The NY Times reports that Fun Home, the musical has earned back the money that investors put into it, after eight months. Meaning “It is now officially a hit.” OF course, the Tony Award for BEst Musical didn’t hurt, either.

Many thought a musical about a lesbian and her suicidal closeted father would not find a wide enough audience to make back the $5.25 million it cost to mount (a comparatively paltry amount on Broadway these days.) But it did! Mostly because it’s an amazing, universal show with great performances and score. And the show is going on the road, with a licensed production in the Philippines starring Lea Salonga, a yearlong national tour, and a possible London version.

“The American public continues to impress with how much they’re willing to embrace the new — every time we thought we had reached the limit for the audience base, it turned out we hadn’t,” said Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater, where “Fun Home” began off Broadway. “This also means that we have turned a corner on what it means to be gay in the United States. ‘Angels in America’ was the first time I could see mass audiences identifying with gay characters — Prior Walter was an Everyman — and that’s what Alison is. She’s a lesbian, and one never forgets that, but she’s a lesbian who speaks for all of us.”

The original cast, including the extraordinary Sydney Lucas as young Alison and Michael Cerveris as her father Bruce, end their run in March so go see it while you can!

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