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Invar (Roger Delli-Bovi), including Michael Mandell (Richard), Penny Fuller (Mimi Schwinn), Mary Test

(Lisa), Kristin Chenoweth (Waitress/Nancy D), Chip Zien (Mr. Bungee), Liz Larsen (Rhoda), John Jellison

(Doctor), and Keith Byron Kirk (Minister).[4] Lovette George was an understudy for Rhoda, Waitress, and

Nancy D.[1] Christopher Innvar left the show in June 1998 due to vocal problems, and Norm Lewis was to

sing the role of Roger on the recording.[3]

A cast recording was made under the RCA Victor label with Norm Lewis singing the role of Roger.[2][3][5]

 New Brain was next performed at Rice University during the Sid Richardson Players' 1999-2000 season.

It was also done at UC Berkeley BareStage during the 2000-2001 season, which transferred to Shotgun

Players in 2001. [6] The show was also produced in March 2002 in St. Louis, Missouri at New Line Theatr

then premiered in the UK at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2005, with the English premiere in Septembe

2006 in Littlehampton, West Sussex.[7]

The musical was presented as part of the Encores! Off-Center staged concert series June 24–27, 2015 at the

New York City Center. The production included multiple rewrites by Finn and Lapine and was directed by

Lapine. It starred Jonathan Groff as Gordon and featured Dan Fogler as Mr. Bungee, Ana Gasteyer as Mimand Aaron Lazar as Roger.[8]

A new, updated cast recording has been recorded by the cast of the Encores! Off-Center production and wi

be released February 2016 by PS Classics. Unlike the original recording, this album – a two-disc set – will

contain the full show, including over 15 minutes of previously unrecorded music.[9]

Synopsis

Songwriter Gordon Schwinn works at his piano to meet a deadline, irritated because he must write a songabout spring for the children's television host Mr. Bungee, who dresses as a frog. Gordon takes a break from

his writing and meets his best friend Rhoda at a restaurant. During lunch, he clutches his head and falls fac

first into his meal. Rhoda calls an ambulance, and Gordon is taken to the hospital, where he's administered

an MRI. His neurosurgeon tells him that he has an arteriovenous malformation, and needs an operation. If 

he doesn't have it, he could die or never regain the use of his faculties.

While in the hospital, Gordon contemplates his situation, with his mother, Rhoda, and his boyfriend Roger

Gordon's greatest fear is dying with his greatest songs still inside him. After the operation, Gordon falls int

a coma and while in that state, he hallucinates a surrealistic musical-within-a-musical starring the people in

his life; and ultimately, the hallucination-Bungee leads Gordon back to consciousness and to Roger.[10]

 Herecovers slowly and his near death experience teaches him to re-evaluate and better appreciate the people

and relationships in his life. With his life at last in balance, he is able to write again.

Character List and Notable Casts

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Character1998 Original Off-

Broadway Cast2015 City Center Encores

Off-Center Cast

Gordon Michael Schwinn(A lovable but sarcastic composer)

Malcolm Gets Jonathan Groff  

Mr. Bungee(The slightly tyrannical director/producer/star of hisown children’s television show)

Chip Zien Dan Fogler

Mimi Schwinn(Gordo’s loving yet unstable mother)

Penny Fuller Ana Gasteyer

Rhoda(Gordo’s agent and ex-girlfriend-turned-best-friend)

Liz Larsen Alyse Alan Louis

Roger Delli-Bovi(Gordo’s charming and affectionate lover)

Christopher Innvar Aaron Lazar

Richard(A kind and compassionate nurse)

Michael Mandell Josh Lamon

Lisa

(A homeless lady) Mary Testa Rema Webb

Waitress/Nancy D.(The waitress is overbearing; Nancy is a mean nurse)

Kristin Chenoweth Jenni Barber

Dr. Jafar Berensteiner(An unsympathetic doctor)

John Jellison Bradley Dean

The Minister(A somewhat clueless man of the cloth at thehospital)

Keith Byron Kirk Quentin Earl Darrington

Musical numbers

"Frogs Have So Much Spring Within Them" (The Spring Song)(Gordon)"Calamari" (Gordon, Rhoda, Waitress, Mr. Bungee)"911 Emergency/ I Have So Many Songs" (Richard, Waitress, Doctor, Rhoda, Minister, Lisa)"Heart and Music" (Minister and Gordon with All but Mr. Bungee)"Trouble in His Brain" (Doctor and Mimi)"Mother's Gonna Make Things Fine" (Mimi and Gordon)"Be Polite" (Mr Bungee)*"I'd Rather Be Sailing" (Roger with Gordon)

"Family History" (Nancy D, Richard, Mimi)"Gordo's Law of Genetics" (Nancy D, Doctor, Minister, Rhoda, Richard, Lisa)"And They're Off" (Gordon with Nancy D, Doctor, Minister, Rhoda, Richard, Lisa)"Roger Has Arrived" (Gordon, Roger, Mother, and Rhoda)*"Just Go" (Gordon and Roger)"Poor, Unsuccessful and Fat" (Richard, Gordon, Mr. Bungee)"Sitting Becalmed in the Lee of Cuttyhunk" (All but Mr. Bungee)"Craniotomy" (Doctor, Nancy D, Minister)*"Invitation to Sleep in My Arms" (Gordon, Roger, Rhoda, Mimi)"Change" (Lisa)"Yes" (Gordon, Mr. Bungee with Nancy D, Doctor, Minister, Rhoda)

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"In the Middle of the Room" (Gordon, Mimi)"Throw It Out" (Mimi)"Really Lousy Day in the Universe" (Roger and Lisa)"Brain Dead" (Gordon and Roger)"Whenever I Dream" (Rhoda and Gordon)"Eating Myself Up Alive" (Richard with Nancy D, Doctor, Minister, Lisa)"Music Still Plays On" (Mimi)"Don't Give In" (Mr. Bungee with Gordon, Roger, Rhoda, Mimi)

"You Boys Are Gonna Get Me in Such Trouble/ Sailing (reprise)" (Richard, Gordon, Roger)"Homeless Lady's Revenge" (Lisa, Gordon, Roger)"Time" (Roger and Gordon)"Time and Music" (Minister, Gordon, and All)"I Feel So Much Spring" (Gordon, Lisa, Minister and All)

*Not included in the Original Cast Recording

Critical reception

Ben Brantley, in his review for The New York Times, wrote: "The problem is that for Mr. Finn (andprobably, alas, for most people), happiness is definitely a blander muse than anxiety. A New Brain, which

has been directed with wit and elegance by Graciela Daniele, has moments of captivating eccentricity. But

watching it is often like passing a group of animated, slightly drunken revelers on the street: you're glad the

have something to celebrate, but it's a private party, and you walk on by with a faint smile. Mr. Finn

originally conceived what became A New Brain as a series of revue numbers, and it might have worked

better in that format. As a story, shaped by Mr. Finn and his longtime collaborator, James Lapine, the show

has a spliced-together feeling, a disjunctive quality at odds with the holistic spirit it seems to be aiming

for."[11]

Notes

1. "'A New Brain' at the Newhouse, Background, Cast and Creatives" (http://lct.org/showMain.htm?id=133).

Lincoln Center Theater, accessed December 27, 2011

2. Bishop, Andre. "'A New Brain' Liner Notes" (http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/a-new-brain#tracks

MasterworksBroadway, accessed December 27, 2011

3. Haun, Harry and Lefkowitz, David and Simonson, Robert. "William Finn's 'New Brain' To Matter At NY

Newhouse Until Oct. 11" (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/39872-William-Finns-New-Brain-To-Matter-A

NY-Newhouse-Until-Oct-11). Playbill, June 30, 1998

4. Sommer, Elyse. "A Curtain up review" (http://www.curtainup.com/newbrain.html) curtainup.com, June 1998

5. A New Brain Original Cast Recording" (http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-new-brain-mw0000600635) allmusic.com, accessed June 26, 2015

6. http://www.shotgunarchive.org/archive/seas10/newbrain/newbrain.cfm

7. Hand Picked Productions' website (http://www.handpickedproductions.com), Handpickedproductions.com,

accessed December 27, 2011

8. Gans, Andrew; Viagas, Robert (May 19, 2015). "Tony Winner Among Stars Joining Jonathan Groff in  A New

 Brain at Encores!". Playbill.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.

9. Hetrick, Adam (October 19, 2015). " A New Brain, With Jonathan Groff, Will Get New Two-Disc Cast Album"

Playbill.com. Retrieved December 2, 2015.

10. Miller, Scott. "Inside A New Brain" (http://www.newlinetheatre.com/brainchapter.html), accessed July 11, 2014

11. Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review; A Romp Through the Valley of Death"

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(http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/061998brain-theater-review.html) The New York Times, June 19,

1998, accessed June 27, 2015

References

A New Brain summary & character descriptions (http://stageagent.com/Shows/View/1095) fromStageAgent.comA Curtain up review, June 1998 (http://www.curtainup.com/newbrain.html)

External links

Internet Off-Broadway Database listing, 'A New Brain'(http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=92)Review from NY Theatre (http://megsplace.com/mgc/nytheatre.html)William Finn (http://www.americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/william_finn) -

 Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org, December 2006Littlehampton (http://www.handpickedproductions.com/) - England Premiere (August 2006)

Acting Up Stage (http://www.actingupstage.com/anewbrain) - Toronto Premiere (February 2009)Pipedream Theatre Project (http://www.pipedream.ca) - Vancouver Premiere (June 2009)[1] (http://theatrepeople.com.au/features/new-brain) - University of Melbourne Music TheatreAssociation interview with director, Allie Sutherland (October 2010)""A New Brain' Plot and songs at guidetomusicaltheatre.com(http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_n/newbrain.html)[2] (http://www.moonboxproductions.org/) - Moonbox at Boston's BCA March 15 - April 6, 2013[3] (http://www.muziektheater-totaal.nl)- Theater De Lieve Vrouw Amersfoort November 2013 -Februari 2014. Reinier Bavinck, Angelique Severs

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Categories: 1998 musicals Off-Broadway musicals Musicals inspired by real-life events

LGBT-related musicals Musicals by William Finn

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