The theatrical community is mourning following the untimely loss of Falsettos and A New Brain songwriter William Finn, who died April 7 at the age of 73. Several Broadway artists, including many that worked with Mr. Finn on various projects, have taken to social media to share anecdotes, reactions, and condolences.
Read below to see what the Broadway community is saying. You can read Mr. Finn's full obituary here.
The Tony Awards shared footage of Mr. Finn accepting back-to-back Tony Awards in 1992 for the score and book of Falsettos.
James Lapine (Falsettos, A New Brain, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Little Miss Sunshine), writing on : "RIP - Bill Finn. Thank you for all you gave me and us. Your work lives on."
Jason Robert Brown (arranger, A New Brain), writing on : "Being an arranger is a strangely amorphous job. In the years I worked with Bill Finn, I sometimes was given songs that felt essentially complete and just needed to be notated, and sometimes unstructured unfinished messes that needed to get taught tomorrow somehow even if there didn鈥檛 seem to be a song there. I learned that I could never make a bad song great, but I could make a great song shine. And Bill wrote some great songs. He was exhausting and cranky and imperious, but he was never ungrateful, and I can tell you even the greatest songwriters can get weird about their arrangers. He was really proud that Michael and I (and Vadim and the others who came after me) were taking care of his songs. And I鈥檓 really proud that I got to do it."
Chip Zien (Falsettos, A New Brain), writing on : "Billy. What would I do if I had not met you?"
Sky Lakota-Lynch (The Outsiders), writing in an : "Bill gave me my first job out of school. I love you good sir."
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), on : "The first Broadway show I ever saw was William Finn's Falsettos. I left that theatre changed forever because of his work. It will always be one of the biggest honors of my career that I got to create with this brilliant artist. There will never ever ever be another Bill Finn. Rest in peace my friend. I am so happy I knew you. You have given the world infinite joy."
Derrick Baskin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), on : "I didn鈥檛 know what I was doing. No clue. No formal training in voice or acting. Bill Finn saw something in me. He started chuckling in my audition like Black folks do when we hear something we like. He handpicked me and changed the trajectory of my life. Thank you, Bill. Love you. Good Bee."
Jose Llana (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), on : "I came out my senior year in high school in 1994, the same year I discovered the Falsettos cast album. Falsettos changed everything for me. It was the first time I saw myself, at least who I wanted to be, as a gay man onstage, falling in love. It showed me what was possible.
"Fast forward 10 years later in 2004. A week before Spelling Bee rehearsals were to start Off-Broadway, I was asked to meet for music rehearsal to get a head start since I was the only new cast member joining the company. That music rehearsal was to be at Bill Finn鈥檚 apartment. Holy shit. That hour-long rehearsal will always be the most exciting, bizarre, wonderful, intimidating, and LOUDEST rehearsal I鈥檝e ever had. Belting out 'Pandemonium' and 'The Erection Song' over and over and over again with Bill laughing (no, not laughing鈥攃huckling?) only a few feet away was the best and weirdest introduction to this new family of Spelling Bee I could have had. A family that has meant so much to me these past 20 years.
"Thank you, Bill, for everything. Thank you for showing this little gay boy a world of possibilities in your music. And speaking of, thanks for all of those A-flats and for letting Chip be a Tolentino. 🇵🇭 #RIP"
Dan Fogler (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), on : "Sad day. The eccentric hysterical man who wrote the music that gave me my big break, has passed. Bill you will be missed RIP"
Michael Rupert (Falsettos), on Instagram: "It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Bill Finn yesterday. Having been a part of Falsettos and Elegies: A Song Cycle, I got to be in the room with this complicated, brilliant guy and got to sing his terrifically beautiful songs eight times a week. His work will live on, but he will be missed."
Carolee Carmello (Falsettos, Elegies), on : "I鈥檓 heartbroken that we鈥檝e lost Bill Finn, who changed musical theatre and also changed my life. I was so lucky to have worked on Falsettos and Elegies, and also workshops of Royal Family and A New Brain and I was always amazed at his ability to write songs that could make me smile and well up and laugh and weep, sometimes in one breath. His talent was extraordinary! This song was the hardest, most emotional song I have ever had the honor to sing in a show. During rehearsals at Lincoln Center, I couldn鈥檛 get through it without sobbing. This version is from a concert we did at Merkin Hall (2014) called Celebrating the Music of William Finn. It was produced and directed by Shakina Nayfack and the CBST Chorus sang this beautiful vocal arrangement by Carmel Dean. Bill wrote this for a friend of his who died too young and I think these lyrics are for him now鈥� He certainly is there in music and watching it all! Sending love to Arthur and to all Bill鈥榮 friends and students and everyone who has been touched by his songs."
Ann Harada (Songs of Innocence and Experience), on : "The inarticulate howl I let out when I read the news. I worshipped him. I was so lucky to have gotten to sing his songs. I was so lucky he once ate fries off my plate. He was truly one of the greats. Life is never what you planned. Life is moments you can鈥檛 understand. RIP Bill."
Rema Webb (A New Brain), on : "Well Along Came Bill. I love you. Every once in a while, God sends uniquely delicious earth angels to join you on life鈥檚 journey. Oh, my heart is heavy. You brought joy, friendship, awesome Thai food to our space. Sharing time and music with you means the world! It鈥檚 all in my heart Bill. Never forgetting! Rest in Love and Peace my Dear Friend."
Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen), writing on an : "Gave us so many beautiful things."
Colin Hanlon (Falsettos), writing on an : "Bill taught me at a young age that being gay was normal. That theatre was a safe place for me. They say never meet your heroes but I'm glad I did. He used to find me sitting in the audience during tech of Falsettos and spill all the tea as loudly as he wanted. I couldn't get enough and I'll never tell... Love you Bill. 'Learning love is not a crime.'"
Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending), writing on an : "The way this man's work changed my life."
Harris Doran, actor and screenwriter, : "What a genius, what a genius. My family took me to see Falsettos on Broadway with the Hadasa group (Jewish old ladies) when I was in Junior High School. I didn't know I was gay yet, but the musical had such a profound effect on me. Once out, through High School I become obsessed with the show's brilliance. It is just a remarkable, remarkably moving, funny, deeply insightful, and supremely inspired piece of art that devastates me to this day.
"When Spelling Bee opened and Dan Fogler was looking to leave, I was brought in as an option to replace him (they considered different types for that moment!). It came down to the wire with me and a few other guys. I tanked it when I was asked for a song outside of the show and they didn't want to hear my reinterpreted version of 'Rainbow Connection.' So the only other song in my book was 'Livin' On A Prayer,' which, flatfooted, I tried to instantly turn into a comedy song, which... was not funny.
"Years later, I was at Stephen DeRosa's night of a thousand cutlets that he used to throw with his wonderful mom. And I ended up sitting next to Bill eating cutlets in Stephen's mom's kitchen and I recounted the story of me singing 'Livin' On A Prayer' and he didn't know what the hell I was talking about. But I was just so happy to be connecting with him.
"Also was supremely obsessed with A New Brain. His songs have been songs I have sung for myself alone for years because they have dug holes into my soul.
"Rest in peace, genius. Thank you for all you did."
Brandon Uranowitz (Falsettos), writing on an : "Falsettos changed my life. Bill changed my life. Heartbroken."
Conor Tague (How to Dance in Ohio), on : "Words cannot describe how heartbroken I am. William Finn鈥檚 music was so unique in a way that was funny, relatable, and heartwarming all at once and it won鈥檛 be the same without him. However, I feel extremely honored that I got to star in one of his most memorable shows as one of the greatest characters in musical theatre history, and to share that honor with the best group of people to exist. Thank you Mr. Finn for creating these amazing shows and characters, from Falsettos, Spelling Bee, A New Brain, and so on. We wouldn鈥檛 be here without your work. You will always be L-O-V-E-D."
Eli Bolin (composer, Co-Op), writing on an : "Bill Finn is the reason I wanted to write musicals. I have no words for what this loss means to me and so many, many people I know."
Adam Roberts, voice coach, writing on : "I don鈥檛 like to play favorites. But Finn, where musical theatre writers are concerned, you were mine. The way you made complex, unpredictable harmonies seem so simple and expected; the marriage of intellect with the utilitarianisms of daily life in your lyrics. And that beautiful scene at the end of In Trousers. You were one of a kind. 'The ending鈥檚 not the story.' 鈥� William Finn, Elegies"
Music Theatre International, licensor of Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, on : "William Finn, writer and composer of some of our most beloved contemporary musicals, has passed away at 73. His contributions to musical theatre include his Tony Award-winning score and book (co-written with frequent collaborator James Lapine) for Falsettos, his Tony-nominated score for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, as well as A New Brain, Little Miss Sunshine, and the revue Make Me a Song. His works are performed worldwide and will continue to be a part of his enduring legacy.鈦�"
George Street Playhouse, on Instagram: "George Street Playhouse mourns the loss of Tony Award鈥搘inning composer William Finn. We are proud to have had two of Mr. Finn鈥檚 great works on our stage, including Falsettos (2006) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2023). We send our condolences to his family and friends. Thank you for gracing the world of theatre with such beautiful work!"
Ken Davenport, producer, on : "Aching at the news of the loss of William Finn. In 1992, I recorded the Tony Awards on VHS and proceeded to wear it out watching the Falsettos performance. I saw at least the whole show a dozen times... and the second act another dozen (I 'second-acted' it because I couldn鈥檛 afford to keep buying tickets and I couldn鈥檛 get enough.) It affected me so deeply鈥攎aybe because I had a friend that had recently succumbed to AIDS, maybe because the characters and their aching emotions were so raw and so rich. I sang so many of those Marvin tunes in voice classes. While so many of my fellow acting students wanted to be in Les Miz, I wanted to be in Falsettos. Bill came to speak to my NYU class鈥攁nd what surprised me was the joy that this man had for what he did and for life in general. I鈥檒l never forget the smile on his face when he suggested that someone had spoken to him about a Falsettos Theme Park (!). 'Can you imagine those rides,' he laughed.
"He didn鈥檛 write a ton of shows... but the ones he wrote, The Falsettos Trilogy, Spelling Bee, and A New Brain ('I'd Rather Be Sailing' might be one of the greatest songs in all of musical theatre)... were so damn good. I hope he鈥檚 writing more where he is now. RIP."
Anna K. Jacobs (Teeth), on : "Bill Finn was not only a master of the American musical theatre with his funny, heartfelt, one-of-a-kind shows, he was also one of the greatest teachers to touch my life. I would not be where I am today without Bill. He saw in me a writer who was holding back on her potential, and he popped the cap right off. He inspired me to pursue both teaching and writing with equal passion and ferocity. So many people are missing and celebrating him today. I feel immensely lucky to be amongst them."
Nick Blaemire (Falsettos), writing on : "Bill. The generous genius. The jagged jester. He was a hero long before I met him and got to take in his brilliance, which was effortless. I fell in love with the idea of the chamber musical through the New Brain cast recording. I鈥檒l never forget Elegies.
"I snuck into the matinee of Spelling Bee in Boston while I was on tour with Altar Boyz and ran down the street crying, late for half hour鈥擨 couldn鈥檛 leave until after "I Love You Song.鈥�
"He was also incredibly scary. My favorite thing he ever said to me was about A Little More Alive, which he produced at Barrington Stage in 2015: 'The first third and the last third are perfect, and the middle is terrible.' Better not to mince words, I learned that day!
"I had the honor of doing Falsettos on tour and every night he taught me how to write, to act, to sing, all in the way he chose to tell that story鈥攐ut of order, upside down, with ADD non-sequiturs and seemingly incomprehensible patter, smashed up against some of the most simple, wonderful, heartbreaking ballads ever written by anyone, much less for the theatre.
"Rest in peace, sir. And thank you."
Andrew Kober (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), writing on : "Bill Finn was the last composer I encountered as a fan and the first I encountered as a professional. I saw Falsettos in high school and it broke me open. It was the first musical I had seen that wasn鈥檛 Annie or Guys and Dolls or whatever and I just didn鈥檛 know musicals could do that.
My first professional job was Spelling Bee and I was so intimidated to be in the room with him. He was a giant, physically, emotionally, intellectually. He was gruff and direct and intimidating. But his songs. His songs were delicate and vulnerable and funny and rich with joy and pain.
I don鈥檛 know what to say. I have to say something. We weren鈥檛 close, but I knew him, and he was a hero to me, artistically.
He wrote an incredible amount about death which makes it impossible to find the 'right' lyric to speak to how it feels to lose him. At the center of all of his writing about death is his awe for the joys and incredulities and beauty of life. Mostly the joys. Infinite joy.
'I see the world through your eyes
I taste lemon on my lips
I marvel at the sailing ships of well-dressed girls and boys
And life
Has infinite joys'
Betsy Wolfe (Falsettos), writing on an : "One of the most beautiful songs ever written in one of the most meaningful shows. Thank you Bill for all you've shared with the world."
Corey Mach, actor, writing on an : "A really, really rough one. A singular voice that mastered the perfect combination of buoyant, acerbic humor, unpretentious lyrical brilliance, and emotional heart. Too many absolute bangers to name here but I'll be humming them the rest of my life!"
半岛体育 will continue to update this story as further tributes are posted.
