Songs for a New World

Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

Directed by Becky Schinker

"Songs for a New World," sits on the boundary between musical and song cycle: it is a series of largely disjointed songs with (unlike a musical) plot and characters that do not truly continue from song to song, but the songs and production themselves are highly theatrical and character-driven. The theme is the moment of decision, the point at which you transition from the old to the new. The show takes the audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue to meet an array of characters ranging from a young man who has determined that basket-ball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams and a soulless marriage. Each character has a choice to make: fight or flee, love or leave, stay or jump? Each of the four characters take you on a ride that leads you to the ultimate decision, to decide to live and be fine in the end.

Featuring the talents of four singer/actors, Songs for a New World says it all in the title. Local talent such as Bob Willoughby, Matt Snow, Paula Hubman Daniel, and Becky Schinker lead your through stories that we all experience first hand in our lives, in our world. Featured in the pit orchestra is Monica Kmak on drums and Larry Owen on bass guitar and Terry Ellis on piano.

Produced by River Valley Players at the Gard Theater, 111 E. Jefferson St., Spring Green

Performances: October 20-23, 2011

Performance Times: Thursday, October 20-Saturday October 22, 2011 at 7:30pm and Sunday October 23, 2011 at 2:30pm

Theatre doors open 30 minutes before the start of the show. Tickets are $10 and are sold at Spring Green General Store, Arcadia Bookstore in Spring Green, as well as by phone reservation at 608-588-3315. Hope to see you there!

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