A New Brain was born when composer William Finn, just three days after winning the Tony Award for Falsettos in 1992, was hospitalized and operated on for a condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM). It was upon his return home that he began writing songs about the experience; the energetic, sardonic, often comical musical, A New Brain, is the result.
Finn's alter-ego and A New Brain's central character, Gordon Schwinn, is a fictitious songwriter afflicted with the same rare life threatening condition. Schwinn dreams of composing for Broadway, but is stuck writing songs for Mr. Bungee, a children's TV entertainer. When his illness takes hold, Gordon fears he will be nothing if he does not write one last song to be remembered by. He floats in and out of reality, in a series of hallucinations with Mr. Bungee haunting his subconscious. The illness has a profound effect not only on himself, but also upon everyone around him, including his mother, his boyfriend, his female best friend, and the medical staff who looks after him. The show features big production number such as "Heart and Music," "And They're Off," and "I Feel So Much Spring" as well as emotionally charged numbers, like "I'd Rather Be Sailing" "Change" and "The Music Still Plays On." It is a touching story of love, music, and transformation.
Friday May 2 7:30pm Saturday May 3 7:30pm Thursday May 8 7:30pm Friday May 9 7:30pm Saturday May 10 7:30pm Monday May 12 7:30pm - Industry Night Thursday May 15 7:30pm Friday May 16 7:30pm Saturday May 17 7:30pm
LOCATION: Cornish Playhouse Blackbox
201 Mercer St
Seattle, WA 98109
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