Tony-Winning Composer William Finn Dies at 73

NEW YORK, April 8, 2025 — William Finn, the two-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist famous for his impactful musicals including Falsettos, A New Brain, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, passed away on April 7, his agent confirmed. He was 73 years old, and the cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

Finn, who was born in Natick, Massachusetts, in 1952, developed an early interest in musical theater. His passion ignited during his childhood through the performances of Mary Martin and the productions aired on The Ed Sullivan Show. Finn’s journey into the arts began with a guitar gifted for his bar mitzvah, leading him to immerse himself in theater from a young age.

In a 2016 interview, Finn fondly recalled, “I loved every Broadway show, unlike today… I wish I could go back to those times when I was enthralled.” He credited the influential work of Stephen Sondheim as a significant inspiration, saying, “Once I saw Company, I thought, ‘That’s not a bad way to spend a life.’”

After graduating from Williams College, where he studied literature and music composition, Finn made his mark in New York City. Initially a script reader for the Public Theater, he gained recognition for staging musical performances in his apartment. “I invited the best singers over, and I’d write them little songs,” he recalled, fondly reminiscing about the community built around those intimate concerts.

Finn’s professional breakthrough came with the trilogy of musicals featuring Marvin, a character navigating love and family amid the AIDS crisis. The trilogy included In Trousers, March of the Falsettos, and Falsettoland. The combined work, titled Falsettos, premiered on Broadway in 1992 and ran for 486 performances, winning two Tony Awards: Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, sharing the latter with director James Lapine.

“The songs are so fresh that the show is only a few bars old before one feels the unmistakable, revivifying charge of pure talent,” wrote Frank Rich in The New York Times about March of the Falsettos.

In 1998, inspired by his own medical challenges, Finn premiered A New Brain, which was closely tied to his experiences with brain surgery for an arteriovenous malformation. The musical explored themes of mortality and professional pursuit while intertwining elements from his personal life.

Finn’s musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which offers a humorous take on the pressures of childhood competition, first graced Broadway in 2005, winning two Tony Awards and receiving numerous nominations. The show has continued to be performed nationwide and has become a staple of musical theater.

A seasoned mentor, Finn co-founded the Musical Theatre Lab at Barrington Stage Company, fostering the growth of emerging artists in the theater community. He also served as a faculty member at NYU’s Tisch Graduate Program in Musical Theater Writing, where he inspired a new generation of composers and lyricists.

Reflecting on his impact, Finn once stated, “What’s interesting is seeing the dirty beginnings of a real talent. I love everyone’s early voice. It’s a person screaming to be heard.”

He is survived by his partner, Arthur Salvadore. Finn’s legacy and contributions to musical theater have touched the lives of countless individuals, and he will be remembered for his profound work that intricately blended humor with poignant storytelling.