R.I.P. William David Brohn

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 10:16am

The man who brought the brilliant musical scores of Miss Saigon, Ragtime, and Wicked to life has passed away...
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-Orchestrator-William-David-Brohn-Passes-Away-20170512

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 10:26am

That article doesn't do the man justice. It doesn't even mention what he won his Tony Award for (that would be Best Orchestrations for Ragtime). He is a legendary orchestrator whose work is still played eight times a week (in two different shows!) on Broadway. He has created iconic orchestrations that have become engrained in our heads and synonymous with the show titles. Miss Saigon, The Secret Garden, 1994 Carousel revival, Crazy for You, Ragtime, Sweet Smell of Success, Wicked, Mary Poppins, on and on. I've never met him, but I've told he was a true gentleman, a wonderful person, and a great collaborator. This is a very sad loss for Broadway and musical theatre. 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 10:30am

He was an incomparable talent and a dedicated mentor and friend to many people in my life. He will be missed.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 10:35am

An exceptionally brilliant man. He's also responsible for bringing mystical beauty to The Secret Garden, vibrant jazz hands to both Curtains and Crazy For You, and giving majestic life to classic musicals like Hal Prince's Show Boat, RNT's Oklahoma, and LCT's Carousel. 

A great artist whose work will live on. 

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 10:38am

I have tickets to Miss Saigon tonight (I bought them months ago), and I bet that orchestra will play with extra gusto tonight. His legend already lives on.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 1:04pm

Playbill wrote a fitting tribute to Bill Brohn. I love this quote from a statement by Ahrens & Flaherty:

"Bill was a scholar of music, but also a consummate musical dramatist, and in his glorious orchestrations you can hear the voices of the characters, their emotions and their histories, all being spoken by the instruments as surely as by the actors themselves."

How very true. His voice will be missed. 

http://www.playbill.com/article/wicked-miss-saigon-and-ragtime-orchestrator-william-david-brohn-dead-at-84

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/12/17 at 1:06pm

HeyMrMusic said: "I have tickets to Miss Saigon tonight (I bought them months ago), and I bet that orchestra will play with extra gusto tonight. His legend already lives on.

 

"

Same with the wicked orchestra. I wonder if either show will give a tribute to him tonight.