Brownbrokers
Founded in 1935 by undergraduate Burt Shevelove (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Brownbrokers has been producing original student-written musicals on the Brown University Department stage for over 70 years. Every other year, the Brownbrokers Board selects one student-written musical to have a full-scale production (complete with set, lights, sound and costumes by the Department) directed by an MFA candidate or faculty director. Recent productions have includedElsewards—a modern Hansel and Gretel riff and Leavittsburg, OH—a story of small-town, big-city America.
Pulitzer prize winner Alfred Uhry, a two-time Brownbrokers writer in the 1950s, went on to pen such hits asParade,The Last Night of Ballyhoo, andDriving Miss Daisy. Emmy Award-winning composer David Yazbek, a 1982 Brown graduate and Brownbrokers writer, has composed scores for such Broadway hits asThe Full MontyandDirty Rotten Scoundrels. Stephen Karam ‘02 (ColumbinusandSpeech and Debate) wrote a nationally acclaimed Brownbrokers show titled EMMA, which was reprised at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., winning the American College Theatre Festival's Best Musical Award.
In non-production years, the Brownbrokers Board produces smaller events such as the Mini-Musical Festival, the 24-Hour Musical Festival, and staged readings of the musicals in consideration for production the following year.
We are always looking for NEW WRITERS who are interested in learning and practicing the art of musical theatre writing through any of our small events or our bi-annual Department production. In addition, we provide many opportunities for student directors interested in working with student writers, as well as actors, producers, stage managers, and designers. Brownbrokers is a great way to get involved in both low-key, low-pressure student settings and with the Department and musical theatre faculty.
DID YOU KNOW? The origin of Brownbrokers’ name can be traced back to undergraduate founder Burt Shevelove, who is 1935 named the group from a combination of Brown and Pembroke College.
About the Board:
The Brownbrokers Board is an organization of self-elected students, dedicated to nurturing and producing new musical theatre on the Brown campus. The Board serves not only to produce new works in various spaces, but as a literary resource for writers. We are comprised of musicians, lyricists, librettists, directors, actors, designers and producers, all dedicated to the development of new musical theatre at Brown. The Brownbrokers Board works with the TAPS faculty to choose our biyearly production.
The Brownbrokers Board is:
Michael Williams ’10 (Co-Board Chair), Aaron Malkin ’10 (Co-Board Chair), Jessica Goldschmidt ’10.5 (Co-Development Chair), Jacob Combs ’11 (Co-Development Chair), Ariel Hudes ’11 (Publicity Chair), Rebecca Sigel ’11, David Brown ’12, Lance Jabr ’12, Dominic Wu ‘12, Leah Cogan '12 & Ellie Sywak '12.
For news, videos, photos, scripts, and soundtracks, visit the Brownbrokers Student Website
The Brown Daily Herald calls the 2010 Brownbrokers Minimusical Festival "fun...ridiculous...entertaining."