Episode 3—Bronson
Hamilton stormed back into the pop culture scene this summer, reminding all of us how valuable the arts are, especially in dark times. Theaters and concert halls were some of the first businesses to be closed as the COVID-19 pandemic spread through New York, leaving people who spent their whole lives chasing a dream wondering if they would ever get back on stage. So for this episode, I wanted to feature the voice of a Broadway actor, and learn how he has coped with being unemployed and what he's doing to stay creative while stuck at in his apartment.
Best known to American audiences for premiering the role of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies: The Phantom Returns, Bronson Norris Murphy is a versatile singing actor who has been seen on stages from Broadway to Japan and nearly every state in the nation. Praised for his “prodigious acting abilities” and for having a voice that has been acclaimed as “masterful, passionate and soaringly beautiful," Bronson makes his home on both the musical theatre and symphonic concert stages.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, I hope you’ll take a few moments, find a comfortable seat, and listen to Bronson’s story.
If you were inspired by Bronson’s story, consider making a gift in his honor to Broadway Hearts, a not-for-profit group of professional performers from Broadway, Off- Broadway, TV and Film, who share a common wish of bringing entertainment and brightness to the extraordinary kids in New York-area Children’s Hospitals.
You can also help Bronson support Broadway Cares, and in return Bronson will send you a short custom video or voice message! Check out his Cameo account for more information about this unique opportunity.
And of course, if you’re as eager to hear Bronson’s quarantine album as I am, here’s a video from his YouTube channel, featuring multiple Bronson voices singing the TTBB arrangement of “If Music Be the Food of Love.”
About Bronson:
Bowling Green, Kentucky native, Bronson Norris Murphy, 2008 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Western Kentucky University’s program in Music Education, is an active performer on the Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional and Concert stages. After finishing his Master’s Degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Vocal Performance at NYU’s Steinhardt School in 2010, Mr. Murphy toured the United States and Canada to critical acclaim in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical CATS. In 2014, Murphy made his Broadway debut in The Phantom of the Opera and has performed 10 roles in that production to date. He is, perhaps, best known to American audiences for premiering the role of The Phantom in the first North American production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies: The Phantom Returns which toured the United States in 2017/18. Bronson has a continued legacy with the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber including the world premiere of UNMASKED: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and EVITA with New York City Center. His work in regional theatres include Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, The Skirball Center, Theatre By The Sea, John W. Engeman Theatre, The Players’ Theatre, The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, West Virginia Public Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Mission, NAMT Festival of New Musicals, York Theatre and two seasons as Stephen Foster in The Stephen Foster Story in the US and Japan. New York City developmental productions: Pablo (Original Concept Album), Faustus, the Musical (MTM’s Best Actor Award), I Hate Holmes, Lautrec at the St. James, Joan of Arc, Catch the Wind, Alan Menken & Tim Rice’s King David and Maybe One Day: A Fable.
As a concert artist, Bronson’s performances have included I Am Harvey Milk at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall with Kristin Chenoweth, Andrew Lippa and the Orchestra of St. Lukes, The Music Man: In Concert with Orchestra Kentucky, the world premiere of Prohibition with the Rochester Philharmonic, West Side Story: In Concert with Norwalk Symphony, Music City Christmas with The Nashville Symphony as well as evenings with Springfield Symphony and The Florida Orchestra. 2020 Symphonic debuts include: Symphony Nova Scotia, The Oregon Symphony, Spokane Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Southwest Florida Symphony, The National Arts Centre Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, New West Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic and Fort Worth Symphony. Educational experience; While at WKU, Mr. Murphy was featured in mainstage productions of The Gondoliers, Sweet Charity, Ragtime, Street Scene, Inherit the Wind and Children of Eden as well as The Old Maid and the Thief, Die Zauberflöte, Godspell and The Enchanted Attic and as a soloist for Bach’s Cantata No. 140, Ramirez’s Misa Criolla, Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio, Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ. He is the four-time recipient of WKU’s “Male-Vocalist of the Semester” award and, in his senior year, was awarded the College of Music's “Performer of the Semester.” Other WKU honors include being named The Scholar of Potter College, The Jim Fern Music Education Scholarship, The Seymour Spiegelman Award for Vocal Music, Pi Kappa Lambda Inductee and a two-time first-place winner of The NATS Vocal Competition. In 2017 and 2019, respectively, Bronson was inducted into The Western Kentucky University Potter College "Wall of Fame" and the Warren County Public School System's "Hall of Distinguished Alumni" for his achievements in the arts. In addition to his work on stage, Mr. Murphy served as the Choir & Artistic Ministries Director at St. James United Methodist Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky. As an advocate for music literacy, he serves as an active voice and acting teacher who maintains regular classroom hours in NYC while hosting workshops on vocal production, song interpretation, music theory and musical theatre audition techniques in masterclasses across the country and in studio at New York University, The New York Film Academy, The Joffrey School of Ballet, Broadway Classroom and The Institute for American Musical Theatre. "In a world where you can be anything, be kind!"
Join our email list to be notified when new stories like Bronson’s are available.
Covid Stories is a self supported podcast. Your gift helps us keep sharing powerful stories with the world as the COVID-19 employment crisis continues to unfold.
