Jason Robert Brown

May promises to be an exciting month for Broadway Experience participants. To start, May 10 marks the first cast meeting and rehearsal for the BE production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Also, several BE alumni and current students are participating in the Los Osos High School production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, including Lindsay Rupp and Sarah Jackson. Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3. If possible, please come out and support your fellow BE students.

Composer/Lyricist Stephen Schwartz of Wicked fame will be performing at Citrus College on Saturday May 3. It’s a wonderful opportunity to hear Schwartz’ famous musical theater tunes as well as his antecdotes from the world of Broadway. Here’s a link for more information and tickets.

Also at Citrus’ Haugh Performing Arts Center on Saturday May 17 is Jason Robert Brown in Concert. From the event website: Jason Robert Brown has been hailed as “one of Broadway’s smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). He won a 1999 Tony® Award for his score to Parade, which also captured the Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards for best new musical. His “extraordinary jubilant theatre music” (Chicago Tribune) thus far includes scores for The Last Five Years, Songs For A New World, collaboration onUrban Cowboy: the Musical, and the just-produced world premiere of Thirteen. He is currently at work on the score for the upcoming musical version ofHoneymoon in Vegas. Join us for a special evening with this rising – and Broadway Bright – star! For tickets and infomation click here. BE students can purchase tickets at half price: contact Barbara ASAP.

Here is video of BE alumni Brandon Alpert performing Jason Robert Brown’s Shiksa Goddess (PG-13 for lyrics)

June is no less exciting; the new musical Pazzazz! by Broadway legends Richard Sherman and Milt Larsen, makes its world premier at Citrus’ Haugh Performing Arts center on June 13-15. The production is co-directed by Barbara’s husband and Sarah’s dad, Greg Hinrichsen and dear friend of BE, choreographer John Vaughan. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. BE THERE! Event website.

Last, but not least, BE alumni Brandon Alpert and Taylor Pearson will be appearing at the Ford Amphitheater in the west coast premier of Norman’s Ark, A New Musical. Written by American composer Glen Roven ( here’s an interview regarding the project) and directed by Lion King Tony Award winning produced Peter Schneider, the production is a family-friendly retelling of the ancient bible story in a modern setting. Performances run from May 27-June 8. From the event website: Broadway comes to Los Angeles when Glen Roven and Jerome Kass retell the Noah’s Ark story of hope in the context of a Post-Katrina world. The entire family will thrill to the entrance of 100 children as the animals on the ark. Emotional country ballads and smokin’ rock-a-billy tunes along with the giant gospel choir would raise the roof if the Ford Amphitheatre had one! Tickets and information.