Joel Muni i;1 "6'011:- The Ahisicill".. /;00(1. SUZANNE CHESSLER Special to the Jewish News rill Au a //ilk to t,ic , KZ" Aleadow Brook h ea presents 17 his Z ~ 'tllt C011eal) , or "golfers, peb pi who love golfers cl those w ho n unnamed character in a new musical comedy gets caught up in an exaggerated dilemma of time. Her son's bar mitzvah looms just an hour away, but she hasn't finished her regular golf game. Will the four- some in front let her move ahead so that she can complete the course and be punctual for services? That satirical issue arises in one of 18 humorous songs presented through Golf: The Musical, a touring revue being performed Aug. 25-Sept. 19 at Meadow Brook Theatre. The produc- tion, after a seven-month run Off- Broadway, makes a local stop to poke fun at the joys, frustrations, and sometimes addictive, aspects of the game. As a bonus, each ticket brings access to play Rochester's Katke- Cousins Golf Course with a guest. 'Audiences, including those who know golf well and those who don't, have a good time," says producer Eric Krebs, whose Judaic cultural interests became apparent as he developed The A Capitol Steps, Too Jewish, The King of Schnorrers and Bashevis. "Even though the show is up and running, we do new material for each location we visit. "We also do new songs as the world of golf or politics changes. For example, we have the satiric number `Let's Bring Golf to the Gulf,' which is about colonizing Iraq with golf cours- es. It's current, political and funny, but all that may be irrelevant a year from now." Golf: The Musical, based on a Krebs' concept, was built with book, lyrics and music by Michael Roberts. The cast includes Tony nominee Joel Blum, who does one scene mimicking celebrity golfers. "I'm not a golfer, but I was a caddy in my teen years," confesses Krebs, 59, foLinder of the John Houseman and Douglas Fairbanks theaters in New York City, where he also produced Bill Maher. Victory Begins at Home, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues and Electra. "There are 30 million American golfers plus 30 million spouses, friends and relatives who want to give gifts to golfers, and we hope those will be tickets to the show or the record- ings that have the show's music." Roberts, 41, devoted to the links while scripting the production, wrote 30 songs before the numbers were `Brain' Power The Actors' Company brings musical `21 New Brain" to Ann Arbor. SUZANNE CHESSLER Special to the Jewish News Ann Arbor hile Golf: The Musical runs at Meadow Brook Theatre, a different kind of musical satire will be staged at Performance Network in Ann Arbor. The other show's reality, based on the highly per- sonal experiences of its creator, has a distinctive story line developed to con- vey some universal ideas. A New Brain, presented Aug. 26-29 as the closing production of the TreeTown Performance Festival, com- municates the experiences of composer- writer William Finn, who ironed out the script with James Lapine. Finn's main character, Gordon Schwinn, W 8/20 2004 48 Jewish and gay, contemplates his life and dreams as he faces brain surgery "I was on a national tour of a chil- dren's show when I saw A New Brain, and I fell in love with the music," explains director Michael Gravame, artistic director of the Actors' Company. "I think everyone can relate to the cen- tral character because of his fears and questions as the illness ultimately gives him a second chance at life." Appearing in the production are Jeff Drewno as Gordon Schwinn, Laurie Dooley as Rhoda, Kevin Edwards as Mr. Bungee and Blair Mellow as the doctor. The cast pres- ents songs about dysfunctional fami- lies, friends, lovers and struggles. Finn brings an award-winning career to his writing for A New Brain. dq, c if pi! pi 1111Filir A scene from 'A New Brain He received two Tony Awards (Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score) for Falsettos, and he was given an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and two Drama Desk Awards for Falsettoland. "The play ultimately is about peo- ple doing what they want to do and the strength of love," Gravame says. "There are laughs along the way." ❑ A New Brain will be performed 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26-29, at the Performance Network, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor. $20/$17 sen- iors/half-price student rush/pay- what-you-can Thursdays. (734) 663-0681.