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Jason Robert Brown – Composer and Lyricist
Jason Robert Brown wrote of his show, “it’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” Newcomer Jason Robert Brown, who us also the composer-lyricist of the recent critical smash ‘Parade’, has the whole theatre community talking about his blend of savvy showmanship and exciting contemporary sound.
Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue to meet a startling array of characters ranging from ...Read More
Jason Robert Brown – Composer and Lyricist
Jason Robert Brown wrote of his show, “it’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” Newcomer Jason Robert Brown, who us also the composer-lyricist of the recent critical smash ‘Parade’, has the whole theatre community talking about his blend of savvy showmanship and exciting contemporary sound.
Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue to meet a startling 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. These are the stories and characters of today, the songs for a new world.
Using a small, powerhouse, cast and a driving, exquisitely crafted score running the gamut of today’s popular music, Songs for a New World is a great way to bring the next generation into the theatre. It’s a remarkable achievement from a remarkable new voice.
Soaring melodies and irresistible rhythms mark a wide range of songs that encompass jazz ("Just One Step"), gospel ("The River Won't Flow"), funk ("Steam Train"), plus "Surabaya Santa," sort of Mrs. Claus's lament.. Most memorable are two songs of lost love: the duet "I'd Give It All for You," which perfectly captures romantic yearning, and the wry yet poignant "Stars and the Moon," which has become something of a jazzy standard, recorded by such luminaries as Audra McDonald and Betty Buckley.
THE LYRICS:
Brown's perfect lyrics for these characters speak our vernacular no matter how different their situation is from our own. The athlete driven to basketball stardom sees it as his only ticket out of the ghetto. (What else can he do? 10 of the 11 guys in his fifth grade class are now in jail or dead, and "Gordon Connors works at Twin Donut on 125th Street.") The latest Mrs. Claus questions her marriage to an overweight immortal who spends his time with reindeer. ("Oh yes, it's so easy to judge, isn't it? Deciding who's naughty and who's nice?") However, one angry character -- the desperate housewife threatening to jump from a skyscraper -- is cruder than I think she needs to be.
THE MUSIC:
Brown's music features deceptively complex rhythms and some occasionally funky chords, often giving his pieces an appealing, high-octane driving beat, such as in "On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship," "The River Won't Flow," and "Steam Train," to name a few. But what distinguishes Brown from his contemporaries is his gift for melody, and this gift is the key to Brown's ability to push the envelope on musical theater conventions. For example, the tune of "Stars and the Moon" (perhaps the best song of the show) is so beautiful that the listener fails to notice how difficult the accompaniment is, nor to expect the surprise ending of the song's story. The simple melody of "Christmas Lullaby" allows Brown to sneak in a fairly overt religious idea without offending the most secular elements of the audience. (Producers take note: this is the key to simultaneous commercial and artistic success: make the music pretty, even if it's unconventional!)
One character sings: "A new world holds me to a promise." May the new world of musical theater promised by Jason Robert Brown continue to call across the sky for years to come!
Songs for a New World by Jason Robert Brown
Musical/Opera
directed by Kevin T. Morales
Apr 03, 2008 through Apr 13, 2008
Curtain time(s): Thurs-Sat 8PM; Sun 2PM.
Ticket price: $15.00 - $28.00
TICKETS: On sale at Town Hall Theatre box office, 925-283-1557.
PRICES: $15, students; $25, seniors, $28, general.
An innovative musical focusing on isolated moments in the lives of many characters in a variety of eras and a broad range of musical genres.
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