The second production by Dark Horse Company Theatre (who produced "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" over the summer) finds them successfully expanding their artistic ambitions with a musical comedy about a composer during a medical emergency.

"A New Brain" is a 1998 Off-Broadway musical by Tony-award winning author William Finn, and this is its Utah premiere. It's the story of Gordon Schwinn, who collapses while taking a break from working on a song for a children's television entertainer who dresses as a frog.

After being sent to the hospital, Gordon learns he has a condition called arteriovenous malformation. And that's when fantasy and reality begin to blend.

The set design for DHCT's production is inspired -- creative and highly symbolic. Gordon (Jonathan Scott McBride) begins the show at the same level as the audience and then gradually moves up to be more on display, while simultaneously moving deeper into the stage as if moving deeper into his mind.

Other than a restaurant table and a hospital bed, rectangular screens of varying heights are the primary set pieces. They're first used with lighting that makes them translucent, slowly revealing the people behind them. Later, when a stone pattern is projected on them, they take on the appearance of skyscrapers for a city scene. It's a set choice that's both budget-friendly and portable, a perfect choice for a fledging company staging a show in two locations.

There were a few sound balance issues at the beginning of the Nov. 6 performance, when some of the solo vocals were drowned out by the band, but this was corrected by the time the ensemble cast of 10 was revealed for the first big chorus number of "Heart and Music."

I soon realized that this isn't the style of musical theater I'm used to seeing. This is "light opera"; there are very few spoken lines and the musical arrangements are quite complex. The song structure reminded me of Sondheim's "Into the Woods," which I saw last year at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley, and which also starred Jonathan Scott McBride, playing the role of the Baker.

It's easy to see why McBride is chosen for roles like these; he performed with USU opera, which is evident in his controlled voice, while the clear, simple timbre of his vocals and his round, open face make him the perfect Everyman.

Rhett Richins, who plays Gordon's boyfriend, Roger, has a rich, sonorous voice and mouth full of perfect teeth that reminded me of the prince in a fairy tale, and his expressive eyes conveyed a remarkable depth of feeling. That was on display in his earnest number, "Sailing," in which he sings of his love for spending time in his boat.

But this is a cast full of stellar voices; there isn't a weak link in the bunch.

Gordon's mother (Karin Gittins) is especially great, whether she's insisting to Gordon that she's "gonna make things fine," without listening to what those things actually are; or singing a beautiful torch song called "The Music Still Plays On," in which she is "how he thinks I'll be when he dies."

I also enjoyed the nurse named Richard (B.D. Suisse), who got some great lines like, "I am the nice nurse. If I can help you, please let me help you, 'cause the others won't help you ... those bitches!"

There are plenty of examples of clever lines in this show, such as when Gordon's doctor (Austin Archer) tells Gordon that he'll need brain surgery and that there is no guarantee of success, and then sings, "I have to go. My kids and I have tickets to 'Chicago.' So, craniotomy tomorrow."

There's also some very catchy music; I'm still humming the finale, "Time and Music."

A climactic moment comes when Roger invites Gordon to spend the night sleeping in his arms just before Gordon's client calls and demands that he finish a song, "brain thing" or no. It's a familiar dilemma for any creative person, as Gordon struggles to choose between his relationship and his work; pleasure and accomplishment.

And of course, it's nice to see that the gender of Gordon's lover isn't an issue with Gordon's mother, which leaves space for him to explore more universal relationship conflicts, like trying to appreciate his partner's favorite hobby.

There's plenty here to uplift and inspire. The children's song that Gordon finally produces is called "Don't Give In," which offers these words of wisdom: "Simply keep your focus on what lies ahead. Don't play games, don't play dead, begin. Those who are marking time, wake up. Life is a cause that you have to take up."

How fortunate for Utah that Dark Horse has chosen to take up the cause of intelligently bringing us lesser-produced musical theater.