William “Bill” Finn, Tony Award-Winning Composer and Writer, Passes Away at 73

William “Bill” Finn, the acclaimed Tony Award-winning playwright and composer behind Falsettos, has passed away, as confirmed by his literary agent, Ron Gwiazda, to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 73 years old. The exact cause of his passing has not been disclosed at this time.

Finn is celebrated in the theatrical community for his deeply personal, poignant, and lyrically insightful musicals. Among these is Falsettos, which earned him two Tony Awards in 1992 for best original score and best book of a musical, shared with co-writer James Lapine. This production wove together two shorter musicals he had created (March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland) into a cohesive narrative that centers on Marvin and his partner Whizzer, Marvin’s ex-wife Trina, their son, and their psychiatrist Mendel, exploring themes of love, family dynamics, and sexual identity during the late 1970s and into the 1980s.

The original Broadway performance debuted at the John Golden Theater in 1992, with a revival occurring on Broadway in 2016. A review from THR commended the enduring significance of the narrative and musical compositions, stating: “Delicate melodies emerge like fleeting moments from more abstract pieces, yet they remain in the mind, often merging buoyancy with melancholy. The lyrics continually astonish with their blend of sharp wit, intricate phrasing, and heartfelt tenderness.”

Finn’s musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which delves into the inner musings of child competitors portrayed by adults in a fictional spelling challenge, graced Broadway in 2005. This production, which also incorporated audience interaction, received six Tony nominations and showcased the early talents of Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Celia Keenan-Bolger. It later embarked on a national tour and spawned several additional productions, including a revival set for 2024 at the Kennedy Center.

As a writer and composer, Finn was unafraid to tackle somber themes, evident in his song cycle Elegies, which included compositions reflecting on friends lost to AIDS and responses to the September 11 attacks.

Finn’s musical A New Brain offered a more autobiographical perspective on the composer and lyricist’s journey through brain surgery following the discovery of an arteriovenous malformation in his brain stem. The narrative follows a songwriter confronting the possibility of mortality while fearing he may not complete his work and balancing his relationship with his partner. The musical made its off-Broadway debut in 1998 featuring Malcolm Gets, Kristin Chenoweth, and Chip Zien, and saw a revival in 2015 at City Center Encores! Off-Broadway, with Jonathan Groff in the lead role.

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