In Honor of 'BRIDGES' on Broadway, BWW Highlights Jason Robert Brown's Best

In honor of The Bridges of Madison County's opening on Broadway this week, BroadwayWorld decided to highlight Tony- and Drama Desk Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown's body of work.

From the cerebral musical revue SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, calling attention to our choices and how they make us human, to the "American opera" PARADE, dark with alleged murder and bright with redemption, to the time-warping, passionate love-hate story of THE LAST FIVE YEARS, and the beauty and heartbreak of kismet in The Bridges of Madison County, Brown has examined the depths of the human soul.

His lighter side shines through in the country-meets-city love story URBAN COWBOY, the social pressures and realities of being a teenager in his musical '13', and HONEYMOON IN VEGAS' farcical dance between lifelong commitment and the seedy underbelly of the Strip.

Read Pat Cerasaro's recent InDepth Interview with Jason Robert Brown HERE, scroll down to learn more about Brown's musicals, watch songs and highlights, and be sure to let us know your favorite Jason Robert Brown show or song!

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SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
Original Off-Broadway Run: Oct.11, 1995 - Nov. 5, 1995
Original Cast: Brooks Ashmanskas, Andrea Burns, Jessica Molaskey, Billy Porter, and Daisy Prince.

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD features four actors who play multiple characters who are constantly evolving. The production is a series of songs connected by the theme "the moment of decision."

Notable Songs:

'Stars and the Moon'

'I'm Not Afraid of Anything'

'I'd Give It All For You'

PARADE
Original Broadway Run: Dec 17, 1998 - Feb 28, 1999
Original Cast: Brent Carver, Carolee Carmello, Christy Carlson Romano, Kirk McDonald, Evan Pappas, and more.
Book by: Alfred Uhry

The Tony Award-winning musical drama Parade features the true story of Leo Frank's trial and lynching in early 20th-century Atlanta. Ostracized for his faith and Northern heritage, Jewish factory manager Leo Frank is accused of murdering a teenaged factory girl the day of the annual Confederate Memorial Day parade.

Notable Songs:

'This Is Not Over Yet'

'The Old Red Hills of Home'

'All the Wasted Time'

URBAN COWBOY
Original Broadway Run: Mar 27, 2003 - May 18, 2003
Original Cast: Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Sally Mayes, and more.
Book by: Aaron Latham and Phillip Oesterman
Co-Composer/Lyricist: Jeff Blumenkrantz

URBAN COWBOY, based on the 1980 film, follows cowboy Bud, who moves to the city for an oil refinery job, while spending his nights at a local country bar - where he soon meets, and falls in love with, a local cowgirl named Sally. The show features songs from Shania Twain, Clint Black and more.

Notable Songs:

'It Don't Get Better Than This'

'I Take It Back'

THE LAST 5 YEARS
Original Off-Broadway Run: March 03, 2002 - May 5, 2002
Off-Broadway Revival Run: April 02, 2013 - May 18, 2013
Original Cast: Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott
Revival Cast: Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe

The Last Five Years tells the emotionally powerful story of two twenty-something New Yorkers who dive head first into a marriage fueled by the optimism that comes with finding "the one." But in a city where professional and personal passions collide and only the strongest relationships survive, navigating the waters of love and matrimony can sometimes prove too much.

Notable Songs:

'Still Hurting'

'Climbing Uphill'

'I Can Do Better Than That'

13
Original Broadway Run: Oct 05, 2008 - Jan 04, 2009
Original Cast Included: Ariana Grande, Al Calderon, Eamon Foley, Caitlin Gann, Elizabeth Gillies, Aaron Simon Gross, Malik Hammond, Joey La Varco, Delaney Moro, Eric Nelsen, Graham Phillips, Corey Snide, Allie Trimm, and Brynn Williams.
Book by: Dan Elish and Robert Horn

In 13, following a move from New York City to small-town Indiana, young Evan Goldman grapples with his parents' divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school.

Notable Songs:

'What It Means to Be a Friend'

'It Can't Be True'

'The Lamest Place in the World'

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS
Original Paper Mill Playhouse Run: Oct. 6, 2013 - Oct. 27, 2013
Original Cast Included: Tony Danza, Rob McClure, Brynn O'Malley, Nancy Opel and more.
Book by: Andrew Bergman

Based on the hit movie, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS tells the tale of Jack Singer, a guy with an extraordinary fear of marriage, who finally overcomes his phobia and goes to Las Vegas to wed his long-time girlfriend Betsy. Enter Tommy Korman, a widowed and unscrupulous gambler looking for another shot at love. Tommy spots Betsy, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife, and the game is afoot.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
Original Broadway Run: Opens Feb. 20, 2014
Original Cast Includes: Kelli O'Hara, Steven Pasquale, Hunter Foster, Derek Klena, Whitney Bashor, and more.
Book by: Marsha Norman

Based on Robert James Waller's best-selling novel, The Bridges of Madison County is the unforgettable story of two people, Francesca and Robert, caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at so much more.