mtr history jrb

7/24/2019 Mtr History Jrb

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/mtr-history-jrb 1/16

Rachel Caduri

Nathan R . Matthews

Music Theatre History

20 October 2015

The Influence of olden !"e Co#$osers and %yricists on the

&or's of (ason Robert )rown

There would be no $resent* if it weren+t for the $ast. This can be said of all

as$ects of life es$ecially in the arts* s$ecifically #usical theatre. &ithout the olden !"e

of #usical theatre* what we consider conte#$orary #usical theatre* would not e,ist.

Co#$oser (ason Robert )rown is considered one of todays -s#artest and #ost

so$histicated son"writers since te$hen ondhei#./ says aid tearns of the

hiladel$hia In3uirer . Howeer * would (ason Robert )rown+s scores be what they were

without $ast co#$osers li'e %eonard )ernstein or te$hen ondhei#.

&hen listenin" to the arious scores of (ason Robert )rown* it is eident that his

wor' is well thou"ht out and #eticulously crafted. !ll this wor' * thou"h* co#es fro#

so#eone without a colle"e de"ree. (ason Robert )rown attended 4ast#an chool of

Music in Rochester for only two years* #oin" to New or' City 6ust one year later .

)rown says in an interiew* -I neer e,$ected to "o into a career that re3uired a de"ree*

so colle"e neer really #attered to #e7two years at 4ast#an is lon" enou"h to learn a

"reat deal. &hether I learned all the intricacies of theory I don+t 'now but7I had so#e



wonderful teachers who o$ened #e as a co#$oser ./ )rown s$ent his ti#e orchestratin"

and arran"in" $ieces for other co#$osers* as well as $layin" auditions* while wor'in" on

his own #usic on the side. He #et aisy rince* dau"hter of Harold rince* throu"h one

of his side 6obs* and four years later the two turned out Songs for a New World . urin"

that $rocess* )rown also wor'ed on Hal rince+s The Petrified Prince as the #usical

director * which is where Hal rince first a$$roached hi# about Parade* the #usical that

would brin" )rown his )roadway debut and his first Tony !ward for )est core. 8ro#

there (ason Robert )rown went on to write The Last Five Years* Urban Cowboy* 13* The

ridges of !adison Co"nty* and #oney$oon in %egas. One of )rown+s lesser9'nown

wor's is Chan"&ah S"ite. The %os !n"eles Master Chorale $erfor#ed Chan"&ah S"ite

for only two $erfor#ances in ece#ber of 2005. The $ro"ra# fro# the eenin"

describes the ei"ht9#inute Hebrew roc'9and9roll $iece as hain" -u$9te#$o rhyth#s*

har#onic fanfares and the occasional %eonard )ernstein9li'e chordal #a6esty./ The

notation of )ernstein+s style in the $iece is not sur$risin" since (ason Robert )rown

considers hi# one of his bi""est influences. &hen as'ed in an interiew which

co#$osers and lyricists he ad#ires #ost* (ason Robert )rown refers to %eonard

)ernstein as his -touchstone as a co#$oser/. )rown loo's to )ernstein -for his loe of

#elody and his $assion for e,$eri#entin" and his unbelieable technical security./

8urther#ore* (ason Robert )rown a$$reciates )ernstein for his e,$loration of eery



-noo' and cranny :of his; craft./ &hen loo'in" at the wor's of %eonard )ernstein this

loe of #elody* his ris'9ta'in" nature* and technical security are all blatant.

%eonard )ernstein is considered one of the #ost $ro#inent olden !"e

co#$osers to this day. He is #ost well 'nown for West Side Story* 'n The Town* and

Wonderf"l Town* as well as his o$era* Candide. )ernstein found his loe for #usic at a

youn" a"e and $ursued it with a de"ree in #usic fro# Harard <niersity. It is there he

$ut u$ a $roduction of The Cradle Will (oc& * which co#$oser Marc )lit=stein attended.

It is for that reason )lit=stein beca#e one of )ernstein+s #a6or influences. Two of his

other #a6or influences were i#itri Mitro$oulos and !aron Co$land* both of which he

#et in his Harard years. Neither Mitro$oulos nor Co$land eer tau"ht )ernstein*

howeer Mitro$oulos is the reason )ernstein went into conductin"* and Co$land was

often referred to as his only real co#$osition teacher . !nother one of )ernstein+s #ore

notable influences was co#$oser eor"e ershwin. &hile ershwin is not considered a

olden !"e co#$oser or lyricist* his wor' "ae way to #any son"writers of the olden

!"e $eriod. %eonard )ernstein+s clai# to fa#e was in 1>?@* when he #ade his

conductin" debut for the New or' hilhar#onic Orchestra on a nationally broadcast

concert. &hile continuin" to conduct* )ernstein co#$osed the score for the ballet Fancy

Free* which later turned into his first #usical 'n the Town* which had lyrics by )etty

Co#den and !dol$h reen. Thou"h )ernstein had #any o$eratic and sy#$honic

endeaors* his ne,t #usical theatre co#$osition was for Wonderf"l Town* with the sa#e



eident in West Side Story and Wonderf"l Town* which won )ernstein a Tony !ward for

)est Ori"inal core. )ernstein was 3uoted in The New Yor& Ti$es once sayin"* BI dont

want to s$end #y life* as Toscanini did* studyin" and restudyin" the sa#e fifty $ieces of

#usic. It would bore #e to death. I want to conduct. I want to $lay the $iano. I want to

write for Hollywood. I want to 'ee$ on tryin" to be* in the full sense of that wonderful

word* a #usician. I also want to teach. I want to write boo's and $oetry. !nd I thin' I

can still do 6ustice to the# all.B

&ith such $assion for the craft* its no wonder (ason Robert )rown too' influence

fro# )ernstein. %istenin" to their orchestrations* one can note #any si#ilarities.

)rown+s co#$ositions are often seen as co#$le, and difficult* to the $oint where #any

acco#$anists cannot $lay his #usic. &hile this #ay be true* he is si#$ly followin" in the

footste$s of one of the "reatest olden !"e co#$osers and one of his #ain influences .

%i'e )ernstein+s wor' * (ason Robert )rown+s orchestrations do not si#$ly #i#ic the

#elody line. )rown+s #usic co#$li#ents and builds u$on the #elody line* without

directly re$licatin" it* thus enhancin" the oerall sound and co#$le,ity of the score.

(ason Robert )rown has been 3uoted throu"h out countless interiews and articles

statin" that if it weren+t for the wor's of one #an in $articular * he would hae $ursued a

career as a sin"er9son"writer * tryin" to be the ne,t )illy (oel. That #an is none other than

te$hen ondhei#. It is i#$ortant to note that while te$hen ondhei# the co#$oser is

not considered $art of the olden !"e of #usical theatre* te$hen ondhei# the lyricist



is. ondhei# wor'ed on lyrics for olden !"e #usicals such as )ernstein+s West Side

Story* and (ule tyne+s *y+sy. 8urther#ore* he studied directly under Oscar

Ha##erstein* one of the #ost notable olden !"e lyricists. o while te$hen ondhei#

is not i##ediately $art of the olden !"e* his #ain influencers bein" who they are*

#a'es ondhei# a iable olden !"e influence on (ason Robert )rown.

In a blo" $ost on his website* (ason Robert )rown writes* -Had it not been for

Sweeney Todd and S"nday in the Par& With *eorge* I would hae $robably 6oined a roc'

band and tried to be )illy (oel. )ut once I heard what could be done* what enor#ous

#usical and e#otional $otential could be unleashed* I 'new I had to write #usicals. To

say I+# a ondhei# &orshi$er is to understate the case considerably D I owe #y

a#bition and #y drea#s to hi#. &ithout his e,a#$le* I wouldn+t een 'now who to

beco#e./ 4en if these words had not been written* ondhei#+s effect on )rown+s wor'

is eident. ! si#$le listen to any of (ason Robert )rown #any son"s* and one can

i##ediately $e" ondhei# as his "reatest influence.

te$hen ondhei#* at the a"e of ei"hty9fie* holds the #ost Tony !wards as a

co#$oser * and is 'nown for #ore than a half9centuries worth of contributions to #usical

theatre. Today+s #usical theatre would not e,ist without the wor's of ondhei#.

ondhei# "rew u$ with a loe for #usic * and around the a"e of ten befriended the son of

lyricist Oscar Ha##erstein. This is what led to ondhei#+s #entorshi$ under

Ha##erstein. This #entorshi$ "ae ondhei# so#e of his "reatest education*



recountin" that in one afternoon of criti3ues fro# Ha##erstein he learned #ore about

#usical theatre and son" writin" than #ost $eo$le do in their entire lifeti#e. te$hen

ondhei#+s earliest )roadway success ca#e as a lyricist for %eonard )ernstein+s West

Side Story. 8ro# there he went on to write lyrics for (ule tyne+s *y+sy. &ith the

e,ce$tion of ,o - #ear a Walt./ this would be ondhei#+s last #usical written solely as

a lyricist. 8ro# then on he started what beca#e his 6ourney to beco#in" one of the

"reatest #usical co#$oser and lyricists. In 1>E2* te$hen ondhei#+s #usical 0 F"nny

Thing #a++ened on the Way to the For"$ o$ened on )roadway. !fter that ca#e #any

successesF 0nyone Can Whistle* Co$+any* 0 Little Night !"sic* Sweeney Todd The

,e$on arber of Fleet Street * S"nday in the Par& with *eorge* and -nto the Woods to

na#e a few. 4en without the no#inations and awards* te$hen ondhei#+s brilliance is

eident to anyone that listens to a recordin" of any one of his nu#erous shows. Thou"h

their oerall tone aries* ondhei#+s co#$ositions are li'e that of %eonard )ernstein+s in

the fact that they are hi"hly deelo$ed and intricate. Not only is his co#$osition style

uni3uely soundin"* his lyrics are e,tre#ely well thou"ht out. ondhei#+s son"s are ery

te,t9based and character9based. The lyrics allow for actors to #a'e discoeries throu"h

out the son"s* hel$in" to further the $lot and character deelo$#ent. It+s for this that

te$hen ondhei# stands out as one of #ost talented and s'illed co#$osers* and lyricists

of the #usical theatre world.



In the sa#e interiew that (ason Robert )rown notes %eonard )ernstein+s ris'

ta'in" and attention for details* he also references te$hen ondhei#+s brilliance. &hen

as'ed who his influences are he answers* -ondhei#* of course/* but that is not the #ost

i#$ortant reference. )rown answers the 3uestion -&hat #a'es a "reat theater son"G/

with the 'ey word behind ondhei#+s lyricsF -discoery/ He "oes on to discuss the

different ty$es of discoeries co#$osers and lyricists can write into a $iece. He says*

-The first 'ind is an e#otional de$th that totally redefines the character * both to the

audience and to the character hi#self ./ notin" ondhei#+s S"nday in the Par& with

*eorge $iece* -8inishin" the Hat/* as an e,a#$le. )rown continues* -The second is a

reelation of infor#ation that brin"s the characters and the audience to a new $lace./ as

is done in -! %ittle riest/ fro# ondhei#+s Sweeney Todd The ,e$on arber of Fleet

Street . 8inally he finishes u$ the thou"ht by e,$lainin" the last 'ind of discoery as

-si#$ly a #o#ent that allows for e,traordinary de,terity and cleerness or tenderness*

the discoery of the writer+s talent funneled throu"h the character/ li'e the #o#ents in

-ou otta et ! i##ic'/ fro# *y+sy* which showcases lyrics by te$hen ondhei#.

These discoeries and #o#ents (ason Robert )rown is referencin" in the wor's of

ondhei#* are what #a'e his co#$ositions and lyrics so dyna#ic and $owerful.

ondhei# is 'nown for his writin" because he writes for the actors* "iin" the#

characters and te,ts they can die into and fully deelo$. Thou"h nobody can du$licate

te$hen ondhei#+s essence and brilliance* )rown+s scores show "reat si#ilarities. )oth*



in their own way* co#$ose #elodies and orchestrations of "reat co#$le,ity. There is a

reason actors are often told not to brin" certain ondhei# $ieces or (ason Robert )rown

$ieces into an audition. i#ilar to %eonard )ernstein+s co#$ositional style* )rown and

ondhei# both co#$ose scores that stray fro# the basic #elody line . 8or a listener * that

creates a richer * #ore e,$ansie score that ca$tures the audience. %yrically* (ason Robert

)rown could stand to $ic' u$ a few #ore tric's fro# ondhei#. Thou"h he does a fine

6ob of wor'in" to deelo$ character throu"h his lyrics* and allowin" the actor to find

discoeries in the character and te,t* there are often ti#es his characters do not -find a

win/ in the $iece. That fact aside olden !"e co#$oser and lyricist* te$hen ondhei#+s

influence on (ason Robert )rown is eident.

If )rown+s a$$reciation and loe for te$hen ondhei# as an artist wasn+t already

obious the answer to this ne,t 3uestion e,$lains it. (ason Robert )rown is as'ed the

3uestion* -&hat do you thin' is the best trainin" for beco#in" a #usic theatre

co#$oserG/ and his answer both startlin" and obious at the sa#e ti#e. -now

#usicals./ he says. )rown $uts an e#$hasis on the classics* listin" four ondhei#

wor'sF West Side Story* *y+sy* S"nday in the Par& with *eorge* and Sweeney Todd The

,e$on arber of Fleet Street . He then notes so#ethin" ery i#$ortant. -Those shows

wor' for ery "ood reasons. 8i"ure out why./ he says. If there is anythin" to be said

about the $ieces of te$hen ondhei# is that they wor' . There is life in his wor's* life

that artists* li'e (ason Robert )rown* try to wor' off of and recreate in their $ieces.



(ason Robert )rown is an e,tre#ely intelli"ent and well9ersed conte#$orary

#usical theatre co#$oser . It is no sur$rise that tearns refers to hi# as one of the

-s#artest and #ost so$histicated son"writers since te$hen ondhei#./ !nyone een

se#i9'nowled"eable in #usical theatre son" styles can tell you 6ust fro# listenin" to a

s#all selection of (ason Robert )rown+s wor' that his "reatest influence is te$hen

ondhei#. It+s safe to say )rown+s #ost $o$ular and successful endeaor is The Last

Five Years. The #ost notable and outstandin" feature of this #usical is in the way the

story is told. The Last Five Years is a loe story told fro# both sides. Not only does it

"ie both (a#ie and Cathy* the only characters of the #usical* the chance to tell their

sides of the story* it literally de$icts both sides of the tale. &ith Cathy* the audience sees

her story told in reerse* startin" with the dissolution of their #arria"e in -till Hurtin"/*

and endin" where her and (ai#e first #eet* -oodbye <ntil To#orrow/. (a#ie on the

other hand wor's his way forwards in real9ti#e. Their stories #eet in the #iddle* with

the only duet of the #usical* -The Ne,t Ten Minutes/* where (a#ie $ro$oses to Cathy.

8ro# that $oint on she #oes bac'wards to when they first #eet * and he #oes forwards

to the ineitable de#ise of their loe. This #id9$oint is the only ti#e in which the actors

share ti#e and hae another bein" to wor' off of . That* in co#bination with the o$$osin"

directions of ti#e* could easily be seen as a challen"e to any actor a$$roachin" the role.

Howeer * it could also be iewed as* and is #ore realistically seen as an o$$ortunity for

the actors to #a'e discoeries about the characters and deelo$ the characters.



ondhei#+s wor' focused a "reat deal on creatin" #o#ents and wins for the actor . o#e

#ay ar"ue that (ason Robert )rown does not allow for his characters* and subse3uently

his actors to find wins throu"h out the $iece. %oo'in" at the o$$ortunities created for

discoery in (ai#e and Cathy* clearly ne"ates that idea and further $roes )rown+s $ull

fro# the wor' and #ethods of te$hen ondhei#. 8urther#ore* when listenin" to The

Last Five Years* and a $iece li'e -nto the Woods* one can hear #any si#ilarities. -hi'sa

oddess/ of The Last Five Years and -Into the &oods/ the rolo"ue of -nto the Woods

both showcase a ery stron" and si#ilar rhyth#ic beat. Conce$tually* (ason Robert

)rown and te$hen ondhei# share #any co##onalities in their attention to detail and

conoluted orchestrations and #elodies. This lin' between the two co#$osers can also

be seen in the son" -eo$le of !tlanta/ fro# )rown+s Parade. The s$ecificity and

characteristics of the ense#ble ocal lines closely rese#ble any nu#ber of ense#ble

son"s fro# te$hen ondhei#+s wor's. These connections clearly show the i#$act

ondhei# has had on (ason Robert )rown.

!side fro# te$hen ondhei# and %eonard )ernstein* (ason Robert )rown also

accredits olden !"e co#$oser and lyricist 8ran' %oesser as an influence of his. He also

#entions co#$oser (ohn ander * and co#$oser and lyricist aid a=be' * who# he

called a -consu##ate #usician and a real #an of theatre./ thou"h none of these #en

carried the i#$act )ernstein or ondhei# carried. Role #odels and influences aside*

(ason Robert )rown is one of the #ost dyna#ic conte#$orary #usical theatre co#$osers



and lyricists around. 4entually what is now 'nown as conte#$orary #usical theatre *

will beco#e #usical theatre history and as Richards Rod"ers and Oscar Ha##erstein* or

%eonard )ernstein* or een the #ore current te$hen ondhei#* stood out fro# their

co#$etitors* so will (ason Robert )rown. His creations and co#$ositions will beco#e

his le"acy and they will outlie hi# by decades. )rown+s has always been and continues

to be innoatie and $ush #usical theatre forward. 8ro# his fresh $ers$ectie on the

stories of (a#ie and Cathy in The Last Five Years to his tellin" of the controersial story

of %ucille and %eo 8ran' in Parade* (ason Robert )rown always deliers. More recently

he has written and co#$osed #usical ada$tations to two well9'nown #oies* The

ridges of !adison Co"nty and #oney$oon in %egas. &hen as'ed about the challen"es

he faced writin" these wor's* he notes the e,$ectation already set* and the need to #atch

and e,ceed the e,$ectation. !lso #a'in" sure he didn+t "et cau"ht u$ in what wor'ed in

the #oie and tryin" to recreate that on sta"e because of the obious differences in

$latfor#s. %astly* he notes that both wor's de#anded reinention of al#ost eery

#o#ent -in order to #a'e it breathe on sta"e ./ <nfortunately* both The ridges of

!adison Co"nty and #oney$oon in %egas closed early due to lac' of tic'et sales. (ason

Robert )rown+s current $ro6ect* which o$ens in To'yo on October 2@* is The Prince of

roadway* and #usical based on the wor's of $roducer and director Harold rince. In an

interiew with Richard Rid"e* )rown tal's about the $rocess and challen"es of this

#usical. )rown discusses how he doesn+t want to be seen as rearran"in" or orchestratin"



the #usic* but as reiin" the #usic to what it was #eant to be. His "oal is to recreate the

son"s as what he thin's the co#$osers ori"inal intention was* -scra$in" off/ chan"es that

$iled onto the wor's oer the years. !s $art of the $roduction* (ason Robert )rown has

"otten the o$$ortunity to wor' on #usic of his influencer and role #odel te$hen

ondhei#. In the interiew he refers to hi#self as a -nerd/ sayin" it has been e,tre#ely

"ratifyin" and rewardin" to be able to "et into the wor' and #ind of ondhei#. One can

only i#a"ine what that e,$erience has been li'e for (ason Robert )rown.

One thin" that has yet to be discussed is (ason Robert )rown+s $rocess as a

co#$oser and lyricist. !ny article or interiew re"ardin" his wor' always #entions one

thin" and that is his hands9on a$$roach to his #usic. )rown wor's on the #usic fro#

start to finish. 4ery #elody line* eery har#ony* eery second of dance #usic* eery

orchestration and underscorin" is his and his alone. The $rocess is as co#$le, and the

oerall sound of the finished $roduct. &hen loo'in" at Parade s$ecifically* )rown wrote

a lot of the score on fie staes* thou"h no $ianist could actually $lay it* allowin" hi# to

see eerythin" that was "oin" on. One of the bi""est thin"s about his $rocess is that he

writes te,turally* not $ianistically. That te,tural feel is clear in his wor' * as well that of

ondhei# and )ernstein* his two influences. His #ain focus with Parade* and all of his

wor's for that #atter * was to write so#ethin" that sounds li'e a whole. !nother 'ey

as$ect of his writin" $rocess was that he waits for the last $ossible second to write the

$iano $art. 8irst co#es the ocal lines* the chords* and a "eneral idea of what he wants



the #usic to sound li'e underneath. Once all this is co#$lete* he "oes to the $iano*

writin" so#ethin" that #ay not een bear #uch si#ilarity to the ocal #elodies he has

written. Throu"h this $rocess he is able to create the creatie orchestration that lies

beneath his #elodies. &hen listenin" to the co#$le,ity and ori"inality of (ason Robert

)rown+s scores* all while 'nowin" the e3ually co#$le, and intricate $rocess behind it*

his wor' beco#es een #ore $owerful.

Oerall* (ason Robert )rown is a "enius at his craft. He has written the scores

behind #usicals that will lie on to beco#e history. His "enius would not $ossible*

thou"h* without his two #ain influencesF %eonard )ernstein and te$hen ondhei#. !ll

three* )rown* )ernstein* and ondhei#* are uni3ue in their own ways but share #any

co##onalities. %eonard )ernstein+s sy#$honic bac'"round shines throu"h in his

co#$ositions. His beautiful #elodies are bac'ed by e3ually beautiful orchestrations that

enhance the #elodies without re$licatin" the#. This creatiity is shown both in the

wor's of (ason Robert )rown and te$hen ondhei#. ondhei# adds the use of te,t and

character to )rown+s wor' . (ason Robert )rown notes the i#$ortance of discoeries

throu"h out the lyrics and the characters arc* an idea that ste#s fro# the wor's of

te$hen ondhei#. The influence %eonard )ernstein and te$hen ondhei# hae on the

wor's of (ason Robert )rown show how he has been heaily i#$acted by both olden

!"e co#$osers and lyricists. The olden !"e of #usical theatre will continue to i#$act

the #usic and lyrics of current and future "enerations of #usicians and lyricists as it has



done (ason Robert )rown and those ali'e. History is and will continue to be the buildin"

bloc's of todays ti#e.



&or's Cited a"e

)ri""s* (ohn. Leonard ernstein The !an2 #is Wor&2 and #is World CleelandF

&orld ub. A* 1>E1. rint.

BHO& I IN<%T4 ONH4IM J!N TH4 &IOM R4C4IK4

TH4R4)L 9 (ason Robert )rown.B 4ason (obert rown. @1 Oct. 2012. &eb. 20 Oct.

2015.

B(ason Robert )rown 9 (ason Robert )rown.B 4ason (obert rown. 1 No. 1>>>.

&eb. 20 Oct. 2015.

B%eonard )ernstein* ! Total 4#brace of Music* Classical Notes* eter ut#ann.B

Leonard ernstein2 0 Total 5$brace of !"sic2 Classical Notes2 Peter *"t$ann. &eb. 20

Oct. 2015.

B%os !n"eles Master Chorale ro"ra#.B &eb. 20 Oct. 2015.

BMa'e Musicals.B !a&e !"sicals (SS . &eb. 20 Oct. 2015.

eyser* (oan. ernstein 0 iogra+hy (evised 6 U+dated . New or'F )illboard*

1>>. rint.

BBRINC4 O8 )RO!&!B N R4 R4KI4& 8OOT!4 9 (ason Robert

)rown.B 4ason (obert rown. &eb. 20 Oct. 2015.

Secrest, Meryle. Stephen Sondheim: A Life. New York: Knopf, 1998. Print.

mtr history jrb

Documents