William F. Brown (writer)
Encyclopedia
William Ferdinand Brown (b. April 16, 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey
) is an American playwright best known for writing the book of the musical, The Wiz
(1974), an adaptation of L. Frank Baum
's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls
, for which he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
.
His other works include The Girl in the Freudian Slip (1967) based on his 1959 novel, which played on Broadway
for three days in May after a tour; How to Steal an Election (1968), A Single Thing in Common (1978), and A Broadway Musical
with Lee Adams
and Charles Strouse
, which had only one non-preview performance on December 21, 1978. Other plays include Damon's Song, Twist, The Nutley Papers, and numerous revues. His work for television includes episodes of That Was The Week That Was
, Love American Style, As the World Turns
, and Jackie Gleason
's American Scene Magazine. He is also a cartoonist
who wrote and drew the syndicated comic strip
, Boomer.
Although The Wiz and A Broadway Musical are written for black casts using black street slang, Brown himself is white.
He is married to writer Tina Tippit and has two children.
when the play was performed at the Booth Theatre
in 1967. The play is narrated by Leslie Maugham, Dewey's 17 year-old daughter, an only child who appears to be more mature than her parents. She discovers the play while cleaning Dewey's desk and reads it, then sends it to family friend, Dr. Alec Rice, a womanizing psychiatrist who is a family friend, who passes it along to the agent who got his book published, Barbara Leonard. Barbara is patient Dewey had two years earlier and about whom he wrote the play, much to the chagrin of his wife, Pat, who still has not read the play. Complications come about when Barbara visits Dewey in his home while his family is out, and all return in time to catch Barbara with her blouse off and in Dewey's hands. We see only one of Dewey's patients, a young man named Wellman, who is unlucky in love, until he realizes in the play's finale that the girl he spotted and has been trying to find ever since is actually Leslie.
at the Pocket Theatre in October 1968.
, who commissioned Brown to adapt L. Frank Baum
's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
in black street slang and incorporating the music of Charlie Smalls
and others. It opened in Baltimore in 1974 and moved to Broadway in January 1975 with a new cast.
, the others look for a roommate who will find their lifestyle acceptable. Soon, Richard's old friend George Caulfield shows up at the door. His wife, Joyce, has had an affair and granted him a divorce. He asks to stay until he can find somewhere else. Richard leaves with George still there, and when Linda finds him, she attacks him with a judo
move, causing him to have amnesia
. Although his amnesia doesn't last long once he looks through his wallet, he feigns amnesia and allows Linda, who has agreed to allow him to room there when she finds out how much money he will make in the divorce, to make him into a new person. Eventually Joyce comes back and causes him to unravel the entire plot, but for this romantic comedy
, he and Linda have fallen in love and he decides he doesn't want Joyce back, even though she wants him. The published play makes no indication that it was ever performed professionally.
writer's serious play for a commercial stage musical was inspired by Lee Adams
and Charles Strouse
's real-life experiences with their 1964 Broadway production of Golden Boy
. Brown, bouncing off the success of The Wiz, had quite a lot to contribute. Nevertheless, the show closed after 14 previews and only one performance.
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
) is an American playwright best known for writing the book of the musical, The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
(1974), an adaptation of L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls
Charlie Smalls
Charlie Smalls was an African-American composer and songwriter, best known for writing the music for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz....
, for which he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible...
.
His other works include The Girl in the Freudian Slip (1967) based on his 1959 novel, which played on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for three days in May after a tour; How to Steal an Election (1968), A Single Thing in Common (1978), and A Broadway Musical
A Broadway Musical
A Broadway Musical is a musical with a book by William F. Brown, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. The Broadway production closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978....
with Lee Adams
Lee Adams
Lee Richard Adams is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse.Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University and a Master's from Columbia University.Adams won Tony Awards in 1961 for Bye Bye Birdie...
and Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
, which had only one non-preview performance on December 21, 1978. Other plays include Damon's Song, Twist, The Nutley Papers, and numerous revues. His work for television includes episodes of That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
, Love American Style, As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, and Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
's American Scene Magazine. He is also a cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
who wrote and drew the syndicated comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
, Boomer.
Although The Wiz and A Broadway Musical are written for black casts using black street slang, Brown himself is white.
He is married to writer Tina Tippit and has two children.
The Girl in the Freudian Slip
The Girl in the Freudian Slip was first copyrighted in 1964 under the title Linda Stone Is Brutal, which is the title of a play written by the main character, psychiatrist Dr. Dewey Maugham, who was played by Alan YoungAlan Young
Alan Young is an English-Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television series Mister Ed and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney films, TV series and video games...
when the play was performed at the Booth Theatre
Booth Theatre
The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade...
in 1967. The play is narrated by Leslie Maugham, Dewey's 17 year-old daughter, an only child who appears to be more mature than her parents. She discovers the play while cleaning Dewey's desk and reads it, then sends it to family friend, Dr. Alec Rice, a womanizing psychiatrist who is a family friend, who passes it along to the agent who got his book published, Barbara Leonard. Barbara is patient Dewey had two years earlier and about whom he wrote the play, much to the chagrin of his wife, Pat, who still has not read the play. Complications come about when Barbara visits Dewey in his home while his family is out, and all return in time to catch Barbara with her blouse off and in Dewey's hands. We see only one of Dewey's patients, a young man named Wellman, who is unlucky in love, until he realizes in the play's finale that the girl he spotted and has been trying to find ever since is actually Leslie.
How to Steal an Election
How to Steal an Election was first performed off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Pocket Theatre in October 1968.
The Wiz
The Wiz was the brainchild of Ken HarperKen Harper
Ken Harper is the name of:*Ken Harper , English professional footballer for Bradford City*Ken Harper , English professional footballer for Shrewsbury Town*Kenneth Harper , English film producer...
, who commissioned Brown to adapt L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
in black street slang and incorporating the music of Charlie Smalls
Charlie Smalls
Charlie Smalls was an African-American composer and songwriter, best known for writing the music for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz....
and others. It opened in Baltimore in 1974 and moved to Broadway in January 1975 with a new cast.
A Single Thing in Common
A Single Thing in Common is set in an apartment known as "the playpen" by swinging seventies types Richard Sloan, Linda Schneider, and Mike Jarvis. When Mike, a pilot, gets hired to work in Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, the others look for a roommate who will find their lifestyle acceptable. Soon, Richard's old friend George Caulfield shows up at the door. His wife, Joyce, has had an affair and granted him a divorce. He asks to stay until he can find somewhere else. Richard leaves with George still there, and when Linda finds him, she attacks him with a judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
move, causing him to have amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. Although his amnesia doesn't last long once he looks through his wallet, he feigns amnesia and allows Linda, who has agreed to allow him to room there when she finds out how much money he will make in the divorce, to make him into a new person. Eventually Joyce comes back and causes him to unravel the entire plot, but for this romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
, he and Linda have fallen in love and he decides he doesn't want Joyce back, even though she wants him. The published play makes no indication that it was ever performed professionally.
A Broadway Musical
A Broadway Musical is about a sleazy white theatre producer's attempt to adapt an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
writer's serious play for a commercial stage musical was inspired by Lee Adams
Lee Adams
Lee Richard Adams is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse.Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University and a Master's from Columbia University.Adams won Tony Awards in 1961 for Bye Bye Birdie...
and Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
's real-life experiences with their 1964 Broadway production of Golden Boy
Golden Boy
Golden Boy is a drama by Clifford Odets. The play was initially produced on Broadway by The Group Theatre in 1937. Odets' biggest hit was made into a 1939 film of the same name, starring William Holden in his breakthrough role, and also served as the basis for a 1964 musical.-Plot:It focuses on Joe...
. Brown, bouncing off the success of The Wiz, had quite a lot to contribute. Nevertheless, the show closed after 14 previews and only one performance.
Published books
- Tiger, TigerTiger TigerTiger Tiger may refer to:*"The Tyger", a poem by William Blake, c. 1794, from whose opening words the other uses of the title are derived* Tiger Tiger , a British nightclub chain...
! PrincetonPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in CaricatureCaricatureA caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
, Coward-McCann, (1950) - Beat Beat Beat (1959)
- The Girl in the Freudian Slip (1959)
- The Abominable Showmen (1960)
- The World Is My Yo-Yo (1963)
External links
- William F. Brown on Doollee.com
- William F. Brown on The Internet Broadway Database