William "Bill" Finn, the acclaimed composer and lyricist best known for his Tony Award-winning musical Falsettos, has passed away at the age of 73, his literary agent Ron Gwiazda confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Finn's work in the theater world earned him widespread recognition for his poignant and clever musicals, with Falsettos being one of his most celebrated creations. The production, which premiered on Broadway in 1992, won two Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, shared with co-writer James Lapine. The musical, which combined two of Finn’s earlier works, explored themes of love, family, and sexual identity, set against the backdrop of the late 1970s and 1980s. Falsettos tells the story of Marvin, his boyfriend Whizzer, his ex-wife Trina, their son, and their psychiatrist Mendel.
In addition to Falsettos, Finn was also the creative force behind The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a 2005 Broadway hit that incorporated audience participation and followed the inner lives of children competing in a fictional spelling bee. The show garnered six Tony nominations and launched the careers of stars such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Celia Keenan-Bolger.
Finn’s other notable works include the song cycle Elegies, which dealt with themes of loss, and A New Brain, a semi-autobiographical musical about Finn’s own brain surgery experience. His legacy as a songwriter, composer, and storyteller will continue to influence generations of theater artists.
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