Jason Robert Brown

Back on March 19, 2005, I was honored to participate in a concert at New York’s Symphony Space in tribute to Stephen Sondheim on the occasion of his 75th birthday. From 10 am to 10 pm, a host of incredible talents graced the stage and sang Sondheim, played Sondheim, talked about Sondheim, talked with Sondheim, and generally did everything you can imagine doing with a Sondheim song. My principal contribution was to write three choral arrangements for the Juilliard Choral Union, conducted by the wonderful Judith Clurman: “Merrily We Roll Along” (adapted from an earlier arrangement I had done forRead More »

A new animated series on Nickelodeon, “Wonder Pets” sends Tuck Turtle,  Ming-Ming Duckling and Linny the Guinea Pig on adventures throughout the world to save animals in trouble.  And they rescue the animals in song!  Every episode is a twelve-minute operetta written by some of musical theater’s finest.  The first episodes air on Friday 3/3, and JRB’s episode (written with Larry Hochman), “Save the Unicorn!” premieres at 12 noon that day.  The whole show is unspeakably adorable.  Want more info?  Here’s the Daily News article about the show’s launch.

Wow. The first time I logged on to the Internet was in 1998, and shortly thereafter was the first time someone suggested I get my own website. It may seem odd that it’s taken me eight years to get around to it, but anyone who knows me knows that I tend to get things finished only when there’s an axe swinging at my head.  The axe in this case was my solo album, “Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes,” which was released last June.  Every time we would try to get press and media attention for this album which I love soRead More »

It’s what you always hope for but so rarely get: pure, unmediated theatrical ecstasy. One of the ironies of live performance — which is, of necessity, in the moment — is that it’s all too often a recycling of past moments; the spontaneity is drained by repetition and rehearsal. But last night, at the New Players Theatre, a cabaret performance came into its own when Jason Robert Brown — the New York composer and performer — sprung a brilliant surprise on his 24-strong onstage backing choir from the Royal Academy of Music, and asked if any of them performed hisRead More »

The following is from a programme note, written by JRB for his 2005 Christmas engagement at the New Players’ Theatre in London. 1. “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” (1978), Billy Joel, The Stranger This song alone could explain how I ended up doing what I do.  It’s seven minutes long, it’s a wonderfully told story, it’s got a great piano solo in the middle of it, the melodies and the grooves are great, it’s basically a model for the type of work I ultimately came to create.  Also: consider how so much of the pop music being created at thatRead More »