About Jonathan Brielle

Torn between theater and music, Jonathan started out as a teenager at the Jersey shore, playing folk/rock with a theatrical bent. Moving to New York City at 17, he quickly became ensconced in the music scene. After growing tired of dragging gear from club to club, he began producing, running the first Songwriter’s Room at Uncle Lulu’s on 56th Street. There, legendary writers such as Sammy Cahn and Doc Pomus, as well as up and coming writers, would audition their new songs for an audience of writers. This led to a stint as the National Projects Director of The Songwriters Guild of America while Jonathan was completing the songs for the Broadway show, Foxfire, staring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy.

After Foxfire, Jonathan returned to performing, recording, and music production, opening his first studio on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Honing his skills with great session players and background singers, Jonathan also began writing and producing music for Corporate America. He moved his studios to TriBeca where he began creating shows for Las Vegas, circus as well as providing studios for rap artists, including JayZee and Busta Ryhmes. Theatre remained a passion. He became composer in residence at Circle Repertoire Theatre in New York and developed his next musical work, Himself and Nora, which had it’s world premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 2005 followed by a its Dublin premiere last spring.

For the last two years, Jonathan has been working closely with Gil Cates, Artistic Director and Producer of The Geffen Playhouse, where his next musical, Nightmare Alley, will have its world premiere this April. He is also putting the finishing touches on 40 Naked Women, A Monkey, and Me.

In addition to his plays and music, Jonathan is most grateful to be living in the country with his family and their dogs and horses.

 

Theater:

NIGHTMARE ALLEY
(book, music & lyrics; World Premiere, The Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles, April 2010)

HIMSELF & NORA
(book, music, lyrics & orchestrations) Old Globe Theater spring 2005; The James Joyce Center, Dublin 2007; The Mill Theater, Dublin 2008

FOXFIRE
(music, lyrics, orchestrations, musical direction, Barrymore Theater, New York; The Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, The Stratford Theater, Canada) Jessica Tandy, (Tony Award) Hume Cronyn, & Keith Carradine.

GREAT GRANDSON OF JEDIDIAH KOHLER
(music & lyrics, Circle Rep, New York) William Hurt

BESIDES HERSELF
(music & lyrics, Circle Rep, New York) Calista Flockhart, William Hurt

HIMSELF!
(music & lyrics, Caldwell Theater, Florida). Len Cariou, Carbonel Award

CIRCLE REP
Composer in Residence. Wrote over a dozen scores for Lanford Wilson, Marshall Mason, Joe Montello, & John Bishop

 

Las Vegas:

ENTER THE NIGHT
(book, music & lyrics, The Stardust Hotel) Musical Extravaganza from 1990 – 2000.

MADHATTAN
(book, music & lyrics, The New York, New York Hotel) staring street performers from Manhattan.

 

Circus:

RINGLING BROTHERS, BARNUM & BAILEY 132nd CIRCUS (music & co-lyrics)

 

Arena:

GOOSEBUMPS, LIVE ON STAGE
(music & co-producer with Kenneth Feld, book by Rupert Holmes) US & UK Tour staring Russ Abbott

RUGRATS
(MTV’s Executive Music Producer, US & World Tour)

 

Television:

ANGEL TALK
(music & lyrics- theme song and scoring) New reality show featuring two mediums who travel across the country connecting the real world with the spiritual world. Currently in development.

MTV MUSIC AWARDS
(music & lyrics, music director) Opening number with Rosanne Barr and twenty-five male Rocketts

 

Producer:

NEW YORK SONGWRITER’S SHOWCASE
(Host & Creator, Bottom Line, New York) Sammy Cahn, Rupert Holmes, Ruberta Flack, Phoebe Snow, Kander & Ebb, Chita Rivera.

SONGWRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA
(National Projects Director)

THE DEVELOPMENT WING
(Founder and Co-Artistic Director with Rupert Holmes) A non-for-profit production company showcasing new works by American Playwrights