A NEW BRAIN, created by Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist William Finn and playwright James Lapine, is an unexpectedly funny show that gives a glimpse into the inner world of Gordon Michael Schwinn (played by Patrick Dwyer), a frustrated composer for a children’s television show. A brain disorder leaves Gordon hospitalized, where he floats in and out of consciousness, contemplating his life, legacy, the meaning of music, and the important relationships in his life. Throughout his hospitalization, Gordon is haunted by an imaginary frog from the show he works on. As a quartet of quirky hospital staff (the egotistic neurosurgeon, a nice nurse, a mean nurse, and an out-of-his element minister) try to tend to his medically uncertain needs, Gordon’s overbearing Jewish mother, his lover, and neurotic best friend work to maintain his emotional health. Throw in a deeply philosophical homeless woman, and you have the ten-person cast of this touching, funny, and relatable musical that explores life’s beauty when we take the time to appreciate it.
Old Library Theatre is at 12-45 River Road, #103, Fair Lawn, NJ.
Jekyll & Hyde The Musical (10/17/25-10/26/25)
Jekyll and Hyde (10/17/25-10/26/25)
Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon (2/7/25-2/9/25)
Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play (1/13/24-1/14/24)
Marvin’s Room (12/8/23-12/10/23)
Titanic, The Musical (10/13/23-10/22/23)
The Prom (4/14/23-4/23/23)
It Shoulda Been You (7/29/22-8/7/22)
My Big Gay Italian Wedding (9/17/21-9/19/21)
13 (4/20/17-4/23/17)
The Wolves (12/12/25-12/14/25)
Videos
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Chicago the Musical
Mayo Performing Arts Center (1/16 - 1/18) | |
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The Wolves
Old Library Theatre (12/12 - 12/14)
PHOTOS
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The Players Guild of Leonia announces 2025-26 season
The Players Guild of Leonia (9/12 - 6/30) | ||
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The Jersey Tenors
Surflight Theatre (2/14 - 2/15) | |
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Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert
State Theatre New Jersey (12/31 - 12/31) | |
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Holiday Spirits: Festive Night Out, Benefitting State Theatre New Jersey’s Community Outreach Initiatives
State Theatre New Jersey (12/16 - 12/16) | |
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New Year’s Eve Bubbly Bash with David Clark, The Music of Billy Joel
Surflight Theatre (12/31 - 12/31) | |
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Xian Conducts Prokofiev & Strauss
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (4/10 - 4/10) | |
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Kinky Boots
State Theatre New Jersey (2/27 - 3/1) | |
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