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William Finn, Falsettos Composer, Dead at 73
He also wrote A New Brain and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Finn introduced the character Marvin, a closeted man who leaves his wife for the male Whizzer, through his first musical, 1979’s In Trousers. He got a guitar for his bar mitzvah, then started playing piano once he arrived at Williams College, where he began composing music. Finn’s later work included the autobiographical musical A New Brain, which introduced the modern standard “ I’d Rather Be Sailing.” For his Broadway hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, he was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Score.
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