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William Finn has been sharing his wisdom and beliefs with the world for over thirty years. He has written music and lyrics for the shows IN TROUSERS, MARCH OF THE FALSETTOS, FALSETTOLAND, ELEGIES, A NEW BRAIN, AND THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. An autobiographical writer, Finn has managed to include himself within the context of his own material. This is what makes the experience of listening to each piece so exhilarating. Finn writes what he knows and by doing so he strengthens not only his craft, but the loyalty and respect of his audience. Finn does not pretend to be something he is not, he just is, and that makes it easy to relate, understand, and enjoy his songs.

MAKE ME A SONG, now available for licensing through MTI, is a “greatest hits” compilation of Finn’s songs. Each song, though specific to the show in which it was written, is effortlessly woven together to form a poignant and abstract revue. Finn’s talents are displayed in the best possible way, and the result is an emotional cause and effect. The first third of the show takes the audience on a thoughtful journey with such tunes as Passover, Hitchhiking across America, and Billy’s Law of Genetics. Once the Falsettoland suite begins, the audience is transported into a socio-political commentary that, though written in the 90’s, is even more relevant for today’s society. Finn began pushing the envelope of emotional exploration long before it was fashionable to do so. For example, the song Passover, featured in MAKE ME A SONG but written for ELEGIES, is the story of a boy (Finn) and his family traveling to New Jersey to celebrate Passover with his wacky family. Finn guides you though the drive over the George Washington Bridge, all the way to the moment “cousin Gary is reading porn” at the Seder table. The song is joyous and fun, but when the last verse appears, the mood and music change:

“UNCLE BERNIE PASSED OVER,

UNCLE HARVEY PASSED OVER.

NANNA IDA PASSED OVER,

AND MY MOTHER,

MY MOTHER, PASSED OVER.

PASSOVER. PASSOVER”

Finn flips the hook of the song into something completely different. Not only is this clever, it’s heartbreaking. Finn is not the first or the last artist to employ this technique. What makes him unique is the truth of his writing, both lyrically and musically. It’s as if he’s having an intimate conversation with individual audience members. He is one of the few musical theatre writers that can do this and do it well.

Judaism, homosexuality, economics, body image, family, death—there are no boundaries as to what Finn will divulge. In addition to his continuous success, he also teaches part time at the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at New York University. Finn’s music and influence will “passover” for many generations of writers and fans to come.


To license MAKE ME A SONG or to learn more, click here
To "click" with other William Finn fans, visit www.mtishowspace.com<-->