Michael Brown (writer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Brown is a producer
and writer of songs and books. Of his books, the most widely known are several children's stories about Santa Mouse.
Brown has served several terms as a member of the board of the Songwriters Guild of America
.
s for corporate clients in the United States and other countries. His biggest production was DuPont
's multi-million-dollar Wonderful World of Chemistry at the 1964 New York World's Fair
. Brown wrote, produced, and directed a musical involving interaction between live performers and life-sized actors on film. In over 17,000 performances it was seen by over 5.2 million people.
Another example of his corporate work is an industrial musical revue for Woolworth performed in June 1965 called Mr. Woolworth Had a Notion.
Writing with Harold Arlen
, he wrote "Indoor Girl" sung by Pearl Bailey
in House of Flowers
and then by himself created the score for the English musical Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?. He also wrote a production number for the Carol Channing
company of Sugar Babies
and the book, music, and lyrics for the nineteen-day run of Different Times.
Brown is married to Joy Williams Brown, a former ballerina
. The couple was instrumental in the career of Harper Lee
, making it possible for her to write To Kill a Mockingbird
by giving her the gift of a years' wages in 1956 with the note: "You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas."
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and writer of songs and books. Of his books, the most widely known are several children's stories about Santa Mouse.
Brown has served several terms as a member of the board of the Songwriters Guild of America
Songwriters Guild of America
The Songwriters Guild of America is an organization founded in 1931, to help "advance, promote, and benefit" the profession of songwriters. It was founded as the "Songwriters Protective Association" by Billy Rose, George M. Meyer and Edgar Leslie...
.
Industrial musical career
Starting in 1953, he produced industrial musicalIndustrial musical
An industrial musical is a musical performed internally for the employees or shareholders of a business, to create a feeling of being part of a team, to entertain, and/or to educate and motivate the management and salespeople to improve sales and profit...
s for corporate clients in the United States and other countries. His biggest production was DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
's multi-million-dollar Wonderful World of Chemistry at the 1964 New York World's Fair
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
. Brown wrote, produced, and directed a musical involving interaction between live performers and life-sized actors on film. In over 17,000 performances it was seen by over 5.2 million people.
Another example of his corporate work is an industrial musical revue for Woolworth performed in June 1965 called Mr. Woolworth Had a Notion.
Broadway songs
His first work on Broadway was the song "Lizzie Borden" in Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952.Writing with Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
, he wrote "Indoor Girl" sung by Pearl Bailey
Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968...
in House of Flowers
House of Flowers (musical)
House of Flowers is a musical by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote , based on his own short story, first published in Breakfast at Tiffany's as one of three extra pieces besides the titular novella...
and then by himself created the score for the English musical Is There Intelligent Life on Earth?. He also wrote a production number for the Carol Channing
Carol Channing
Carol Elaine Channing is an American singer, actress, and comedienne. She is the recipient of three Tony Awards , a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination...
company of Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era...
and the book, music, and lyrics for the nineteen-day run of Different Times.
Brown is married to Joy Williams Brown, a former ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
. The couple was instrumental in the career of Harper Lee
Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
, making it possible for her to write To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature...
by giving her the gift of a years' wages in 1956 with the note: "You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas."
Santa Mouse bibliography
These have been reprinted under various ISBNs- Santa Mouse (19661966 in literatureThe year 1966 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 14 - Dissident writers Yuli Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky are sentenced to hard labour for "anti-Soviet activity"....
, ISBN 0-448-10215-3) - Santa Mouse Meets Marmaduke (19691969 in literatureThe year 1969 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The first Booker Prize is awarded.* "Penelope Ashe", author of the bestselling novel Naked Came the Stranger, is found to be several people who each took a turn writing a chapter of what they described as "junk" in...
, ISBN 0-448-01859-4); note that this Marmaduke is a mouse and not the comic strip dog of the same nameMarmadukeMarmaduke is a newspaper comic strip drawn by Brad Anderson from 1954 to the present day. The strip was created by Anderson, with help from Phil Leeming and later Dorothy Leeming , and Paul Anderson. The strip revolves around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke... - Santa Mouse, Where Are You (19681968 in literatureThe year 1968 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Dean R. Koontz's first novel, Star Quest is published....
, ISBN 0-448-19109-1) - Santa Mouse Treasury (19701970 in literatureThe year 1970 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Deliverance by American poet James Dickey published...
, ISBN 0-448-34280-4)
External links
- Entry on Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....
website - John Murray Anderson's Almanac, a fan's website
- The Wonderful World of Chemistry at The Internet Archive.