July 20, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Amy Oakeson
Department of Theatre, Communications Specialist
801-897-0732 or amy.oakeson@utah.edu
The University of Utah’s Department of Theatre Presents
Jason Robert Brown’s Groundbreaking Musical
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
July 29-August 14, 2011 in Studio 115
“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.”
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD is a musical about survival. It’s about the power of the human spirit to go through trial and tribulation and emerge triumphant in a new world where the solutions our parents found don’t necessarily work for us, and a world in which today’s answers probably won’t apply tomorrow. For anyone who has lost a job or a spouse, the everyday world becomes just as frightening and dangerous, just as uncharted as the New World was to Columbus. We all find ourselves in new worlds from time to time, in situations where the rules we’ve always live by no longer apply. In these tenuous times, we must all know that we can survive and even thrive there.
The University of Utah’s Department of Theatre presents Jason Robert Brown’s groundbreaking musical this summer in the intimate setting of Studio 115. Directed by David Schmidt and Musical Directed by Alex Marshall, this awe-inspiring, revue-style musical explores some of the strongest human emotions—risk, fear, hope, desire and love. Performed by a live on-stage band and an ensemble of fresh and talented musical theatre students, the soaring melodies and irresistible rhythms of Brown’s music come to life. With an eclectic mix of gospel, rock, folk and blues, each song transports us through our American identity, our community, and our desires. They sweep us away into the moments we stand our ground, break our silence, make a bargain, or find our way home.
Jason Robert Brown’s music and lyrics are powerful, dramatic and enlightening, and SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD is a moving and evocative reflection on life’s “aha moments,” the defining moments where you gain real wisdom—wisdom you can use to change your life. Aha moments come in all shapes and sizes, and are very personal. They have been described as, "magic," "enlightenment," and, "that moment of clarity when all the pieces fall into place." It’s like "getting hit by a bus.” Most of the songs in SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD represent crucial moments and life-changing decisions from the different characters’ lives, the point at which they transition from the old to the new. The change may be geographical, emotional, professional or marital, but things are different than they were before. With his breakthrough musical, Jason Robert Brown invites you to see, as another lyricist put it, “a whole new world, a new fantastic point of view.”
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD will be presented in Studio 115 July 29 through August 14 at 7:30 PM. There are no matinees for this production, and the theatre is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays. General Admission ticket prices are $15, $13 for University of Utah faculty and staff, and $10 for all students with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased now by calling 801-581-7100, or online at www.kingsburyhall.org
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Sara Pickett
Public Relations Associate
College of Fine Arts, Dean’s Office
801.585.6237
sara.pickett@utah.edu
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