BY JESSICA NEU

I was a senior in High School when I was first introduced to the multi-hyphenate Broadway extraordinaire Jason Robert Brown. My friends at CAPA were doing Parade as their Spring Musical and I vividly remember my friends in the show saying how challenging his music was to learn because of his unique and sophisticated melodies, arrangements, and lyrical syncopations. 

Fast forward twenty years as Brown took the stage for his two-show evening at the Greer Cabaret Theater. He is best known for composing the music and lyrics for shows such as Parade, Songs for a New World, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon in Vegas, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and two shows that are waiting in the wings to open on Broadway Less and The First Five Years. 

Brown stoically took his seat at the piano alongside musicians Todd Reynolds (strings) and Randy Landau (bass). The trio dove right into an eighty-minute set. Before addressing the audience, Brown delights audiences with an original song entitled “Hope,” “It All Fades Away with You” from The Bridges of Madison County, and “I Love Betsy” from Honeymoon in Vegas. These songs showcased why Brown is mentioned with theater greats like Stephen Sondheim and why my friends at CAPA had a dauntingly delightful time tackling the Parade score. 

Simultaneously, watching his hands dance across the piano, and his mouth sing poignantly emotional lyrics is akin to watching a film where the audio is slightly behind the action of the film. However, in Brown’s case, this in-cohesion is what makes him a brilliant composer. With every number performed, he redefines the possibility of how a melody and lyrics can work in unison to create a song. 

After “I Love Betsy,” Brown greeted the crowd, thanking them for coming to see him at 9:30 on a Monday night. He promised to perform a collection of songs from “shows you didn’t see” and “albums that you pirated off of the internet.”He then explained how he was not wearing his glasses, rendering him unable to read the sheet music in front of him, so atthe start of “I Love Betsy,” he nearly forgot the words because he did not bother to open the sheet music. His reverently chaotic yet professional vibe set the tone for the rest of the show. Brown sprinkled anecdotal stories throughout the evening that had the same slightly sardonic, incredibly hilarious, yet endearingly authentic tone. 

Brown’s commentary had the audience in an uproar. From stories about performing in concert with Stephen Sondheim to attempting to get his more recent shows to open on Broadway before he dies, Brown easily drew the biggest laughs and applause I have seen from a Cabaret show to date. You left feeling like you just spent an evening with an old friend—one who happens to be a piano virtuoso with an equally remarkable voice.

He also went impromptu and took spontaneous questions from the audience. One college student asked about how to successfully write a song. His advice was simple: create a melody you can repeat at least three times, “short phrases are your friend,” and write about something that brings you joy. Another audience member asked if he was excited for The Last Five Years to finally be coming to Broadway, which prompted Brown to talk about pop music superstar Nick Jonas joining the cast and how he became a Jonas Brothers aficionado, even going as far to watch their 2008 film Camp Rock.  

After polling the audience to see if anyone had been married for more than 50 years, he told a story about how a charity event in Birmingham, Alabama, auctioned off an original song by Brown. He sheepishly thought he could write something brief on the back of a napkin, only to learn that the couple who purchased the prize-winning but yet-to-be-written song were using the piece for their 50th wedding celebration. After tossing the sheet music to the side and declaring, “we’re going commando,” Brown delivered a heartfelt number about the joys and struggles of maintaining a marriage for 50 years. 

In addition to this original song, Brown delighted audiences with “Get Closer” from The Bridges of Madison County, an instrumental selection from Parade featuring Reynolds on violin, and “Shed Shack” from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Brown also previewed two songs from his new musical Less, which is based on the novel of the same name by Andrew Sean Greer. He beautifully established the plot before performing two numbers from the show. “F*** Love and Get Fat” stood out of the two songs, eliciting wicked laughter and applause from the crowd throughout the number, more for its lyrical wit and less for its shock value. 

Brown explained that the last time he had been in Pittsburgh was 24 years ago during the national tour of Parade. However, he concluded by singing the praises of the city he called “the Paris of the Allegheny.” Although he still despises Primanti Sandwiches, he hopes to return soon. And the feeling is mutual, judging by the crowd’s response throughout the night. 

Brown bookended his performance by beginning and ending with songs about hope and moving forward. He stated that he wrote his opening song, “Hope,” the day after the 2016 election and was hoping to be able to retire the number, but it is nevertheless still in his setlist rotation. Brown was beautifully vulnerable in discussing his feelings of fear, disgust, and the struggle to move forward in our current historical moment. He concluded the show with a call to action, stating that there is so much we have to do as people, creators, and families to encourage one another to maintain that element of hope and keep moving forward. His song, “Wait ’til You See What’s Next,” was meant to attach to the idea of hope from the beginning of the show. 

In a scary, uncertain time when you may not have the words to articulate your feelings, let us remember Brown’s message from “Hope…”

The work begins

~Jason Robert Brown

NEXT UP in the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Cabaret Series

Christopher Jackson, Monday, Feb 10, 2025 at the Greer Cabaret Theater. Tickets at https://trustarts.org/production/96451/christopher-jackson

Categories: Arts and Ideas