A New Brain

A composer, struggling to finish a song for a kid's show—one that he personally finds inane and repulsive—is suddenly struck by a brain event. He's got a serious problem, one that could leave him a vegetable if it doesn't kill him.

So what does he do?

Hallucinate incredibly funny production numbers, of course, as any wannabe Broadway star would.

In this very tuneful, funny and touching musical from William Finn and James Lapine, the life of Gordon Schwinn (played by Craig Howard) gets upended by something completely unforeseen, and we get treated to the sight of a male nurse (Scott Minor) singing the hilarious “Poor, Unsuccessful and Fat.”

There's also Mr. Bungee (Owen Smith), the “star” of the kid's show that Gordon writes for, being alternately profane and inspiring—all the while dressed up as a frog in an outrageously realistic puppet costume as he rides around the stage on a scooter. And don't get us started on the alternately hilarious and all-too-realistic homeless woman (Joelle Robertson), panhandling her way through life when she's not offering solace and counsel to Gordon's frightened lover (Nephi Speer, with a piercingly clear voice), or the inimitable Martha Knight as Gordon's mother, relentlessly keeping up his spirits, whether he wants them kept up or not.

An altogether delightful show, with an energetic supporting cast that includes Eimi Taormina as Gordon's best friend, Lizzy Poore as a nurse, Ryan Allen as the neurologist, and Mike Yee as a minister, A New Brain also benefits from a live orchestra, under the direction of Peter Kagstrom. Director Jerry Kennedy keeps things moving at a manic pace, making this another of Green Valley Theatre Company's delightful and wild rides.