoy having children…"
3. Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue
4. Not Too Bad
5. "Just had a good talk with Dad…"
6. Come to the Fun Home
7. Helen's Etude
8. "Thanks for the care package…"
9. Al for Short
10. Changing My Major
11. "I leapt out of the closet…"
12. Maps
13. "Read a book…"
14. Raincoat of Love
15. "I need more coffee…"
16. Ring of Keys
17. "Let me introduce you to my gay dad…"
18. "Shortly after we were married…"
19. Days and Days
20. "You ready to go for that drive?..."
21. Telephone Wire
22. "It was great to have you home…"
23. Edges of the World
24. "This is what I have of you…"
25. Flying Away (Finale)
Fun Home featured Beth Malone (Alison), Sydney Lucas (Small Alison) and Alexandra Socha (Medium Alison) as author-narrator Bechdel at various stages of her life. It also starred Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris as her father, Bruce Bechdel, and Tony nominee Judy Kuhn as her mother, Helen Bechdel.
Completing the cast were Griffin Birney (John Bechdel), Roberta Colindrez (Joan), Noah Hinsdale (Christian Bechdel) and Joel Perez (Roy).
Fun Home is described as "a fresh, daring new musical based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father's hidden desires."
