Finn & Spinella Set for Upcoming 'Downstage Center' Shows

The American Theatre Wing and XM Satellite Radio proudly present individual interviews with celebrated Broadway composer William Finn and acclaimed actor Stephen Spinella on their weekly theatrical interview show, "Downstage Center," on XM's On Broadway (XM Channel 28).

Finn will appear as the special guest on Friday, December 1 at 6 p.m. The show will repeat on Saturday, December 2 at noon, Sunday, December 3 at 7 p.m., and Wednesday, December 6 at midnight.

Spinella will appear as the special guest on Friday, December 8 at 6 p.m. The show will repeat on Saturday, December 9 at noon, Sunday, December 10 at 7 p.m., and Wednesday, December 13 at midnight.

Composer William Finn will explain how he became involved in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and what drew him to the show's quirky characters; chart the development of the "Marvin" trilogy, including March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland and talk about the differing approaches of directors James Lapine and Graciela Daniele to that material; tell the story of his own early-1990s medical crisis and how that became the basis for A New Brain; and recount his extreme trepidation about the new revue of his songs, Make Me a Song, during its debut in Connecticut.

Spinella returns to the Broadway stage, appearing in the critically acclaimed Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik new musical Spring Awakening, currently playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. He received two Tony® and Drama Desk Awards for his performances  in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika. His additional Broadway credits include Our Town, The Dead, for which he received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination, Electra, and A View From the Bridge.

Each new "Downstage Center" program is regularly broadcast at 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays at noon, Sundays at 7 p.m. and Wednesdays at 12 a.m. (all times EST). Following the initial run on XM, each program is made available for free, on-demand, internationally as both streaming audio and podcast on ATW's Web site, www.americantheatrewing.org.  Visit www.xmradio.com for more information.