Rhetta Hanson-Cook
Dee King as Mr. Bungee and Dennis Yadon as Gordon.
During the opening night curtain speech for Music Theatre of Madison’s production of A New Brain, artistic director Meghan Randolph admitted this was the show she has wanted to produce from the moment she founded the company 10 years ago.
After seeing the quirky musical, running through July 16 in the Fredric March Play Circle at the Wisconsin Union, it’s easy to see why she wanted to bring it to Madison audiences. The offbeat show by William Finn and James Lapine is, by turns, funny and depressing, ridiculous and morbid, touching and silly.
Inspired by an episode in Finn’s own life, the story focuses on Gordon Schwinn, a struggling composer in New York who pays the bills by writing songs for a children’s TV show that features a giant frog as its main character. Battling writer’s block and overwhelming self-loathing, Gordon suddenly collapses during lunch with a friend. He is diagnosed with a rare brain condition that might end his life — or change him forever. While in the hospital, he battles his overprotective mother and the medical establishment while experiencing hallucinations featuring the dancing, singing frog. He also faces his fear of death and the prospect that he will lose the opportunity to share his music with the world. Plus, it seems like his boyfriend Roger would rather be out sailing than spend time with him. It’s no wonder Gordon feels like he’s going crazy.
A New Brain excels at dark comedy and is populated with strange and delightful characters. As Mr. Bungee, the amphibious children’s entertainer, Dee King threatens to steal every scene he’s in. Dressed in rainbow suspenders, an oversized red bow tie and mismatched socks, topped off with a large frog’s head mask, King is the relentless boss who wants Gordon to finish the songs he’s started for the kids’ show. He attacks the role with maniacal energy and fervor, heightening the absurdity of the situation.
Another unabashed scene stealer is J. Adam Shelton, who pirouettes his way through the show as Richard, the fat and sassy nurse, anxious to give Gordon his sponge baths and a piece of his mind. His gorgeous voice and no-holds-barred exuberance make his number, “Eating Myself Up Alive,” the comedic high point of the show, even if the song is somewhat disconnected from the overall story.
As Gordon, Dennis Yadon is the straight man amid the circus going on around him. His warm, earnest voice and honest portrayal of the troubled composer provide a realistic baseline to the story – his fears are universal and affecting. As Gordon’s partner Roger, Kurtis Hopp also turns in a stunning performance. His “Really Lousy Day in the Universe” is beautifully sung and heartbreaking. The moments where the two men connect and vow to be there for each other in the future are lovely.
The score is filled with imminently hummable tunes, and as an ensemble, the cast of 10 delivers some impressive vocals — for the most part, harmonizing well and filling the space with their strong, distinct voices.
Toward the end of the 95-minute show, the plot wavers a bit. Characters aren’t fully fleshed out, the story arcs aren’t satisfactorily resolved and the choreography seems recycled. But the music and the performances remain entertaining to the end.
Music Theatre of Madison should be congratulated for (in the words of the company’s founder) “bringing the weird stuff” to Madison for the past 10 years, including this bouncy homage to illness, recovery and making the most of life.
