Gary Quinn Simmons

THAR 207 Acting II

2 April 2019

“You Gotta Die Sometime” from Falsettos

Falsettos opened on Broadway on April 29th, 1992. [Book by James Lapine; Music and
Lyrics by William Finn] The musical is an operetta, which means the entirety of the story is told
through music and song, without dialogue between numbers. This genre of musical tends to be
more emotionally charged and can incorporate elements of extreme comedy, as well as some
very impactful dramatic moments. Throughout the show, Whizzer creates many complicated
relationships with the other characters. Ultimately, the initiation of his romantic relationship with
Marvin is the catalyst for the entire show. Marvin's relationship with Whizzer is one of the most
dysfunctional ever depicted in a musical. Some of the most striking characteristics of their
relationship are the constant threats and bluffs about leaving or breaking up. They're constantly
telling each other that the current outrage had better be the end. Despite their tumultuous
dynamic, Whizzer still establishes a strong relationship with Marvin’s son, Jason, as well. These
relationships make the circumstances even more high stakes when, in Act Two, Whizzer is told
that his sickness is terminal. Upon receiving this news, Whizzer is alone in a hospital room, left
to sing his soliloquy, “You Gotta Die Sometime”. Whizzer wants to feel at peace with death, and
his reflection on discovering the news leads him to verbalize death in a visually stunning way
that is meant to aid him in his acceptance of fate. However, it could certainly be argued that
Whizzer is singing his desires while feeling completely and utterly afraid of what’s to come. He
repeats the phrase out loud, over and over, until the song reaches an emotional peak where
Whizzer may have potentially reached his objective in a “fake it til you make it” fashion.
However, the song and the moment is immediately interrupted by Jason’s entrance.