“P JSKNTR NF….. (Please refer to your newspaper for complete puzzle.)
TODAY’S CLUE: P = I
ANSWER: “I WANTED TO BE A GUY WHO PLAYED THE PIANO AND SANG, WHILE PEOPLE SCREAMED. THAT SOUNDED LIKE FUN.” — JASON ROBERT BROWN
JASON ROBERT BROWN
BORN JUNE 20, 1970 • AGE 56 • AMERICAN COMPOSER, LYRICIST & PLAYWRIGHT
🎹 A NEW YORK BOY WITH A MUSICAL DREAM
Jason Robert Brown was born in Ossining, New York, and grew up in the New York City suburbs. He studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, developing an interest in musical theater while drawing inspiration from both Broadway and popular music.
🎭 STARTING OUT BEHIND THE PIANO
Before becoming a celebrated composer, Brown worked as a rehearsal pianist for the Broadway musical Kiss of the Spider Woman in the early 1990s. His own theatrical song cycle, Songs for a New World, made its Off-Broadway debut in 1995.
🏆 HIS FIRST TONY AWARD
Brown composed the music and lyrics for Parade, which opened on Broadway in 1998 with a book by Alfred Uhry. The production earned Brown his first Tony Award for Best Original Score in 1999, and a Broadway revival later won Best Revival of a Musical in 2023.
⏳ THE STORY THAT MOVES BACKWARD AND FORWARD
The Last Five Years tells the story of a relationship through an unusual structure: one character moves forward through time while the other moves backward. The musical premiered in 2001 and was adapted into a 2015 film starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.
🎤 A BROADWAY MUSICAL FULL OF TEENAGERS
Brown wrote the music and lyrics for 13, a coming-of-age musical that opened on Broadway in 2008. Its cast and band were made up entirely of teenagers, including a young Ariana Grande, who appeared in the original Broadway production.
🎼 A COMPOSER WHO DOES IT ALL
In 2014, Brown earned two more Tony Awards for his score and orchestrations for The Bridges of Madison County, bringing his total to three. He also performs as a pianist and singer, conducting concerts of his own music and collaborating with leading Broadway performers.
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