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| Drake Sherman (center, on hospital bed) and Cast photo by Tim Trumble |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through November 19th.
"Shortly after winning the Best Score Tony Award for Falsettos, composer William Finn was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. While the diagnosis turned out to be inaccurate, Finn did undergo brain surgery to mitigate a congenital condition and he used that experience...as the basis for the musical A New Brain. ASU / Lyric Opera Theatre presents a stellar production of this infrequently produced, and not exactly perfect, musical with an exceptional cast who beautifully portray the musical's message of how despair and the threat of death can be the catalyst for joy and happiness. A New Brain tells the story of a talented young theatre composer named Gordon who wastes his abilities writing songs for a ridiculous children's TV show. After he is diagnosed with a brain tumor, he waits in the hospital to undergo surgery and, positive he is dying, fears his greatest songs are still unwritten. Finn and bookwriter James Lapine crafted an intimate and emotionally rich story filled with three-dimensional characters and light-hearted moments amongst the serious and moving message of how a near death experience can make one realize that they should learn to appreciate the people and happier moments in their lives. Finn's challenging, sung-through score has distinctive and unconventional lyrics and a driving, manic pace...The musical is very quirky, offbeat and somewhat challenging, for both the actors and the audience, with fragmented, slightly disjointed sequences that aren't always additive to the show's central themes. Director and choreographer Robert Kolby Harper ensures his cast deliver rich, refined and genuine portrayals of these lovable characters. His staging is crisp and swift, moving the 95-minute one-act show along at a brisk pace but also allowing for the more serious moments to shine and resonate. ...As Gordon, Drake Sherman delivers a good balance between sarcasm and sweetness as this endearing man who suffers a major life-threatening event....his portrayal is filled with both charisma and credibility. Austin Delp is very good as Gordon's aloof but sweet, sincere and loving boyfriend Roger, and Nellie Shuford is equally as good as Gordon's caring, forceful and upbeat though clearly worried and slightly unstable mother. ...Finn and Lapine took a real-life experience to create a musical that tugs at the emotions while making you laugh with its sarcastic wit. It is an ironic musical that portrays the wakeup call that happens when someone is faced with mortality and realizes their shortcomings, yet also a show with a cathartic emotional message that life is worth living. Though it isn't a perfect musical, with a talented cast and excellent direction that deliver the show's central themes beautifully, ASU's A New Brain proves to be a worthy production with a big heart.. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
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