When Edward Brown passed away in September 2023 at the age of 90, he left behind not only a remarkable legacy in journalism and community theater, but also one final script. The musical revue, Adam & Eve Sing Anthony Newley and Other Really Swell Songs, was discovered on his desk by his daughter, Marianne Palmer.
“I knew Dad had been working on this show, but it wasn’t until I found the completed script on his desk that I truly felt the full weight of his intention,” Palmer shared. “Discovering it felt like a sign — a quiet invitation to bring his vision to life.”
In a heartfelt tribute, she has taken on the role of director and producer to bring her father’s final work to the stage.
Written in the last year of his life, the show is a joyful, music-filled celebration featuring Broadway songs of Anthony Newley and other beloved classics. True to Ed’s lifelong passion for service and storytelling, the production will benefit two of the organizations he held closest to his heart: The Pelican Players Scholarship Fund, a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1981 that is dedicated to promoting the dramatic arts, and St. John the Divine Episcopal Church Youth and Family Mission, where Ed was a devoted and active member for over two decades.
Performances will be at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, located at 1015 E. Del Webb Blvd. in Sun City Center. Performances are on Thursday and Friday, October 16 and 17, at 7 p.m., with a Saturday matinee on October 18 at 2 p.m. Beginning on Wednesday, September 17, tickets will be on sale at the St. John the Divine Parish Hall on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call 813-392-9188 or visit www.facebook.com/stjohndivinescc.
Ed served as senior warden, the highest-ranking lay leader in the Episcopal Church. St. John the Divine was more than a church to Ed — it was his spiritual home, a creative outlet and a cornerstone of his retirement years. Ed’s influence extended well beyond the stage. A decorated U.S. Army veteran and an award-winning journalist, he spent nearly five decades reporting for NBC News and major New York outlets, including WNEW and WMCA. He covered some of the most pivotal events of the 20th century — among them the Vietnam War, Watergate, and the Paris Peace Talks — earning honors such as the Peabody Award and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for journalistic excellence.
After relocating to Sun City Center in 2000 with his beloved wife of 67 years, Virginia ‘Jean’ Brown, Ed quickly became a cornerstone of the local arts and civic communities. He served as editor of the News of Sun City Center, co-founded the Performing Arts Club and wrote, directed and performed in numerous productions with both the Performing Arts Club and the Pelican Players.
With Adam & Eve Sing Anthony Newley and Other Really Swell Songs, Ed’s creative spirit takes one final bow. Thanks to his daughter’s dedication, the community has a chance to experience the humor, heart and harmony that defined his life — and to celebrate the enduring legacy he leaves behind.
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