Corey Brunish

Photo by Jess Rose

Corey Brunish is a singer, actor, director, writer and multiple Tony Award-winning producer who divides his time between Portland, Oregon and New York City.

Background

Corey was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Beverly Hills High School, where he first discovered his love of music listening to the cast recordings of Broadway shows. He received a BA in Theatre Arts from Occidental College cum laude.[1]

He moved to Oregon in the Eighties and worked as a property developer while appearing in numerous shows, indie movies, TV and feature films. He also recorded over 500 songs.[1] He has released 11 Cd's featuring mostly covers of standards and show tunes. CD's featuring his voice include Broadway Records' studio concept recording of "Jekyll and Hyde," which was released in September 2012. His first foray into producing a cast recording was for Bonnie & Clyde. The show was nominated for two Tony Awards including Best Score and Best Actress (Laura Osnes) [2]

Under the name C. Frederick Brunish he authored the photo-essay book "Handbook for the New Millennium"

In February 2015, he appeared on the NBC series Grimm as Lazslo Kurlon, the fortune telling Fuchsbau (episodes 4-12).

Brunish is a member of SDC (Society of Directors and Choreographers) and is also a member of the Broadway League, Actor's Equity and SAG/AFTRA.

Brunish is the grandson of Fred Brunish, an artist who worked for Walter Lantz on the Woody Woodpecker films.

In February 2017, Brunish released his debut, solo album on Broadway Records: #ThrowbackThursday.

Directorial Debut

Corey made his debut as director with "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." [3] He directed Stephen Sondheim's "Company" in 2009.[4]

Mentored by Tony nominated director Jeff Calhoun, Corey ventured into producing in 2011.[1] He came to New York as assistant director and producer of the Broadway show "Bonnie and Clyde".[5] After the show closed, he largely funded the recording the show's cast album.[6]

Amid his other projects, Corey directed Sherlock Holmes & the Case of The Jersey Lily and "Dracula" at the Temple Theatre in Sanford, NC. More recently, Corey directed It's A Wonderful Life and Shrek and Hedwig and the Angry Inch in Portland, Oregon.

Tony Awards

Of the numerous productions Brunish has been involved with as an investor, the shows have garnered 100 Tony Nominations and 39 Tony Awards. As a producer, that number is 76 nominations and 25 wins, while personally Brunish has received nine consecutive nominations in seven seasons and has three personal Tony Awards. He received a Tony as producer when Porgy and Bess won for Best Musical Revival in 2012.[7]

In 2013 Brunish received a second Tony Award as a producer of the revival of Pippin. He also was the recipient of the 2013 Drama Desk Award, Drama League Award and the Outer Critic's Circle Award for the same show and those same awards for Come From Away in 2017.

In 2018 Brunish received his third Tony for Once on This Island.

Corey helped to produce the soundtrack for Nice Work If you Can Get It. The CD was nominated for a Grammy Award."[1]

His most notable producing credit is Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway and for which the Cast CD won a Grammy Award.

Later, he helped produce the cast recording of The Color Purple, which won the Grammy Award.

For a complete list of Broadway credits visit: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/corey-brunish-491097

Corey garnered his eighth consecutive Tony nomination for Come From Away in 2017 and his ninth in 2018 for Once on this Island.

Philanthropy

Brunish is a donor to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He named the Brunish Theatre in Portland, Oregon (part of Antoinette Hatfield Hall) as a surprise for his mother's 75th birthday.[8] He produced a CD called Portland Sings for Haiti, the proceeds from which went to aid the citizens of Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake of 2010.

He is the founder and producer of the Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards (PAMTAS). http://www.pamtawards.com

Film and TV Producing

He served as producer on Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age, and on the filming of the West End production of Gypsy with Imelda Staunton. He has two Emmy nominations (New York Region) as a producer on Due Process. Brunish also funded the taping of the TV special Women of Soul filmed at the White House and aired on Public TV. In 2017, Brunish filmed Woodstock or Bust, starring Willow Shields (Hunger Games) and Meg Delacy (The Fosters). Brunish is a producer on a brand new documentary film about the original creators of West Side Story. The film features interviews of all 20 surviving members of the company including Chita Rivera, Hal Prince, Stephen Sondheim and Carol Lawrence. Due for release in 2018.

Off-Broadway

Corey has served as a producer or investor on the plays 39 Steps, I and You, City Stories (musical) and Standard Time (dance musical). He is an investor in Georgie, starring Ed Dixon for which Dixon won the Drama Desk award for best solo show. The show will tour the US.

Shows for the 2016-2017 Broadway Season

Currently Brunish is a producer on Come From Away and The Play That Goes Wrong and is an investor in Dear Evan Hanson, Hello Dolly. On the West End he is an investor in Dreamgirls. Beautiful The Carole King Musical is now in its 5th year on Broadway.

Shows for the 2017-2018 Season

Brunish is a producer on the revival of Once On This Island and an investor in the revival of Angels in America, and the new shows 1984 and The Band's Visit. Brunish and wife Jessica will present a revival of The Rink in London in 2018.

New Musical Book Writer

Brunish has collaborated with Dina and Rosabella Gregory to create a new musical called My Marcello, which was chosen out of 300 musicals to have a reading in London in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers. "Producing winning plays, LO man nominated for 34 Tony awards".
  2. ↑ Theater Mania. "Broadway Records to Release New Jekyll and Hyde Studio Concept Recording".
  3. ↑ Portland Tribune. "Lake Oswego?s Brunish feels at home in Broadway roles".
  4. ↑ Oregon Music News. "The Complete Corey Story".
  5. ↑ The New York Times (December 1, 2011). "Theater Reviews Armed and Amorous, Committing Cold-Blooded Musical".
  6. ↑ Playbill. "Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde Cast Album, Featuring Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes, Released April 24".
  7. ↑ Oregon Movie News (June 11, 2012). "Tony Awards luster shows reflections and connections in Portland". The Oregonian.
  8. ↑ Lyndsey Hewitt, "Catching up with Corey Brunish", Portland Tribune, January 19, 2017. Retrieved 2017-01-23.
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