A New Brain (Gallery Players)

See it if Lovely tale about a gay songwriter's brain operation. Enthusiastic performance by a large cast having a great time. Wonderful music.

Don't see it if You demand Broadway-quality performers/production. You don't want to travel to Brooklyn. I thought this was so charming & well worth it.

See it if A musical about a brain clot?? Finn's quirky, autobiographical, musically dense piece is just that Doesn't work but Gallery gives it its all

Don't see it if Despite best vocal efforts of lead Manocherian, Gordon is an unsympathic crank on top of dark subject Finn's indecisive tone hurts concept

See it if you enjoy song thru shows. lead male Jesse M. is back at Gallery & is great Barrie Gelles. gives her best directing and choreography

Don't see it if too late.. we caught the final performance. Gallery is so good. Rating is partner's 90% & my 80%

See it if you enjoy good community theater, mostly well acted, sung and danced but not always audible or perfect.

Don't see it if you are disturbed by an ensemble that sometimes has breakout members looking to "star." Good, four-piece band overpowers singing at times.

See it if you like musicals about struggling artists suffering through life.

Don't see it if you can’t take sung-through musicals, or you want something heavily produced.

Also On the surface, this feels like something Jonathan Larson would have written—but it’s not as good as a Larson show. Gallery Players did a good job with the material it had. Unfortunately, the material does nothing for me.... Read more Read less

See it if You'd enjoy a large cast & a sung-thru musical about a guy who needs a serious brain operation. Kudos to the lead guy & the Mom!

Don't see it if Could use a 5 or 10 minute trim, as it runs 1 hour 50 minutes no intermission.

See it if like Wm Finn, see neglected works, for many excellent performances, want to support Gallery Players

Don't see it if can't abide community theatre, dislike specific pitch problems, don't want 2 take finicky F train to Parkslope

See it if you want to see a talented cast sing and dance in a well constructed, well choreographed show. Impressive for a small neighborhood theater!

Don't see it if you believe that only Broadway can present a quality musical.

Also I don't know if Gallery Players has a new director but the result was unexpectedly fabulous! I have seen at least a half dozen of their show and this one is head and shoulders above the others. This is a big show in a small theater.... Read more Read less

See it if You haven't seen it before. Sung through, with fabulous Finn's music. I Loved that it revived a show I had missed.

Don't see it if you don't like community theatre. Other then a couple of leads, was like a good college prod. The show itself ends 3Xs. At 1:40 felt long.

See it if you're a William Finn fan, as I am. Ambitious -- cast of 15, only 10 in original Lincoln Center 1998 production.

Don't see it if you dislike sung-through musicals and are uncomfortable with same sex relationships depicted on stage.

Also Great score and some good singing. During a few moments the lyrics were inaudible.... Read more Read less

See it if You wish the difficult parts of life were set to music.

Don't see it if You're the type that sees 14th Street and assumes it's in Manhattan (I made it, but just barely).

See it if Good singing by lead and relaxed choreography with a slightly quirky story intrigues you. Worth a trip to Brooklyn.

Don't see it if You only want high value Broadway quality.

See it if You want to support a wonderful community theater and enjoy a good musical.

Don't see it if You don't like a show without any spoken dialogue---all the dialogue was sung

See it if you appreciate the talented lead; you can forgive uneven production of community theater; you have friends involved who you want to support.

Don't see it if you demand the generally higher professional standard of Bway. Some performers are belters; some can barely be heard. Show is not a dazzler.

Also I wanted to like it since I missed the original on Bway & liked the Falsettos musicals by the same composer. The lead actor is terrific, but doesn't have a lot to do; his performance underlines that everyone else is an amateur. Given that the story involves a life & death medical situation, I expected it to be moving, but there was no tension, & it was kinda dull. Among my qualms: Not sure what the character of the homeless person was supposed to add; the 2 lead actors did not seem like a couple; the best friend character is hardly in the show; the mom is not a strong actor/singer. This show requires stronger actors/singers to distract from the slow spots, but this production didn't find them.... Read more Read less

See it if It's not every day you get to see this great musical onstage!

Don't see it if I believe I had realistic expectations for this production; I knew it was a community theatre show. But I was very disappointed. See below:

Also Even as a community theatre and even with a small to nonexistent budget, this production was unforgivable. I was very excited to see this show and pulled a group together and traveled over an hour to attend. Aside from a couple of nice performances (Jesse Manocherian, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, etc), there wasn't much redeemable here. I try to be positive in my reviews, but I'm carrying a grudge against this production for the blatant lack of care put into it.... Read more Read less

See it if you like songs that tell stories and give character, you want to support community theater.

Don't see it if you like your stories crisp. This is a bit disjointed. It's hard to like the main character for most of the show. Lots of talk of death

See it if you enjoy this lesser-known William Finn show.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy all-sung shows.

See it if You want to spend almost two hours enjoying a good community theater production of a lesser known musical by William Finn

Don't see it if You expect a “ broadway “ quality production. This is definitely community theater but it is still worth the trip to Brooklyn.

See it if you enjoy a well thought out show that is nicely executed with some fine performances. If you are already a fan, this is worth a look.

Don't see it if you are not a fan of William Finn or don't appreciate very good community theater.

See it if you enjoy seeing an energetic, talented cast singing and dancing their way through a medical crisis in an enlightening, poignant manner.

Don't see it if you are particularly sensitive to hospital experiences, comas, inability to understand all the lyrics, and/or same-sex relationships.

Also Having personally had a near-death experience during which I emerged symptom-free from a 3-day "irreversible coma", there were aspects of this play that conveyed a very important message about comas, healthcare, and relationships. During the talk back after the show, I commented about how realistic the near death experience portrayal was and how comatose people (like myself in the past) are very aware of what is going on in one's surroundings. The director confirmed that she had researched NDEs and appreciated the positive feedback from one who had gone through the experience personally.

The cast was excellent. Jesse Monocherian was excellent and convincing in the lead role, as was his boyfriend, Gerardo Vallejo. The singing, dancing, acting, and fun camp parts were excellent though it was not always possible to understand all the lyrics. The story was choppy at parts and the prolonged ending seemed anti-climactic. Overall, however, it was a very good play and definitely worth seeing.... Read more Read less

See it if Nonstop singing from start to end from a talented cast that often break into a full choreography involving everyone. Such a delight

Don't see it if There’s a very annoying rattling fan from the ceiling that slightly ruins important moments. Nearly all lines are sung

Also The lead, Jesse, is an incredible singer. Unconventional storyline that isn’t just about boy meets boy but instead raises important awareness on frail health care system and the need to reflect yourself with time while being utterly charming at the same time.... Read more Read less

See it if .

Don't see it if you do not like long 1 3/4 intermission less musicals

See it if you love William Finn and musicals sung through

Don't see it if you arent a fan of smaller scale musicals, without much spoken words

See it if you love gems of local theater, have a good sense of humor, and are open to unusual plots that wildly vary from downer to campy in seconds.

Don't see it if you hate when endings go on too long. You can't deal with weird. You are looking for an over-the-top set or fantastical experience.

Also The cast was phenomenal, and I will definitely be seeing something else by the Gallery Players soon. The show itself didn't really do it for me, but it was certainly something different and interesting, and I'm glad I had the experience. Do check it out, but with an open mind and a tolerance for a script that could be tightened up a bit.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Bill Finn's idiosyncratic through-sung yet talky style, are pro-gay, or liked Falsettos.

Don't see it if you are too squeamish about brain surgery, don't like depictions of romance between men, or didn't like Falsettos.

Also Going in, I knew only one song ("Sailing"), and I have the original cast album; what I knew about it I had read in the liner notes. Bill Finn's vocal writing is interesting and idiosyncratic; he has an accessible pop style, except when he doesn't; his lyrics are very much like speech, except when they aren't; his characters are very plain-spoken, except when they aren't. He rhymes in a way that makes punch lines land, because you can't see them coming (unlike with many lyricists).

You are drawn in from the start by his at first not-very-likeable (and somewhat autobiographical) hero, Gordon (an engaging Jesse Manocherian), and there is suspense in knowing that his first scene's day-to-day travails will be interrupted by an alarming brain episode. From there on, the story is told through linear scenes, dream sequences, flashbacks, and supporting-character vignettes, with a poignant conclusion.

The production is bare-bones but lovely, not without its flaws, but ABSOLUTELY worth seeing.... Read more Read less