OBSERVER: Songs For A New World
The production was damn good, but the uninitiated would have trouble identifying names of soloists or duet performers as no cast names were listed against the song titles.
Given that it is a nonstop song performance there is no spoken dialogue. In fact at times, visually, dance takes over – so should it not have been termed Songs and Dance for the New World?
How dare I say all that, so let us concentrate on the recent performance by Soundworks Productions at Chapel Off Chapel.
Written by 25 year old Jason Robert Brown, an American Musical Theatre composer in 1995, Songs for a New World follows the journey of people on a Spanish sailing ship in 1497, heading for a new land full of hope, praying and singing “carry us onto the new world” in the opening number The New World.
From there the musical quickly progressed through other periods of time such as the Revolutionary War of 1775, before moving into contemporary settings.
An open stage with a back row rostrum draped with symbolic sail cloths and with a small mobile platform giving great scope for Director Lauren McKinnon in giving us the diverse genre of some 18 musically distinctive and dramatically effective songs.
Vocally there was a story behind every song and while being shared giving difficulty in highlighting particular cast – as all 15 were of high calibre, living every moment of their renditions with dynamism and high momentum. Notable were performances by Dan Ham, Kelsey Halge, Benoit Vari and Tayla Lauren Muir all bonding on the same level as the other 11 singers and dancers.
Renowned choreographer Benjamin Cure with his highly creative and bold dance movement interpretations blended well with the theme of the individual songs.
Maintaining the cast with an evenness of rapid movement, all without flaw was exhilarating to watch. A standout and most expressive dancer was Ethan Cooper.
Musical Director Mark Bradley with his on stage band provided the musical backing at the right level, not overshadowing the cast, particularly with their solos or duets.
I said at the beginning, “The production was damn good” and while there is a lot more that could be said, it befits us all to catch a future production of Songs For A New World.
Review by Graeme McCoubrie
Pictured: The full cast of Songs for a New World (not in order): Isabella Gangi, Kelse Halge, Anna Francesca Armenia, Ken Paolo Gilua, Ethan Cooper, Dan Ham, Ben Goldsbrough, Maddi Xuereb, Alessandra Merlo, Benoit Vari, Campbell Bonello, Mollie Williams, Tayla Muir, Teo Vergara, and Zac Parkes.
Photo: Matthew Chen