Among the cancellations is a planned tour of the charming children’s musical “Finn,” a tuneful, coming-of-age story with a LGBTQ+ essence. Written by composer Michael Kooman and lyricist/librettist Christopher Dimond in partnership with lyricist/librettist Chris Nee, the show explores themes of discovery, identity, friendship, love and acceptance with relatable tenderness.
“I longed for someone else to see my inner glam and still love me,” sings Finn, a young shark who has never felt like he fits in with the others sharks in his pack. Ultimately, he grows to joyfully appreciate being “a sparkly kind of strong.”
‘A space of belonging and connection’
Kooman and Dimond are best known as an Emmy-nominated writing team who wrote more than 150 songs for Disney’s “Vampirina,” an animated musical TV series reaching over 100 million viewers in 115 countries.
More than a decade ago, Dayton audiences were introduced to their songwriting in the Human Race Theatre Company’s 2012 Festival of New Musicals, which included their poignant “Dani Girl,” the story of a 9-year-old girl battling leukemia. The duo returned to the Human Race in 2013 when the festival featured their wonderfully whimsical musical comedy “The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Looking back, they are pleased to have been nurtured by a company they said is a champion of new work.
“The Human Race was one of my favorite places to work and they believed in us early in our careers,” Kooman said. “The audience was so wonderful and they gave us fantastic feedback. We loved the actors. I loved living in Dayton for a little while. It was just a really fun artistic home and I think of my time there very fondly.”
“We are at a critical point in terms of the development of new musicals in particular and there are, unfortunately, few institutions around the country who are committed to putting the resources into the development of new work and what that means and what that involves,” Dimond said. “The Human Race is one of the few who are fighting that good fight and are continuing to help nurture new work and new artists. We can’t possibly overstate how critical that is to the future of musical theater because it’s getting harder and harder to bring a new musical to life.”
Having recently presented an outstanding regional premiere of Kareem Fahmy’s topical drama “A Distinct Society” and a particularly dynamic 2023 world premiere of Scott Evan Davis and Kait Kerrigan’s musical “Indigo,” the Human Race remains committed to ensuring new works will be seen and heard.
“At The Human Race Theatre Company, we will continue to provide a welcoming space for the voices of our city, state and country who have stories to tell — even the silenced ones,” said Human Race Executive Director Kappy Kilburn and Human Race Artistic Director Emily N. Wells in a joint statement. “In sharing stories, we create a space of belonging and connection. We welcome you to laugh, to cry, to question, to believe, but most importantly, to connect to our humanity. Our name — The Human Race Theatre Company — is no accident, and we will continue to provide high quality theater, make impactful connections within and for our community, and champion the arts as a significant part of the wellbeing of Dayton.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
As Trump prepares to coordinate a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture” for the Kennedy Center, according to his Feb. 7 Truth Social post, the Human Race leadership shares Kooman and Dimond’s disappointment, particularly since the institution’s governing framework has been largely nonpartisan. They take solace in knowing “art prevails through societal and world changes” but recognize the magnitude of the moment for a center they deem “formative” in their arts learning and pursuit of theater as a career.
“We’re disappointed in the cancelation of ‘Finn’ and other programming changes, depriving future generations of the experience and possibility we were given,” Kilburn and Wells said. “Our hearts go out to all of the artists, technicians and staff whose programs are affected by the leadership change at the Kennedy Center. We hope that the work going forward continues to uphold the highest of standards and values while representing all of America.”
“I think what has happened is really scary'
Commissioned by the Kennedy Center, “Finn” premiered in November 2024 to rave reviews, reaching more than 4,500 students and 6,000 members of the public. The show received a Helen Hayes Award nomination Feb. 10 for Outstanding New Musical.
“‘Finn’ is a deeply moving musical that will both captivate young children and stir profound emotions in adults,” according to a MDTheatreGuide review. “The provoking themes and clear messages that this show conveys will allow audiences to relate to belonging and fitting in with societal norms.”
Credit: Teresa Wood
Credit: Teresa Wood
The production also exceeded all financial projections, earning back 110 percent of its budget. The Kennedy Center said in a statement the decision to cancel the tour was purely a financial one, but Kooman and Dimond beg to differ.
“We have had some of the best professional experiences of our career working at the Kennedy Center, and the people who are the boots on the ground at the Kennedy Center are incredible people doing amazing work and they’ve been put in an impossible situation by the regime change at the top which is unprecedented,” Dimond said. “I think what has happened is really scary. For an administration to try to control the arts in that way is terrifying and speaks a lot to the given moment. This piece was commissioned by the Kennedy Center. They believed in it and supported it from the ground up.”
‘It’s affecting the future’
Positioned to begin touring the East Coast this year and West Coast next year, “Finn” was supported as part of the Kennedy Center’s Theater for Young Audiences. Recognizing the importance of reaching young people early to develop the next generation of theatergoers, Kooman is disheartened by what the cancellation means beyond this point in time.
“A really positive first experience with theater can change the course of someone’s life in regards to how they engage with theater,” Kooman said. “It’s important for the Kennedy Center to commission new works for children that deal with issues of the moment and are of high quality. And part of this cancellation of ‘Finn’ and others is that it’s not just affecting us right now. It’s affecting the future. It’s affecting the way kids will or will not engage with theater generations from now.”
While composing the score’s joyful melodies, Kooman was inspired by his 3-year-old nephew Simon while also reflecting on his own childhood.
“I wanted to write music that would make my nephew laugh and dance,” he said. “This is also a show that deals with issues on different levels. If you’re a kid you understand the show is about sharks and fish who don’t like each other but they find a way to like each other. And if you’re a little bit older, you can see the story through another lens.”
‘A show about anyone who has ever felt different’
Fully encouraged and galvanized, Kooman and Dimond are pressing forward with plans to keep “Finn” alive.
Members of the Broadway community will gather to present the show March 17 at New York’s Town Hall. In addition to members of the Kennedy Center cast, the lineup includes Tony nominee Andrew Rannells and Tony winners Nikki M. James, Andrea Martin, Bonnie Milligan, Jessie Mueller, Kelli O’Hara and Lea Salonga. The evening will also feature a performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, whose Kennedy Center appearance was also recently canceled.
The upcoming performance will also be live streamed on StarsintheHouse.com. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Stars in the House is a digital series created by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson that has raised over $2 million for the Entertainment Community Fund and other organizations in need.
“‘Stars in the House’ is the perfect platform for this little musical that could, and we cannot wait for audiences around the country to see it live, and live-streamed, next month,” said Kooman, Dimond and Nee in a press statement.
Credit: Teresa Wood
Credit: Teresa Wood
Discussions are happening for productions of “Finn” across the country as well.
“We are talking to a bunch of theaters who are really excited to produce it themselves and we’re trying to put together a self-produced tour as well,” Kooman said. “We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. I think there’s a chance here to get the story out to an even wider audience than we had hoped before all of this happened.”
Dimond agreed, confident in the show’s overarching appeal and future.
“At its heart, ‘Finn’ is a show about anyone who has ever felt different in any way, to stifle themselves in some way in order to fit into a crowd, which is a universal human experience we can all relate to,” he said. “This show says it’s wonderful to just be the truest form of yourself you can possibly be. We wanted to reach kids who aren’t feeling that way.”
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