WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: A New Brain

PREMIERED: 1998 (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York)

MUSIC/LYRICS: William Finn

BOOK: William Finn, James Lapine

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Official artwork for "A New Brain" at NYCC in 2015

This week we return to the world of musicals, and a lesser known exponent of William Finn and regular collaborator James Lapine. After the roaring success of "Falsettos" in 1992 (made from stitching together two prior one-act musicals), earning two Tony Awards for Finn (the second shared with Lapine), the pair teamed up once again for a brand new show that was perhaps Finn's most personal. This is in no small part due to how it directly addressed his own health issues, following a near-death experience he went through shortly after the premiere of his previous musical, and in many ways is an ode to the healing power of art.

Originally starting as a series of songs Finn wrote after leaving hospital, the musical tells the story of children's TV songwriter Gordon Schwinn, who collapses due to a brain aneurism, and is forced to confront his own sense of mortality through reassessment of all aspects of it, including his art and relationships. Through a mix of comedy and deep anguish, the musical serves as a true testament to the unwavering endurance of the human spirit, and how one can change one's life if the desire is potent enough.

Jonathan Groff and Ana Gasteyer in "A New Brain"

"A New Brain" had its earliest developmental stages at the Public Theater in New York by means of a concert of the initial songs Finn had written, following which the show had its first fully staged run off-broadway, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center in 1998, with a cast that included future Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth, and Tony nominees Malcolm Gets, Mary Testa and Penny Fuller. It was later revived at New York City Center as part of its Encores! series, starring Jonathan Groff and Dan Fogler, however, in spite of multiple smaller scale productions, including at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe, the show has never had a major production staged in the UK.

With the work of Finn growing in popularity, as evidenced by the current off-broadway revival of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" picking up serious traction, there is no reason why this most personal of his lesser known works couldn't have a successful run this side of the pond, as despite the absurdity of the subject matter, it is still a profoundly human story that would likely resonate with audiences hugely.