Pittsburgh City Paper: Not long after composer/lyricist William Finn won the 1992 Tony Award for his musical Falsettos, he collapsed. Diagnosed with an "arteriovenous malformation" -- a screwed-up artery/vein connection -- Finn underwent risky brain surgery. During his recovery, he later said, the music poured out of him. He turned those songs into the 1998 show A New Brain, a musical about a composer who collapses because of an "arteriovenous malformation."
Saturday, September 10, 2011
A New Brain I'm happy to report that the evening is just about as enjoyable as can be.
Pittsburgh City Paper: Not long after composer/lyricist William Finn won the 1992 Tony Award for his musical Falsettos, he collapsed. Diagnosed with an "arteriovenous malformation" -- a screwed-up artery/vein connection -- Finn underwent risky brain surgery. During his recovery, he later said, the music poured out of him. He turned those songs into the 1998 show A New Brain, a musical about a composer who collapses because of an "arteriovenous malformation."
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3 comments:
This sounds like quite a unique performance. I like that the script has a personal connection to William Finn, and according to the article Stephen Santa has done a good job of finding the right people to portray the characters in A New Brain. It is also great to see that the critic is pleased with the show even though it is only Bald Theatre Company's second production.
In Directing II, we have a weekly assignment to read the Sunday New York Times and bring in news articles that make interesting stories. Jed says that some of the best stories are the ones we draw from real life. Its so cool that A New Brain is not only a really cool concept, but a concept based on reality. Our brains make us who we are, and brain surgery has a lot of negative associations that go with it; loss of motor function, memory, and comprehension. With this in mind, its so great to hear about a brain surgery where the unforeseen side effects are music and art pouring out of someone. This sounds like a really good play and I hope it does well.
When watching live theatre you tend to be able to relate to someone or something that is in the show, hat is exactly what Finn did. That is one thing about theatre that is so great and enjoyable about watching, you can see yourself in those that are on stage. This show sounds like one people could defiantly relate to and sure to enjoy! I'm glad to see the Bald Theatre Company is off to a great start!
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