Theater Review: 'A New Brain' at Sacred Heart University

Review by Naugatuck Patch Mayor Nancy Sasso Janis

The Sacred Heart University Performing Arts Theatre Arts Program tackled the musical “A New Brain,” with music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Finn and James Lapine.

“A New Brain” is from the Tony Award-winning writers of “Falsettos,” so it has an admirable pedigree. This is “an energetic, sardonic–often comically–musical about a composer experiencing a medical emergency.” When Gordon awakes in the hospital, he finds himself surrounded by his boat-loving lover, his mother, a co-worker, and the hospital personnel. Before the emergency, he has been working on a composition for a children’s show that stars Mr. Bungee, a frog, so the amphibian and the unfinished song continually haunts him as he travels through his medical trails.

The musical deals with Finn’s harrowing experience with an arteriovenous malformation in his brain and how art helped him to heal. The work started as a series of songs that Finn composed soon after he left the hospital and it went through many rewrites before a cast recording was made, with Christian Borle as a replacement for Mr. Bungee..

Justin Zenchuk, the Director of Performing Arts Recruitment and Production at SHU, directed the students in this wonderfully talented cast. He previously directed “Bat Boy: The Musical” and “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” in this space, and will reprise the role of The Ghost of Christmas Present in the upcoming “A Christmas Carol.” Zenchuk effectively uses the tiny space of The Little Theatre to present this work, a show that I had never seen before. Although I had heard some of the music, it was a great experience to see how all of the pieces fit together.

Andrew Sisti, a SHU sophomore who played Laurie in “Little Women,” takes on the William Finn role, named Gordon Michael Schwinn, the composer working on music for a children’s show that faces “Trouble on His Brain.” The musical is essentially sung through, with only a piano to accompany the singers.

Nolan Young, a SHU junior, plays Schwinn’s charming boyfriend, Roger Delli-Bovi, who sings the familiar “Sailing.”

Junior David Irizarry (Christopher in “Curious Incident”) hops in and out of Gordon’s brain as the frog named Mr. Bungee. When I knew very little about this show, I was afraid that this character would overwhelm the story with silliness, but this is not the case. The frog character is suggested with a costume of a green jacket, a bowler hat, and heelies.

Billy Kasheta, a senior who is an accomplished dancer, plays the role of Richard, a male nurse that lightens the tone whenever he enters the action (“You Boys Are Gonna Get Me in Such Trouble.”)

Ryan Romero makes his SHU debut in the role of a slightly clueless minister and junior Tori Cutalo plays the doctor who diagnoses the brain issue.

Sophomore Megan Loiacano (“Rent” at Center Stage) plays Nancy D, “the (mean) thin nurse” and Kristina Holland, a sophomore at SHU, plays a waitress who is a big fan of Mr. Bungee,

Madeline Talluto, a sophomore, has to age up to play the loving and mentally unstable mother of Gordon (“Throw it Out.”)

SHU junior Anna Allegretti plays Rhoda, a friend of Gordon who tries to encourage him to complete his musical work.

Macie Cox, a junior plays the “Homeless Woman” who begs for “Change” from the characters, in her first musical at SHU.

Costumes, hair and makeup design by Morgan Carter, Diana Martucci and Sage Sperling helped to define the characters well. The group was assisted by Mia Cicarelli.

Leo Carusone, the Director of Theatre at SHU, acted as the show’s musical producer and SHU junior Alli Weir worked as the production stage manager, with junior Gabby Mastrantoni working as the producer. SHU juniors Maggie Ives and Erin Pellegrini worked with Zenchuk as assistant directors.

The lighting design by Mike Mallison and Nora Serrao worked well for this tricky space and the sound and projection design was accomplished by Bella Generazo, which included a pre-show heart rate blip. Props were designed by Will Heidelberger V and Katie McCabe.

This memorable show about “Time and Music” closes on Sunday, Nov. 10 with a 3 p.m. performance in The Little Theatre on the Sacred Heart Campus. It is presented without an intermission.

Tickets for "A New Brain" are available online at edgertoncenter.org, at the Edgerton Center Box Office in person Monday to Friday, 12-4 PM, or on the phone at (203) 371-7908.