Theatre News

Jason Robert Brown stages NYMT concert at Apollo, 26 August

| London's West End |

17 February 2012

Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown will perform a one-night concert in aid of National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) at the Apollo Theatre on 26 August 2012, Whatsonstage.com can announce.

The creator of shows including Parade, The Last Five Years, 13 and Songs For A New World, Brown will host the concert just one night after his NYMT production of 13 finishes a week’s run at the Apollo.

As previously announced, Brown will direct 13 himself, with a cast made up of 11 to 16-year-old members of NYMT.

Members will also join Brown on stage for the one-off concert, which is titled Jason Robert Brown & Very Special Guests. It is also expected Brown will perform solo, with his band and be joined on the night by “very special guests”.

All proceeds from the concert will go towards the NYMT Bursary Scheme helping to support the best young musical theatre talent throughout the country develop their skills.

NYMT counts Hannah Jane Fox, Matt Lucas, Jonny Lee Miller and Gina Beck among its alumni and has Tom Chambers and Jude Law as patrons.

Jason Robert Brown & Very Special Guests is produced by Jon Bath for Fiery Angel Ltd. Tickets for are available from the Nimax Theatres’ box office.

Premiered in Los Angeles in 2007, 13 transferring to Broadway for a short-lived run in October 2008. The show has music and lyrics by Brown and book by Dan Elish. The story centres on 13-year-old Evan Goldman as he moves from New York City to Indiana, and how the move conflicts with his Bar Mitzvah.

13 will have musical direction by Torquil Munro, assistant musical direction by Tom Brady, choreography by Drew McOnie, design by Richard Kent, lighting design by David Plater and sound design by Autograph.

NYMT will also stage Brown’s 1995 off-Broadway song cycle Songs for a New World with direction by Sarah Redmond and choreography by Cristian Valle. That production, which will be cast with performers ages 16 to 23, will run from 31 July to 4 August 2012 at the Bridewell Theatre.

Songs for a New World will have direction by Francis Goodhand, assistant musical direction by Benjamin Holder, lighting design by Douglas Green and sound design by Charles Simpson.

Jason Robert Brown‘s other major works include The Last 5 Years, which was produced on the West End as part of Notes from New York, held on three consecutive Sundays at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and starring Julie Atherton; Parade, which premiered at Lincoln Center Theatre in 1998 directed by Harold Prince for which Brown won the Tony Award for Best Original Score. Rob Ashford directed the Donmar Warehouse’s 2008 production and the musical was revived last year at Southwark Playhouse.