The Drama Department's production of Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World" is full of those familiar stories of beginnings, endings and that fear-filled act of decision-making.
More of a revue than a musical, the show is a collection of songs about moments just before things become clear, as the first song, "The New World," strives to tell us.
Directed by Drama Prof. Doug Schneider, "Songs for a New World" is composed of a large seven-member cast -- three more than is usually used in performances. Despite the increase in numbers, the cast formed a cohesive ensemble with a distinct energy that had the audience cheering and clapping on more than one occasion. That was maintained, seemingly without effort, throughout the entire show.
"The New World" does not tell a story as the rest of the songs do, but rather introduces the musical as a whole. It is following this that we see our first story, during which the passengers on one of the Spanish sailing ships head for the new world in 1492 -- appropriately titled "On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492." This number showcases the wide range of emotional and vocal experiences the cast is able to convey. Their soulful singing as weary travelers, pleading for aid from a forgiving god, was poignant and strong, and their movements and the lighting (designed by R. Lee Kennedy) effectively recreated the feeling of being at sea.
Though the show is graced with these moments of intensity and sadness, humorous and sarcastic pieces are just as beautifully rendered, showing the irreplaceable ability of the cast to move between emotions seamlessly. Just after the heart-wrenching perils of the sea, we follow a young woman who is considering suicide to threaten her husband into better acknowledging her, titled "Just One Step." Despite the serious subject matter, the cast gives it humorous treatment. Kate Brennan is delightfully and deliciously hysterical as she sings her misfortune to her woefully neglectful husband. Later, playing a similar character -- the disenchanted wife of Santa Claus -- she is both sultry and silly with a German accent that, though hard to understand at times, was pointedly accurate.
The strength of the cast as a whole is undeniable and is only reinforced when examined in parts. Brennan, along with her powerful costars Elizabeth Baxa, Jenna Pastuszek and Lexi Whitman break hearts with their rendition of "The Flagmaker, 1775," which shows the terror and tension that come from being a war wife. The men, D.J. Lick, Myles Glancy and Nathan Rogers, are not to be outdone, raising the temperature with a strong pulsing number titled "The River Won't Flow."
These attention-grabbing pieces, however, are the only flashy numbers of the show. Upon entering the theater, one sees a single spotlight illuminating a folded-up coat in the center of the stage. Just before the first song begins, one of the cast members comes on stage and dons the coat. When the others emerge, it is in similar dress, all in naval-style dark-blue blazers covering black ensembles. Though the cast will change clothing to accentuate certain aspects of the parts they will play, it is this similarity, this chameleon ensemble that emphasizes the message of the show. We are all susceptible to life-changing moments, all open to the second of time when our life can head in two separate but compelling directions, and we must choose one. From Mrs. Claus to college students meeting their potential spouses, from sailors coming to a new land to kings of the world stuck in jail, we all have life-changing moments of clarity we must face, we all have decisions we must make.
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