Ithaca College

Performances of A New Brain, directed by Susannah Berryman, will be offered at 8:00 p.m. on March 24, 26-28, 31, and April 1-4, with matinee performances offered at 2:00 p.m. on March 28, 29, and April 4. All performances will be held in the Clark Theatre in Dillingham Center on the Ithaca College campus.

A New Brain is William Finn's autobiographical musical about conquering one of his biggest fears: dying with his greatest songs still unwritten. With lyrics by Finn and book by Finn and James Lapin, A New Brain is the story of Gordon, a frustrated songwriter who is stuck writing songs for a children's television show.

Like playwright Finn, Gordon suffers a brain injury that suddenly puts life in perspective. Throughout the musical, Gordon's relationships with his mother, lovers, medical professionals, strangers, and boss are tested and tried as he and those around him grapple with the gift of life and the reality of death.

A New Brain is "sung-through," meaning very little dialogue is spoken; conversations, monologues, and musings are all given life through music. Rent and Miss Saigon are other examples of sung-through musicals.

In 2005, Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee made its Broadway debut and was nominated for six Tony Awards. In 1992, he won two Tony Awards for best book and best original score of a musical for his work, Falsettos.

Ticket prices for A New Brain range from $4.50 to $10.00 and may be purchased in person at the Ithaca College ticket office in Dillingham Center or by calling (607) 274-3224. Tickets may also be purchased by visiting the Ticket Center at the Clinton House, by calling (607) 273-4497, or by visiting www.ithacaevents.com.

The cast of A New Brain features Ben Fankhauser '11, Danny Lindgren '12, Jeffrey Schara '09, Jeremy Reese '09, Bruce Landry '12, Alex Krasser '09, Meredith Beck '09, Mariah Ciangiola '09, Catherine Stephani '09, and Hillary Patingre '09.

The creative team includes choreographer Adam Pelty (assistant professor of theater arts), music director and conductor Joel Gelpe, scenic designer and Cornell professor Kent Goetz, costume designer Ainsley Anderson '10, lighting designer Kelly Syring '09, and sound designer Jillian Marie Walker '09. The technical director is Johnny Kontogiannis and the stage manager is Victoria Sheehan '09.