When creating his Feb. 2 fundraising concert, performer Russell Joel Brown faced a dilemma.
“This is a celebration of Jewish singers and songwriters. The problem for me was how do you choose for a one-hour show?” said Brown of his cabaret-style event, Over the Rainbow, to benefit the Augusta Jewish Museum at 3 p.m., Feb. 2 at Augusta University’s Maxwell Theatre. For ticket information, go here.
The wealth of Jewish singers and songwriters from different eras and different genres made deciding on the song list a challenge, said Brown, the Augusta native who spent many years with the touring production of Disney’s “The Lion King” as well as performing the role of Mufasa in the musical on Broadway.
What Brown came up with was a repertoire filled with some of his favorite artists and songs.
“Pretty quickly, it came to the music that was on the radio when I was in high school. Probably 75% of the music is that. It’s Billy Joel, it’s Barry Manilow, it’s the J. Giles Band, it’s Rick Astley, these people – for my generation – that’s the music,” said the 1982 Aquinas High School graduate. “Of course, there’s Barbra Streisand and Rodgers and Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim. I have to have Broadway in everything I do.”
This will be the second year Brown has done a fundraiser for the Augusta Jewish Museum.
He did a show called Velvet Voices in November 2023. Held at the Adas Yeshurun Synagogue, the Velvet Voices concerts sold out.
When organizers asked him to return and perform at a larger space, he knew he had to give audiences a fresh performance. “Over the Rainbow” was originally scheduled for November 2024, but it was moved due to Hurricane Helene.
Returning to accompany Brown are Lynwood Holmes and Dr. Rosalind Floyd.
In addition to a new slate of songs, Brown is incorporating a multi-media aspect into the performance. He’s projecting album covers onto the screens as well as utilizing some original videography by Augusta’s Toni Dean and Pate Bonds of Los Angeles in four of the songs.
“Instead of production numbers with dancers, I’ll use original videos,” he said, adding “It’s very exciting. I’ve never worked with projections. I’ve never produced a show that utilized him.”
Brown wants to use as much of the theater’s technical capabilities as possible, he said. He also plans to utilize the moving platforms of the orchestra pit for added effect.
The concert also pays tribute to Susan Steinberg, a community activist and longtime friend of Brown’s who died In July 2023.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.