THEATRE NOVA, in collaboration with the RINGWALD THEATRE
PRESENTS

A NEW BRAIN
music and lyrics by William Finn
book by William Finn and James Lapine

A Filmed Version of the Musical Comedy

June 5-20, 2021

Theatre NOVA, in collaboration with The Ringwald Theatre, will release their filmed version of "A New Brain" by William Finn and James Lapine via Broadway on Demand during June of 2021. By the Tony Award-winning authors of "Falsettos," "A New Brain" is a life-affirming, heartfelt, often comical musical about a composer during a medical emergency. As doctors and nurses fly in and out of his room, trying to figure out what's wrong with his brain, Gordon drifts in and out of consciousness as he contemplates his life, legacy, and the meaning of music - all while navigating his relationships with his best friend, mother, and boyfriend. "A New Brain" is an unexpectedly funny, relatable, and ultimately touching meditation on how beautiful the world is when we slow down enough to look.

With special permission and a unique COVID-19 Contingency License from Concord Theatricals, Theatre NOVA and The Ringwald Theatre shot the musical over a period of two weeks to ensure that all COVID protocols and safety procedures could be upheld. The cast spent the month of March learning and rehearsing the all-sung show over Zoom with music director R. MacKenzie Lewis. At the beginning of April, the cast transitioned to socially distanced and masked in-person music rehearsals at Theatre NOVA. Finally, with all of the cast and crew partially or fully vaccinated and all participants COVID-tested, director Vince Kelley and cinematographer Jake Turner rehearsed and shot the show over a 12-day period, scene by scene, with arduous planning about how it would all be stitched together in post-production. This schedule allowed them to have the fewest people in the theatre at once, but also provided very new experiences for the stage actors who were accustomed to rehearsing a play for 4-6 weeks. The crew and cast wrapped the filming on April 24.

TICKETS:

"A New Brain" will be available ON DEMAND on June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20. Tickets are $25 per person. Ticket-holders may watch the show on Broadway On Demand on their computers, tablets, smartphones, and TV via the Broadway on Demand App, using AppleTV, Roku, all compatible Amazon Video devices. For tickets, visit TheatreNOVA.org. For more information, email a2theatrenova@gmail.com

Theatre NOVA is Ann Arbor's resident professional theatre company. Its mission is to raise awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and playwrights and provide resources for playwrights to develop their craft by importing, exporting, and developing new work.

The Ringwald Theatre is based in Ferndale, and its mission is to engage diverse audiences through fresh, risk-taking theatrical experiences.

This activity is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The production team includes Vince Kelley (director, costumer), R. MacKenzie Lewis (music director, musical tracks), Jake Turner (set designer, cinematographer, sound engineer, editor), Dan Morrison (lighting designer), Brandy Joe Plambeck (additional camera work), and Briana O'Neal (stage manager).

The cast includes Jason Briggs, Arielle Crosby, Steve DeBruyne, Diane Hill, Vince Kelley, Alaina Kerr, Richard Payton (Gordon), Jamie Richards, and Liz Schultz.