Brent Crayon

Brent Crayon is an American pianist, musical director, orchestrator and copyist.

Brent Crayon
Brent Crayon, with wife Haezeline Crayon
Background information
BornNew Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresMusical theatre
Occupation(s)pianist, musical director, orchestrator, copyist, educator
Instrumentspiano, keyboards
Years active1997–present

Early life and education

Crayon was born and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] He graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelor of Music degree in music performance, in 1995.[2] He subsequently earned a Master of Fine Arts in piano performance from the California Institute of the Arts, in Valencia, California, in 1997.[3]

Musical director

Crayon began his musical career as a trained classical pianist. After serving as the musical director for several productions at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California and elsewhere, he made his Los Angeles theatrical debut at the Mark Taper Forum, with the pre-Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, in 2001.[4][5] Since then, he subsequently musical directed productions of Les Miserables in Alaska,[6] Dreamgirls in Tokyo,[7] Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,[8] Ecstasy, the Musical,,[9] A Class Act,[10] Triumph of Love,[11] The Spitfire Grill,[12] The Fantasticks,[13] West Side Story[14] and others.[15]

Major collaborations

Crayon has worked and collaborated with several prominent composers and artists, including Stephen Schwartz, John Bucchino, Paul Gordon, Jason Robert Brown and directors Richard Maltby, Jr., Chen Shi-Zheng and John Caird among others.[16] He was the musical director for the world premieres of It’s Only Life,[17] Bubble Boy: The Musical,[18] Snapshots[19] When Garbo Talks[20] and The Devil and Daisy Jane;[21][22] the associate musical director for the world premiere of Empire, the Musical;[23] and the musical director of the west coast premieres of First Date,[24] Songs for a New World[25][26] and Tick, Tick... Boom![27] and the Los Angeles premiere of A Catered Affair.[28]

Crayon also served as the musical director, performing with the Upright Cabaret band, for the west coast debut of composers Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk songs, which featured performers Sarah Hyland, Melissa Benoist, Barrett Foa, Max Ehrich, Dezmond Meeks, Meghann Fahy, Laura Dickinson, Matt Sax, Morgan Karr, Arielle Jacobs, Colleen Ballinger and others.[29]

Piano soloist

As a featured piano soloist, Crayon has performed with the Ventura Chamber Orchestra, the Long Beach Symphony and the Santa Monica Symphony.[30]

Composer

In 1998, he served as the composer for an original children's theatre production of Rapunzel, based on the German fairy tale, which was successfully performed in repertory.[31]

Teaching

Crayon is also an accomplished accompanist and has been a summer program faculty member at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, in Idyllwild, California.[32] He has also been on the staff of El Camino College, in Torrance, California, serving as the musical director and conductor.[33]

Recordings

He served as an orchestrator on the original cast recording of the musical, Bubble Boy, by the writing team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio.[34] He also played the synthesizer for the album Michael Byron: Music Of Nights Without Moon Or Pearl, featuring the music of composer Michael Byron.[35][36]

Awards

In 2015, Crayon was nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Musical Direction for his work on The Last Five Years at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California.[37][38] He was previously nominated for an Ovation Award in 2005, in the same category for Songs For a New World, also at the Rubicon Theatre. A 2010 production of this musical at the International City Theatre in Long Beach, also garnered Crayon a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nomination.[39]

In 2008, Crayon won a DayTony Award for Best Musical Direction for his work on Snapshots at the Human Race & Victoria Theatre, in Dayton, Ohio.[40][41] In 2011, he was nominated for an NAACP Theatre Award, in the category of Best Music Director for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well And Living in Paris at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, California.[42]

Personal life

Crayon is married to Haezeline Go,[43] a graphic designer.[44]

References
  1. BWW Interviews: Brent Crayon Discusses the Life and Crazy Schedule of a Music Director Ellen Dostal. Broadway World Los Angeles. April 11, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  2. Brent Crayon ’95 (music performance) is the rehearsal pianist for Kiss Me, Kate Archived 2015-09-12 at the Wayback Machine School of Music. Loyola University New Orleans. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  3. Brent Crayon resume brentcrayon.com 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  4. Flower Drum Song Resurfaces in Mark Taper Season 2001-02 Christine Ehren. Playbill. May 22, 2001. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  5. BWW Interviews: Brent Crayon Discusses the Life and Crazy Schedule of a Music Director Ellen Dostal. Broadway World. April 11, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  6. Something's Coming! WEST SIDE STORY Headed to La Mirada Theatre This Spring BWW News Desk. Broadway World Los Angeles. March 15, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  7. Brent Crayon resume BrentCrayon.com. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  8. Theater review: 'Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris' at the Colony F. Kathleen Foley. Los Angeles Times. April 14, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  9. Review: 'Ecstasy, the Musical' at Art/Works Theatre David C. Nichols. Los Angeles Times. June 18, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  10. Musicals in LA Musicals in LA. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  11. Triumph of Love Musical Theatre Guild. 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  12. This Week in L.A. Theatre Julio Martinez. The Stage Magazine. LA Stage Alliance. November 3, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  13. Brent Crayon About the Artists. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  14. La Mirada delivers a fully realized ‘West Side Story’ Eric Marchese. Orange County Register. April 24, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  15. Brent Crayon About the Artists. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  16. Creative Team Bios whengarbotalks.com. 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  17. Review: ‘It’s Only Life’ Bob. Verini. Variety. June 24, 2008
  18. ‘A Bubble Around My Heart’ Ken Jaworowski. New York Times. November 14, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  19. Brent Crayon The Colony Theatre. April 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  20. Creative Team Bios whengarbotalks.com. 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  21. The Devil and Daisy Jane Comes to Hollywood BWW News Desk. January 24, 2011 Retrieved June 11, 2017
  22. The Devil and Daisy Jane a new musical The Devil and Daisy Jane a new musical. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  23. 'Empire, The Musical' Backstage. October 6, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  24. ‘First Date’ covers much familiar terrain Orange County Register. September 25, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  25. Benson and Manough to Star in Rubicon's Songs for a New World Andrew Gans. Playbill. February 1, 2005
  26. Theater review: 'Songs for a New World' at International City Theatre David C. Nichols. Los Angeles Times. October 22, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  27. Review: ‘tick … tick … BOOM!’ Julio Martinez. Variety. November 21, 2005. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  28. A Catered Affair Musical Theatre Guild. 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  29. Kerrigan-Lowdermilk: West Coast Debut TicketWeb. 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017
  30. Brent Crayon The Colony Theatre. April 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  31. On The Boards Archived 2005-03-12 at the Wayback Machine George Patterson. Productions. AmbushMag.com. 1998. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  32. Teens & Kids Faculty Bios Archived 2017-07-24 at the Wayback Machine Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  33. 2014-2015 EVENTS El Camino College. Retrieved July 9, 2017
  34. REVIEW: Bubble Boy - Studio Cast Warren Hoffman. Cast Albums. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017
  35. Album results. DRAM. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  36. Michael Byron – Music Of Nights Without Moon Or Pearl Discogs. 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  37. Ovation Awards 2015: Wins for Deaf West's 'Spring Awakening,' Circle X's 'Trevor' Jessica Gelt. Los Angeles Times. November 10, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  38. Announcing the 2015 Ovation Awards Nominees @ This Stage Magazine. LA Stage Alliance. September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2017
  39. Brent Crayon resume 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017
  40. Brent Crayon resume BrentCrayon.com 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2017
  41. Excellence - Musical Direction. Professional Awards. 2007-2008 DayTonys and Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame. 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2017
  42. NAACP Theatre Awards and Festival Weekend LA Stage Times Archive. @ This Stage Magazine. August 16, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2017
  43. Photo Coverage: La Mirada Theatre's Opening Night of the West Coast Debut of FIRST DATE Lily Lim. Broadway World. September 21, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2017
  44. Haezeline Go 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2017
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