Walking to my seat at last night’s production of The Lion King, I heard an usher comment on how this show was “something different.”

Great Depression era American criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow captured newspaper readers’ imaginations of their day, becoming public figures for doing no good and creating celebrity culture before its time. And our obsession with these real-life characters who lived and loved with wanton desire and freedom only to die young in a blaze of glory never really waned. Their story has been adapted for film, television, cartoons, hip-hop songs, and podcasts, among practically infinite variations on their daring, romantic, violent tale.

Prolific comic American playwright Neil Simon has written more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of screenplays, has received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer, and was awarded many of the most sought-after literary awards, including the Pulitzer.

The story of one can relate to many. That’s the binding truth at the heart of Circle Theatre’s Fun Home.