From the microscope to the mezzanine, surgical pathologist Dr. Garrison Pease finds parallels between pathology and the magic of Broadway.

In his office at Moses, Garrison Pease, MD, a Montefiore genitourinary surgical pathologist, keeps close company with a poster from his favorite Broadway show — Girl from the North Country — the Bob Dylan–inspired musical he has seen six (maybe seven) tim

By day, Dr. Garrison Pease is analyzing tissue samples, diagnosing prostate and bladder biopsies, consulting with urologists and oncologic surgeons, and teaching Montefiore pathology residents. By night, he’s often in a Broadway theater, where the energy of live performance keeps him coming back for more. Since moving to New York City in 2019, the genitourinary surgical pathologist and assistant professor of pathology, has seen nearly 75 shows—many more than once — and counting. 

Girl from the North Country: An Obsession 

At the top of his list is Girl from the North Country, the Tony Award–winning musical featuring 20 Bob Dylan songs and set in his home state of Minnesota.  

“I loved the music. I loved the singers. I loved the characters,” said Pease, who first saw the Dylan-inspired musical when it opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theater in 2020.  He bought the soundtrack and wanted to see it on the stage again.   

Just one day later, however, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered Broadway. When the theaters reopened in 2021, Pease returned with a vengeance.  He saw Girl from the North Country six—maybe seven—times, before it closed in 2022. 

“Even though it’s the same show, the performances can feel totally different,” Pease said, recalling the week Stephen Sondheim passed away, when a cast member honored the legendary composer with a speech and an extra verse of a Dylan song.  

How It All Began 

Pease wasn’t yet sold on moving to New York City from Seattle after fellowship training when he arrived in the Bronx to interview for his first attending pathologist position. His girlfriend, Andrea, was eager for the move, and Dr. James Pullman, then the vice chair of anatomic pathology, assured him that he’d love the city.  

It wasn’t until he saw Beetlejuice in September 2019 with his cousin’s son, that he understood what Dr. Pullman had meant. “After I saw my first musical I thought, this is really fun!” exclaimed Pease. He was hooked on Broadway and New York City. 

Broadway Habits and Strategies 

Pease has mastered the art of affordable tickets, using apps like TodayTix and websites such as Broadway Direct, LuckySeat, and Telecharge Rush for lottery and rush deals. “If you’re flexible from one evening to the next, you can see a lot,” he explained. 

Sometimes luck plays a role. He got to see Hamilton after his friend’s sister scored tickets in a workplace raffle. “I may not have been the first one she asked, but she knew I’d say yes.” 

He rarely hesitates to return to shows he loves. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club drew him back for different lead actors: first Adam Lambert, then Orville Peck, then again with Billy Porter.  

“Buying tickets again, battling the hordes of Broadway and Times Square and subway crowds… yeah, a repeat counts as another show,” he explained. 

A one-week stretch in October 2023 included Frankenstein, another round of Beetlejuice, and Sweeney Todd—the last with his brother, who was in town for an oncology conference. He wishes he’d had another chance to revisit A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical. “Those songs are still in my head. And I only saw it once,” he said.

Favorites and Standouts 

Pease generally prefers musicals but makes exceptions for outstanding drama. To Kill a Mockingbird earned an honorable mention on his top 10 list; he saw it twice, once with Ed Harris and once with Jeff Daniels — and even paid full price. 

One standout was Swept Away, a musical by the Avett Brothers. Rumors of an early closure had him seeing it twice—just in case —but then the show was extended, so he saw it a third time. 

Roots and Early Influences 

Pease grew up in Minnesota, where he was captain of the track team and a standout football player. His father, a hospitalist now retired, introduced him to music early. “My dad was always playing music on the stereo at home—Phil Collins, Enya, The Eagles—but musical-wise, a lot of Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, and Riverdance,” he recalled. 

He still remembers seeing Phantom with his parents. Later, during medical school at the University of Minnesota, he caught the show again in Las Vegas on a weekend trip with a classmate. His love for musicals took a pause through AP/CP residency at the University of Chicago (where he served as chief) and fellowships in surgical pathology at Washington University in St. Louis and genitourinary pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle. 

A different kind of show in Seattle—a burlesque/cabaret performance—left its mark, too. “Not to discount my dad’s contribution, but that show might have been the more proximal seed of the infatuation,” he said.  

Balancing Work and Theater 

Despite a full workload, Pease considers music an essential part of both his work and life. 

“I always listen to music while I work,” said Pease. “It helps block out hallway noise. keeps me focused — and covers the long awkward silences while looking at heavy cases.” 

He even sees parallels between theater and pathology. “We’re not the singers—we’re the writers and the crew behind the curtain,” Pease said. “But the diagnosis we provide sets the stage for everything that comes next — and sometimes explains what has already come to pass.” 

And now he shares that perspective with the next generation. “The first thing I tell the new residents when they get to New York is to go see a show.” 

Garrison Pease, MD, far right, with pathology residents, left to right, Drs. Xiaohua (Sunny) Qi, Selin Kurt, and Xing Li presenting their research at USCAP.