Jason Robert Brown
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Jason Robert Brown (born June 20, 1970) is an American
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
,
lyricist A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income derives ...
, and
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...
. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics. He is the recipient of three
Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
for his work on ''
Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
'' and ''
The Bridges of Madison County ''The Bridges of Madison County'' (also published as ''Love in Black and White'') is a 1992 best-selling Romance novel, romance novel by American writer Robert James Waller that tells the story of an Italian-American World War II war bride livi ...
''.


Career

Brown grew up in the suburbs of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, and attended the
Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...
in Rochester,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
for 2 years, rooming with fellow student, and vocalist, Christopher Mooney.Weber, Bruc
"If Only the Cool Kids Could See Him Now (at Least Hear His Songs)"
'The New York Times'', October 1, 2008
During summer, he attended French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts in Hancock, New York. He said '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' and ''
Sunday in the Park with George ''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La G ...
'' were two of his biggest influences, and had it not been for them, he would have joined a rock band and tried to be
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
. He began his career in New York City as an arranger, conductor, and pianist, working on shows such as
William Finn William Alan Finn (February 28, 1952 – April 7, 2025) was an American composer and lyricist. He was best known for his musicals, which include ''Falsettos'', for which he won the 1992 Tony Awards for Tony Award for Best Original Score, Best O ...
's '' A New Brain'', and playing at several nightclubs and piano bars in the city. '' Songs for a New World'' marked the first major New York production of Brown's songs. An off-Broadway revue with a limited run, the show was directed by Daisy Prince, daughter of director/producer Hal Prince, and featured the 25-year-old Brown's pop-rock-influenced music. The song "Stars and the Moon" has since become a cabaret standard, and is probably Brown's best-known composition to date. Brown was subsequently hired to write songs for the Broadway musical ''
Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
'', based on the trial and lynching of Leo Frank, after meeting Hal Prince. ''Parade'', directed by Prince and with a book by
Alfred Uhry Alfred Fox Uhry (born December 3, 1936) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is the recipient of the two Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for '' Driving Miss Daisy'', as well as the Academy Award for the 1989 film adaptat ...
, won Brown the 1999 Tony Award for Best Original Score.Internet Broadway Database listing, Brown
ibdb.com, accessed February 1, 2011
During this production,
Livent The Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, better known as Livent, was a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1989 by former Cineplex Odeon executives Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb, the company initially found ...
, one of the producers of ''Parade'', pulled out after reviews were not as positive as they'd hoped.
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
, the other major producer, decided it would pull out as well. Brown said of the event in 1999, "Livent dropped out shortly after the reviews came out. They announced they would not spend another dime on the show. RCA had an agreement to record all of Livent's shows. But when Livent pulled out of 'Parade,' the RCA higher-ups said they were pulling out, too. I had to go to Billy Rosenfield and ask him: 'What if we pay for this record and you just distribute it?' Billy said, 'Sure.'" Brown had to try to scrounge money from every corner, "In the end, RCA put in $25,000, Lincoln Center put in a big chunk, around $200,000, including the producer Scott Rudin's $25,000, and there was a contribution from the Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla foundation, which has helped support a lot of musical theatre composers over the years, of $40,000. Even Roy Furman, the new guy at Livent, gave us a little money. Somehow, we pulled it together." Livent also was struggling at the time because the company had mishandled funds while applying for bankruptcy protection. Brown went back to working with Daisy Prince for his third major show '' The Last Five Years'', for which he wrote the book as well as songs. Inspired by his own failed first marriage, the show is a two-person musical that tells the history of a relationship from two different perspectives. The male's narrative begins at the beginning of the story and progresses through marriage, infidelity, and divorce, while the female narrative begins at the end of the relationship and ends with the couple's first date; the two actors' only direct interaction takes place midpoint, during the wedding sequence. The original Chicago cast consisted of Norbert Leo Butz and Lauren Kennedy, with
Sherie Rene Scott Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967)Some sources give 1969, but Scott herself, at thOfficial Sherie Rene Scott Myspace Pageand at Lovece, Frank"Sherie Rene Scott is caught up in the 'Rapture'", ''Newsday'', May 6, 2010, gives 1967 is an Ame ...
over the New York run. ''The Last Five Years'' received mixed critical reviews and was not a commercial success, lasting only two months off-Broadway, although Brown garnered 2
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
s for music and lyrics. Additionally, due to the cast recording featuring Scott and Butz, the show has gained popularity among contemporary musical theatre aficionados and is an oft-performed piece in regional and community theatres.Holden, Stephe
"A Composer Sells His Songs and Himself"
'The New York Times'', February 12, 2007
A film version of the show, featuring
Anna Kendrick Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Known for playing upbeat and endearing characters in comedies and musicals, List of awards and nominations received by Anna Kendrick, her accolades include nominations for an Aca ...
and Jeremy Jordan, was released in February 2015. Brown contributed several songs to the Broadway flop ''
Urban Cowboy ''Urban Cowboy'' is a 1980 American romantic Western film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford "Bud" Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy ( Debra Winger). The film's success was credited for spurri ...
''. He had worked as an orchestrator with director Phillip Oesterman on the Off-Broadway musical '' New York Rock'', and Oesterman called on him to help him out with ''Urban Cowboy''. ''Urban Cowboy'' had been denied the use of the
Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles ...
catalog, and Brown came in and wrote a few songs (with help from director
Lonny Price Lonny Price (born March 9, 1959) is an American director, actor, and writer, primarily in theatre. He is best known for his New York directing work, including ''Sunset Boulevard'', '' Sweeney Todd'', ''Company'', and ''Sondheim! The Birthday Co ...
, who replaced Oesterman after he died). The show was nominated, with 30 other composers, for the 2003
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Musical Score, losing out to ''Hairspray.'' In June 2005, Brown released a solo album, entitled '' Wearing Someone Else's Clothes''. In December 2005, his '' Chanukah Suite'' received its world premiere with two performances by the
Los Angeles Master Chorale The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional Choir, chorus in Los Angeles, California, and one of the resident companies of both The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one ...
at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. He also teaches courses in musical theatre performance and composition at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
. Brown is an active performer of his own work, singing and playing the piano with or without his band, the Caucasian Rhythm Kings (Gary Sieger, guitar, and Randy Landau, bass). Brown's tween-oriented musical '' 13'' premiered at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, CA on January 7, 2007. It opened on Broadway October 5, 2008, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, and closed on January 4, 2009. The film adaptation, retitled '' 13: The Musical'', was released in August 2022. His '' Bridges of Madison County'', a musical adaption of Robert James Waller's 1992 novel with a
book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
by
Marsha Norman Marsha Norman (born September 21, 1947) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play '' 'night, Mother''. She wrote the book and lyrics for such Broadway musicals as ''The S ...
"Jason Robert Brown to Bring '13' 'The Last Five Years' to Screen More"
broadwayworld.com, December 27, 2010
premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival on August 1, 2013. Directed by Bartlett Sher, the cast featured Elena Shaddow as Francesca and Steven Pasquale. The musical opened on Broadway on February 27, 2014, at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, formerly the Plymouth Theatre, is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 236 West 45th Street (Manhattan), 45th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, ...
, starring Kelli O'Hara as Francesca. The show closed on May 18, 2014, but Brown went on to win Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. Brown wrote the music for the 2022 musical, '' Mr. Saturday Night'' with lyrics by
Amanda Green Amanda Green (born December 29, 1963) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, she was elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America, the first woman to hold the role in the Guild's 100-year history. Early life and edu ...
and a book by
Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. ...
, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel. Brown was nominated for best score at the 2022 Tony Awards. According to Brown, Bree Lowdermilk used to be an assistant to him. In 2010, Brown publicized his personal efforts to discourage the unauthorized online sharing of his copyrighted
sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed Book, books or Pamphlet, pamphlets ...
via an e-mail conversation with a teenager named Eleanor. As of 2020, Brown was working on a musical adaptation of Farewell My Concubine. He is also working on a musical adaptation of ''
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published on January 10, 1994, and follows the story of Jim Williams, an antiques dealer on trial for the killing of Danny Hansf ...
''.


Musical style

Brown has many trademarks in his composing style, which is often rhythmically dynamic and harmonically unconventional, calling for a wide vocal range. His lyric writing often includes internal rhymes, and his music is composed of melodic phrases which do not adhere to a predictable 4-measure length. He favors songs written in AABA' form, with some exceptions to this form in his show ''Parade''. Perhaps most characteristic are his love duets; all five ("I'd Give it All for You" from ''Songs for a New World'', "All the Wasted Time" from ''Parade'', "The Next Ten Minutes" from ''The Last Five Years'', "Tell Her" from ''13'', and "One Second And A Million Miles" from ''The Bridges of Madison County'') are written in a very distinct format: male-female-both, compound time in the duet section (two using hemiola), and four of the five end with the couple singing the same pitch. In 2005, Brown was cited by Mark Shenton as one of the leading new theatrical composers (a list that includes
Michael John LaChiusa Michael John LaChiusa (born July 24, 1962) is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as '' Hello Again'', '' Marie Christine'', '' The Wild Party'', and '' See W ...
, Adam Guettel,
Andrew Lippa Andrew Lippa (born December 22, 1964) is an American composer, lyricist, libretto, book writer, performer, and theatrical producer, producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. Early life Lippa was born in Leeds, E ...
, and
Jeanine Tesori Jeanine Tesori, known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson, (born November 10, 1961) is an American composer and Arrangement, musical arranger best known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical com ...
, among others).


Personal life

Brown was born in Ossining,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. He is Jewish. He was previously married to Theresa O'Neill, and their failed marriage inspired his musical '' The Last Five Years''. Since 2003, Brown has been married to fellow composer Georgia Stitt. Together, they have two daughters.


Major works


Musical theatre

*'' Songs for a New World'' – Ran
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at the WPA Theatre, October 11 – November 5, 1995. Also conducted, played piano, and sang one line in the last song. The show was revived at
New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...
for four nights in June 2018. *''
Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
'' – Ran on Broadway at the
Vivian Beaumont Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT ...
at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
from December 17, 1998 to February 28, 1999. Brown won the
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Score, and a
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
for Best Music. He also plays piano on the cast recording. In 2023, the
New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...
production transferred to Broadway, running at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, and later won the
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical has been awarded since 1994. Before that time, both plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival. The award is given to the producers of the best musical play which ha ...
. *'' The Last Five Years'' – Premiered at Chicago's Northlight Theatre in 2001. Ran Off-Broadway at the Minetta Theatre from March 3, 2002 to May 5, 2002, starring Norbert Leo Butz and
Sherie Rene Scott Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967)Some sources give 1969, but Scott herself, at thOfficial Sherie Rene Scott Myspace Pageand at Lovece, Frank"Sherie Rene Scott is caught up in the 'Rapture'", ''Newsday'', May 6, 2010, gives 1967 is an Ame ...
, and directed by Daisy Prince. Brown won Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics, and was nominated for Outstanding Orchestrations. He also wrote the book, conducted, and played piano. The show had an Off-Broadway Revival in 2013 at
Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a non-profit theater company that presents work by living American writers both on and off Broadway. It is based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and is affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1979 ...
, starring Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe, and directed by Brown. In 2014, a film-adaptation was released, starring
Anna Kendrick Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Known for playing upbeat and endearing characters in comedies and musicals, List of awards and nominations received by Anna Kendrick, her accolades include nominations for an Aca ...
and Jeremy Jordan. A Broadway production was announced to open in 2025, starring
Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
and Adrienne Warren, directed by Whitney White. *''
Urban Cowboy ''Urban Cowboy'' is a 1980 American romantic Western film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford "Bud" Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy ( Debra Winger). The film's success was credited for spurri ...
'' – Ran on Broadway from March 27, 2003 to May 18, 2003. Tony-Nominated for Best Original Score. Brown contributed five songs to the score of the musical. Also orchestrated, arranged, music directed, conducted, played keyboards, and sang. *'' 13 –'' Premiered January 7, 2007, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, California and subsequently opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, running from October 5, 2008 to January 4, 2009 after 22 previews and 105 regular performances. A
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
was released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
in 2022. *''
The Bridges of Madison County ''The Bridges of Madison County'' (also published as ''Love in Black and White'') is a 1992 best-selling Romance novel, romance novel by American writer Robert James Waller that tells the story of an Italian-American World War II war bride livi ...
'' – Stage adaptation of the novel, with a book by Marsha Norman. The musical played an out-of-town tryout at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in August 2013. It opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on January 17, 2014 (in previews) and officially on February 20, 2014. The production closed on May 18, 2014 after 137 performances due to low ticket sales. He won two 2014
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
s, one for Best Original Score and one for Best Orchestrations. *''
Honeymoon in Vegas ''Honeymoon in Vegas'' is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. Plot Private eye Jack Singer swore to his mother on her deathbed that h ...
'' – Stage adaptation of the film of the same name, with the book written by Andrew Bergman. The show was originally scheduled to premiere in Toronto in November 2012, but the run was canceled. Instead, the show had its out-of-town tryout at the
Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater containing approximately 1,200 seats located in Millburn, within Essex County, New Jersey, United States, on the banks of the Rahway River. Due to its relative proximity to Manhattan, the theater draw ...
starring
Tony Danza Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional boxer. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' (1978–1983) and ''Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992 ...
and Rob McClure with performances from September 26, 2013 to October 17th, 2013. The Broadway production, also starring Danza and McClure, opened at the
Nederlander Theatre The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhatt ...
on January 15, 2015, before closing on April 5, 2015, due to insufficient ticket sales. *'' Mr. Saturday Night'' – Stage adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name starring
Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. ...
who also starred in the musical version. Brown wrote the score and collaborated on the lyrics with
Amanda Green Amanda Green (born December 29, 1963) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, she was elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America, the first woman to hold the role in the Guild's 100-year history. Early life and edu ...
. It premiered at the
Nederlander Theatre The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhatt ...
on March 29, 2022. The show concluded its Broadway run on September 4, 2022 *'' The Connector'' – Ran
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at MCC Theater from January 12, 2024 to March 17, 2024, this new musical tells the story of two journalists in the late 1990s, "pitting ambition against values in the race for the ultimate scoop." The musical was conceived and directed by Daisy Prince with a book by Jonathan Marc Sherman. The Off Broadway production stars Scott Bakula and features Brown conducting and playing the piano. *''
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published on January 10, 1994, and follows the story of Jim Williams, an antiques dealer on trial for the killing of Danny Hansf ...
'' – Stage adaptation of the non-fiction novel of the same name by
John Berendt John Berendt (born December 5, 1939) is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book '' Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'', which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction, and '' The Ci ...
. World premiere production premiered at Chicago's
Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the ...
, from June 25, 2024 and closed on August 11th, 2024. The show features music and lyrics by Brown, book by
Taylor Mac Taylor Mac Bowyer (born August 24, 1973) is an American actor, playwright, performance artist, director, producer, and singer-songwriter active mainly in New York City. In 2017, Mac was the recipient of a "Genius Grant" from the John D. and Cath ...
, and direction by
Rob Ashford Rob Ashford (born November 19, 1959) is an American stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner. Early life and education Born in Orlando, Florida and ...
.


Solo albums

*'' Wearing Someone Else's Clothes'' – 2005 – Brown's solo debut album, composed entirely of tracks which were previously unreleased, some of which were cut songs from shows or written for shows which were never finished, and some of which were written as stand-alone songs for the album. The album features his vocals and compositions on every song, and his arrangements and musicianship on almost every track. *''How We React and How We Recover'' – A second solo album, recorded from May–December 2017, features songs developed at his monthly Subculture concert residency in New York. The album was released June 29, 2018 by Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records. *''Coming From Inside The House (A Virtual SubCulture Concert)'' – A third solo album, featuring vocals by Shoshana Bean,
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
, and Brown's
wife A wife (: wives) is a woman in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until their marriage is legally dissolved with a divorce judgment; or until death, depending on the kind of marriage. On t ...
and daughters. It was recorded on April 27, 2020 for the one-night video streaming event to benefit the SubCulture staff and musicians from the Jason Robert Brown Artist-in-Residence concerts, during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. It was released worldwide on December 18, 2020 by Craft Recordings.


Other works

*'' Chanukah Suite'' – 2005 – an 8-minute chorale fanfare in three parts, featuring traditional Hebrew songs infused with up-tempo
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
rhythms and
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
inspired chordal flavors. *" Jason's Song (Gave It Away)" – When Brown was in L.A. for a couple of weeks,
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
asked him to write a song for a new album. Since they worked together before (in the original Broadway cast of ''13''), Brown agreed to help. Months later, their track was released on Grande's extended edition of '' Dangerous Woman''. *'' The Waverly Gallery'' – Off-Broadway run from March 22, 2000 to May 21, 2000 at the Promenade Theatre. Play by
Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. He is known for his works which explore complex emotional and interpersonal dynamics. He has received several awards including an Academy Award a ...
, with music by Brown. *'' John and Jen'' – Orchestrations *'' A New Brain'' – Vocal arrangements/additional musician *'' Wonder Pets!''– Composer *'' New York Rock'' – Orchestrations *'' The Trumpet of the Swan'', 2011 – Composer and conductor for stage adaptation by
Marsha Norman Marsha Norman (born September 21, 1947) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play '' 'night, Mother''. She wrote the book and lyrics for such Broadway musicals as ''The S ...
Commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts


Awards and nominations


Recordings

Original cast recordings were made for ''Songs for a New World'', ''Parade,'' ''The Last Five Years,'' ''13'', ''The Bridges of Madison County'', and ''Honeymoon in Vegas''. "Stars and the Moon" has been recorded many times, including on Audra McDonald's ''Way Back to Paradise'' and
Betty Buckley Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947)LuKanic, Steven A (1995). Film Actors Guide'. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 55. . is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for an additional Ton ...
's ''Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar.'' Actress Lauren Kennedy, who originated the role of Cathy in the Chicago production of ''The Last Five Years,'' released ''Songs of Jason Robert Brown,'' featuring Brown's compositions from his previous shows, as well as several previously unreleased songs.


References


External links

* * *
archive
*
Production: Urban Cowboy
– ''Working in the Theatre Seminar'' video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2003
''Parade'' to Make West End Premiere in 2007

''BroadwayWorld.com'' interview with Jason Robert Brown, August 16, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Jason Robert 1970 births Living people American musical theatre composers American male musical theatre composers American musical theatre lyricists Broadway composers and lyricists Broadway music directors Drama Desk Award winners Eastman School of Music alumni People from Ossining, New York Pupils of Samuel Adler (composer) Songwriters from New York (state) Tony Award winners University of Southern California faculty American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians American male songwriters