STAGEright to Present A NEW BRAIN at Cornish Playhouse Blackbox, Begin. 5/2

A New Brain was born when composer William Finn, just three days after winning the Tony Award for Falsettos in 1992, was hospitalized and operated on for a condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM). It was upon his return home that he began writing songs about the experience; the energetic, sardonic, often comical musical, A New Brain, is the result.

Finn's alter-ego and A New Brain's central character, Gordon Schwinn, is a fictitious songwriter afflicted with the same rare life threatening condition. Schwinn dreams of composing for Broadway, but is stuck writing songs for Mr. Bungee, a children's TV entertainer. When his illness takes hold, Gordon fears he will be nothing if he does not write one last song to be remembered by. He floats in and out of reality, in a series of hallucinations with Mr. Bungee haunting his subconscious. The illness has a profound effect not only on himself, but also upon everyone around him, including his mother, his boyfriend, his female best friend, and the medical staff who looks after him. The show features big production number such as "Heart and Music," "And They're Off," and "I Feel So Much Spring" as well as emotionally charged numbers, like "I'd Rather Be Sailing" "Change" and "The Music Still Plays On." It is a touching story of love, music, and transformation.

All performances will take place at the Cornish Playhouse Blackbox at 7:30pm.

CAST:
Daniel Stoltenberg as Gordon
Justin Carrell as Roger
Susan Connors as Mimi
Meg McLynn as Rhoda
David Caldwell as the Minister
Shermona Mitchell as the Homeless Woman/Lisa
Matt Giles as Mr. Bungee
Andrew Davison as Richard "The Nice Nurse"
Krista Curry as the Nancy D. "The Thin Nurse"/Waitress
Stephen Bucheit as the Doctor

PRODUCTION TEAM:
Adam Minton Stage Manager/Lighting Design
Zandi Carlson Director
Julia Thornton Music Director
Brandon Estrella Set Design
Catherine Crockett Costume Design
Kacey Shiflet Prop Design
Robert Keene Sound Design

PERFORMANCE DATES:

Friday May 2 7:30pm Saturday May 3 7:30pm Thursday May 8 7:30pm Friday May 9 7:30pm Saturday May 10 7:30pm Monday May 12 7:30pm - Industry Night Thursday May 15 7:30pm Friday May 16 7:30pm Saturday May 17 7:30pm

LOCATION: Cornish Playhouse Blackbox
201 Mercer St
Seattle, WA 98109

TICKETS: Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 online available at http://anewbrain.brownpapertickets.com/.

GROUP SALES: STAGEright is pleased to introduce group sales ticket options, $12/person for any group with 6-9, and $10/person for groups of 10 or more. Group tickets are available at http://anewbrain.brownpapertickets.com/ or by emailing groupsales@seattlestageright.org.