A New Brain

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "A New Brain", music & lyrics - William Finn; Book - Wm.Finn & James Lapine

Date: Sat, Sept 16, 9:48 AM

Quicktake on A NEW BRAIN

     When William Finn, then best known for his "Falsettos" shows, came close to dying from an inherited brain condition, his quirky sensibilities naturally turned his experience into a musical—with the help of sometime Sondheim collaborator, director James Lapine. "A New Brain" has had several Boston-area production since its NY run at Lincoln Center, but Metro Stage's current brief run in Cambridge may come closest to realizing its potential. Directed by Turtle Lane regular James Tallach, the show boasts an ensemble cast of well-trained and experienced local singers, who've been seen in various area productions recently. Community theatre veteran Jim Fitzpatrick takes the main role of Gordon Michael Schwinn. His mother Mimi is played by another area veteran, Mary O'Donnell, who was part of Metro's production of Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World" last spring. Brown did the vocal arrangements for "A New Brain".


     Kendra Kachadoorian, trained in opera, here plays Lisa, the homeless woman whose harsh worldview balances Schwinn's self-pity. Also in "Songs..." she was last seen at TLP as the brash gun-toting New Jerseyite in Ahrens & Flaherty's early musical, "Lucky Stiff." Schwinn's other nemesis, Mr.Bungee, the frogee star of the children's show for which he writes songs, is Gary Ryan, TLP's "Pippin" last season and Sr. Leo in Metro's "Nunsense A-Men" last fall. On the more sympathetic side, another community theatre veteran, Peri Chouteau, plays Rhoda, Schwinn's agent, and gets to show her comic flair as Gordon's ventriloquist dummy in a dream sequence. She'll next play Little Sally in Vokes upcoming "Urinetown."


     Metro's artistic director, versatile Robert Case, who with Tallach designed the simple but effective set, plays the Doctor, while conservatory-trained Anne Velthouse plays his nurse Nancy. Her husband Aaron, an NEC opera student last seen as Sky Masterson at TLP plays the hospital chaplain. Nicholas Nunez, a senior music major at BosCon, plays Roger Della-Bovi, a wealthy sailor and Gordon's life partner. Recent BU grad Joe Lanza is Richard, the nice nurse, who feels trapped in his hospital career. This ensemble, under the music direction of Jennifer Honen Galea should be enough to alert in-town music theatre fans to the wealth of talent in various suburban producing groups. We can only hope that Metro, whose work has steadily improved, can somehow afford longer intown runs for future efforts. "A New Brain" has four performances, Thu -Sat at 8pm, Sun. at 2pm, next weekend, Sept. 21-23.


"A New Brain", music & lyrics - William Finn; Book - Wm.Finn & James Lapine, Sept. 15-23

Metro Stage Co. at Durrell Hall, Camb YMCA

800 Mass. Ave. Central Sq, (617) 624 - 5023
Metro Stage