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 and costumes by the Department) directed by an MFA candidate or faculty director. Recent productions have included The Pursuit of History—a very zombie musical—and Elsewards—a modern Hansel and Gretel riff.
Pulitzer prize winner Alfred Uhry, a two-time Brownbrokers writer in the 1950s, went on to pen such hits as Parade, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and Driving Miss Daisy. Emmy Award-winning composer David Yazbek, a 1982 Brown graduate and Brownbrokers writer, has composed scores for such Broadway hits as The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Stephen Karam ‘02 (Columbinus and Speech 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 the nurturing and production of 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 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
What’s next for Brownbrokers?
This coming Spring 2010, Brownbrokers will produce its 3rd Annual Mini-Musical Festival. An incredible success the past two years, the Mini-Musical Festival has included such hits as the riotously controversial In The Business of Love–or–The Dolphin Musical, the Brown social parody Jesus Christ: Superhipster and the politically relevant satire Palin! The Musical.
The deadline for writing proposals is February 1st., 2010. A mini-musical must include at least three short scenes and two songs or musical numbers. Otherwise, what you can imagine we will consider! Shorter works are a great way to get started! We encourage anyone and everyone interested in writing to contact the Brownbrokers Board at brownbrokers@gmail.com.
CHECK OUT THIS YEAR’S PRODUCTION!
Leavitsburg, Ohio by Nate Sloan ‘09
Directed by Lowry Marshall
