![]() ![]() Most importantly, however, it’s about surviving those moments. With a small, powerhouse, multi-ethnic cast and a driving, exquisitely crafted score that runs the gamut of today’s popular music, Songs for a New World brings us face to face with those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then goes sideways. The first musical from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown ( Parade, Bridges of Madison County), this moving collection of songs examines life, love and the choices that we make. These are the stories and characters of today, the Songs for a New World. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice or take a stand or turn around and go back. Songs For A New World Lyricist/Composer: Jason Robert Brown Director/Choreographer: Gerry McIntyre Music Director: Dante Harrell Cast: Alexandria J.It’s about one moment. If one is accustomed to the style of the music there are many positives to Songs For A New World, but like so much of the theatre’s contemporary musicals, it’s a matter of taste. ![]() ![]() Kaique “Kai” De Souza sound design sometimes allows the three piece band to drown out the singers. The costumes by Shivanna Sooknanan are contemporaneously neutral not depicting a particular age or time. The floor of the stage is also a graphic of lines and shapes that imply a fragmented world. He utilizes documentary footage and myriad graphics that complement the various songs. Projections by lighting and projections designer Shawn Edward Doyle are cast on an upstage screen. They are energetic and their strong stage presence lends a vitality to director/choreographer Gerry McIntyre’s simple yet effective staging and dance numbers. That being said, the cast is engaging with rich voices. If one cannot understand all that is being sung it is difficult to follow the song’s statement. Where his later productions have mellifluous scores, here many lines of the songs are in the performers’ upper registers which does not allow for clear articulation. Brown’s compositions are at times upbeat or dramatic but not always melodious in that the musical arrangement for the vocals is problematic. There are difficulties, however, in following the development of the theme. Michael Wordly’s “Steam Train” creates a visual and provocative take on basketball’s promise to move a young man into a new world of stardom that will not quite erase his youthful struggles.ĭante Harrell’s “King of the World” is a lyrical social statement supported by compelling visuals of Civil Rights activism. Henderson compares her defiance to the challenges that life offers as she watches people close to her cringe in fear and paralysis. In “I’m Not Afraid” a feisty Alexandria J. Henderson in the BTG production of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at the Unicorn Theatre. Mia Munn, Nathe Rowbotham, Michael Wordly (kneeling), and Alexandria J.Michael Wordly in the BTG production of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at the Unicorn Theatre.Michael Wordly, Mia Munn, Dante Harrell, Nathe Rowbotham, and Alexandria J.Mia Munn in the BTG production of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at the Unicorn Theatre.Nathe Rowbotham in the BTG production of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at the Unicorn Theatre. ![]()
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