The work of Michigan State University alumnus William D. Brohn, 1998 Tony Award winner for Best Orchestration for “Ragtime” and a nominee in 2002 and 2004 for “Sweet Smell of Success” and “Wicked,” respectively, will be celebrated at a one-night gala in London.
“Broadway to West End – By Special Arrangement,” will be held at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4.
The evening, a charity fundraiser for CLIL Sargent, an organization dedicated to caring for children with cancer, will feature a line-up of West End talent performing songs from shows Brohn has orchestrated for productions on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Carousel,” “Crazy For You,” “Curtains,” “Mary Poppins,” “Miss Saigon,” “My Fair Lady,” “Oklahoma!,” “Oliver!”, “Ragtime,” “Show Boat,” “South Pacific,” “Sweet Smell of Success,” “TheThree Musketeers,” “Wicked” and “The Witches of Eastwick.”
Brohn graduated from MSU’s College of Music in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in music theory. He received an honorary doctor of fine arts from MSU in 1996 and serves on the College of Music’s National Leadership Council.
“The College of Music is exceptionally proud of Bill Brohn and his exemplary contributions to the professional musical stage,” says James B. Forger, dean of the MSU College of Music. “As an orchestrator he has breathed new life into the classics, making them both relevant and accessible to today’s audiences.”
The London concert will be directed and choreographed by Bill Deamer, with a live 40-piece orchestra conducted and supervised by Stephen Brooker and Martin Koch.
Among the artists scheduled to appear, subject to availability, are Rosemary Ashe, Graham Bickley, Earl Carpenter, Ima Castro, Sharon D. Clarke, Kim Criswell, Gareth Gates, Simon Green, Alison Jiear, Alexia Khadime, Josie Lawrence, Alistair McGowan, Robyn North, Charlotte Page, Nicholas Parsons, Jodie Prenger, Joanna Riding, Caroline Sheen, Rebecca Thornhill, and the Arts Educational Music Theatre Ensemble.
Special appearances, also subject to availability, will be made by Claude Michel Schonberg , composer of “Miss Saigon,” (originally orchestrated by Brohn), and “Les Miserables”; George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, writers of the new songs for “Mary Poppins,” also orchestrated by Brohn; Christopher Jahnke, leading Broadway orchestrator of “Legally Blonde”; and Gareth Valentine as guest conductor.
The show is being produced by CLIC Sargent and Richard Douglas Productions.
"We're delighted to be celebrating the orchestrations of William David Brohn,” say producers Richard Morris and Doug Pinchin. “His amazing career spans collaborations with many of the finest writers of the musical theater. We're excited to present a stunning cast performing some of the most popular songs ever written for the stage, with a live 40-piece orchestra playing Bill's beautiful orchestrations. It promises to be a very special evening indeed."
For information about the concert, visit www.seetickets.com.
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