The Connection

Alex Bulova, 20, of Fairfax, is the sole playwright, composer, and director of “The Complete History of Fairfax: The Musical,” an improvisational-like show with lots of singing and dancing that will be performed from July 6-8 in Falls Church, and July 13-15 in Lorton.

In case his name sounds familiar, Bulova is the grandson of Sharon Bulova, the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and son of Gretchen and David Bulova, who serves in the Virginia House of Delegates, 37th District, covering Fairfax. The rising junior attends the College of William and Mary, where he is a double major in film and media studies and government.

"For 'The Complete History of Fairfax,' I wanted to create a family-friendly celebration of Fairfax County. I wanted to leave partisan politics at the door," he said.

The show is a musical summary of all 275 years of Fairfax County's history, and Bulova took about a year to finish it. It begins in 1608 when John Smith sailed up the Potomac River to Mason Neck and it advances to the present day. It has 55 percent dialogue and 45 percent singing to create depictions of Fairfax's history.

"I think that it's very important that we remember where Fairfax County came from," he said. "As recently as 40 years ago, Fairfax was a relatively rural community and it has seen exponential growth. And I think that by seeing this show, [audiences] will gain a greater appreciation of how we got to an industrialized county of over a million residents today and where we're going in the future."

THE SHOW features four actors who play dozens of roles to portray some of the most famous figures of Fairfax's history — including George Washington, Antonia Ford, and the Bunnyman. "However, tension between the cast members threatens to tear the show apart," he said.

Instead of a big, lavish set, he uses various props and furniture pieces to create many historical eras. The costumes were designed by Sarah Marksteiner, who used minimalistic costuming to suggest a variety of historical figures.

The target audience is families with children ranging from ages 5-18, he said. "Not only is this a fun show, but it is also very educational. We go over a lot of facts about Fairfax, and we want as many young people to see it as possible — so they understand where the Fairfax County we know today came from," he said.

Last year, he co-wrote and directed "Super Nova," which took a satirical look at Fairfax and Northern Virginia culture. So with this summer's 275th anniversary of the founding of Fairfax County, he was inspired to celebrate the history of the place he calls home.

When he began writing, he wanted to explore the lesser known events from Fairfax's history, so he looked from town to town for the stories associated with each. "That's how I found out such stories as 'Sadie the Cow' and 'Lucy Burns,'" he said. "I then chose my favorite events from those towns and made songs out of them. My main goal was to represent as many parts of Fairfax as possible through song."

Take "Burke 1970 or: A Matter of Private Property," a song about the Bunnyman, for example. He explained: "In 1970, a man dressed in a rabbit costume and terrorized the newly constructed Kings Park West, and to this day nobody knows who he was. In my song I try to imagine who the Bunnyman was and what led him to terrorize the neighborhood with a hatchet."

In "Mount Vernon 1759 or: A Minuet for Sally," he said it's about George Washington a week before his wedding to Martha. "In my research, I found that one of Washington's first romantic interests was a woman named Sally Fairfax, who was related to the Fairfax family, for whom the county was named after," he said.

A 2015 GRADUATE of Robinson Secondary School, Bulova was active in theater where he performed in "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Macbeth," and received the 2015 Cappies Award for Best Comedic Actor in a Play for "Neverwhere." In college, he's appeared in "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" and "The Addams Family Musical."

In addition to theater, Bulova was an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 1865 at St. George's United Methodist Church in Fairfax, and studied music — taking vocal lessons, piano and cello. He even does tap dancing.

As far as future aspirations, he's still trying to figure out whether he'll go into politics or the arts. "I'm waiting once I graduate; I'll see which path I go down. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying being involved in both," he said.