At long last, it’s time to talk about LONDON! For those of you who keep up with my husband’s career, Jason’s already in London working on PARADE, which I’m sure he’ll tell you is going to be a smaller version of the show that played at Lincoln Center in 1998-99 and won him a Tony Award for best score. The Donmar Warehouse, an extremely prestigious theater in the UK, approached Jason about bringing the show overseas, and he jumped at the chance. As he was saying yes, we both realized that that would mean he was away from home for about two months. Without much debate, I said, “So I guess I’m coming with you.”

It’s a tricky place we’re in, because bringing along the wife and kid is not always included in negotiations. (Maybe Stephen Schwartz can get that kind of a deal, but we’re not there yet.) So our choices were: (A.) be separated from wife and two-year-old child for two months or (B.) fork over a bunch of dough and bring them with you. We split some differences. Wife and child are coming for the second month only; Brown family is picking up the extra expense.

I tell you all of this probably-too-personal information to say that London ain’t cheap for Americans these days, and for many reasons, obvious and otherwise, I was thrilled when Amy Maiden and John Ellis of the Contempo Theatre Company called and said they were hoping I’d be in London with Jason because they wanted to present a concert of my music, thereby introducing me to the London theater community. What started months ago as a crazy brainstorm of ideas has finally settled into an actual event, and with the most brilliant help of agent and producer Alastair Lindsey-Renton (There’s a British name if ever I’ve heard one), a concert is about to be born.

Here’s what you need to know — especially if you live in England or are planning to be there next month.

SUNDAY, September 16th, 2007
8:00 pm
St. Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge

And, I’m excited to announce, I have a most amazing cast. I don’t even know all of them yet, but I’m googling them and emailing them, trying to figure out who should sing which songs, and I’m kind of blown away that they all said they wanted to participate.

GEORGIA STITT and FRIENDS
featuring
Jo Ampil, Daniel Boys, Damian Humbley, Eliza Lumley, and Caroline Sheen

Here’s the announcement on Facebook — and you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to view it. (But if you are a member — hey, wanna be friends? I’m totally addicted and spend way too much time on this site.)

I fully intend to keep blogging while I’m across the pond, as they say, so watch here for more news. Also, Alastair seems to be having quite a bit of success setting up numerous master classes for me while I’m over there, so if you’re a theater student in the UK, you might even wind up in my class before the month is out. How cool would that be? And how amazing is it that I get to teach at places called “The Royal Academy” and such?

Finally — with regards to last week’s blog — don’t even ask me about the nightmare that was required to secure a passport for my daughter. Some stories are better left untold.