Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown came to NEIU on Friday Nov. 20 to teach a Master Class and provide feedback to student singers who performed his songs. The event was organized by NEIU music Professor Sasha Gerritson and the students were accompanied by music department accompanist Jane Henas-Keller. Brown who was named “a leading member of a new generation of composers who embody high hopes for the American musical” by the New York Times. He won a Tony Award for his score in the musical Parade and the New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award for Best New Musical, just to name a few. My response to all this was: and he’s coming here? This is exactly why Gerritson organized this event. She wishes to show the “value of Northeastern” and to show that we may be a small University but we can still compete at a high level.
Brown is a funny, charismatic guy. He instantly put the audience at ease with his wit, honesty and self-deprecation. He started the class buy saying “I’m agreeably loose until I’m not.” After seeing the Master Class I can’t say he is as good at putting his singers at ease. It took an immense feat of courage to do this and all the singers involved performed admirably.
The first performer was David Mitchell, who gave a brilliant rendition of “A Miracle Would Happen.” He was expressive and enthusiastic, clearly throwing himself into it. He received more than a few laughs for his delivery of the witty lyrics. When it came time to criticize I thought Brown would go on about tone and pitch and breathing. He didn’t to my surprise. He told Mitchell to sit down and tell him all about who he was talking to in the song. Brown seemed more concerned about the attitude of the singer, as he said to Mitchell “this can’t be precious, smooth and cute.” He wanted it to be sung for what it was, typical gritty guy talk.
In the second performance Julie Crossen and Drew Waters were instantly told that their performance was at a 15 when it should have been a three, explaining that they were overacting what was a small number. The third performer, Michelle Jacobson, after receiving the usual brutal honesty, was told quite a funny contradiction “You have to be entirely aware of what your hands are doing and you have to forget about your hands,” said Brown. Jacobson also received a rare compliment from Brown with him telling her “It’s all there, it’s all in you.” In Crossen, who performed a second time for Brown, we seemed to see a real transition. She gave an emotional final performance under Brown’s guidance. He called it “the most specific thing that’s been done all day.” High praise from a man who clearly thinks the song is in the details.
Brown was brutally honest with the singers, showing that he is not the kind of guy who is going to sugarcoat everything and tell you you’re lovely. All the singers received the same unorthodox treatment. They had to explore what their character was singing and from what standpoint. They had to really have an idea of why their characters were feeling this way. According to Brown, it is the history of a moment that fills a song.