Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
The pursuit of the American dream steps into the spotlight in the College of Arts and Media's production of “Songs for a New World.”
The 1995 song cycle by Jason Robert Brown debuts on the Grand Canyon University campus at 7 p.m. today, with more shows at 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 20-22 in the college's Black Box Theatre.
“This play is very much ‘watch these people go through this scenario and you are no different than them,'” director Klay Wandelear said. “It really speaks about the idea of the American dream, how that manifests in different eras to different groups of people, and just what it means to be human.
“Every step and choice we take is stepping into a new universe, and each song has a culminating choice where we step into that world. For the audience, I think it is extremely important to have a moment of catharsis, where you just turn off your brain and get to watch these people and cry.”
The song cycle isn't a traditional plot-based play. Instead, it rotates through four vocalists, with each song telling a new story that focuses on life-altering decisions, from personal choices to survival instincts to human connection and relationships.
The performers carry the weight of telling those stories solely through lyrics they bring to life using their emotions and stage presence.
“I have always loved Jason Robert Brown’s music because it feels so authentic,” said Luke Lundberg, the production’s Man 2. “He is focusing on his emotions and playing what he feels. His lyrics tell the story on their own. It’s like poetry. When I saw the announcement, I knew I would want to sing the songs.
“The whole story being presented through music, and not even speak-singing music, is something I had to practice," he said. "It is acting through songs. You have to play different characters, and each song has a different story. It makes me feel like I am doing more than one show, like I get to do this show about this topic and then move on to this topic.”
The show spotlights the interconnectedness rooted in College of Arts and Media programs. Music, theatre, dance and design majors all contribute to the show.
Though the production was composed to spotlight just music, Wandelear persisted in adding dance and design components to heighten the emotional intensity.
As the cast performs the songs with a live orchestra led by music director Mark Fearey, an ensemble of six dancers surrounds them, expressing the words being sung and emulating emotion and rhythm with their moves.
Motion design projections shine onstage along with every song, giving the audience an added visual element to guide their understanding of the show.
“This show is the most CAM-involved show we’ve had,” said Senior Assistant Director Sierra Sandy. “Dance, music and theatre majors – it’s really nice to see all of that come to be one as a cast.
“Seeing what the actors come up with, and taking things with a grain of salt and expanding on it, has been really nice to see and collaborate on with the cast. Being on the other end of that has opened my eyes to wanting to step more into the director’s world.”
Sandy, who has appeared in many shows as an actor, wanted to complete her theatre degree with a grand role that challenged her creativity and leadership, such as assistant directing.
For vocal performance junior Allie Toothaker, the rehearsal schedule has been especially challenging and rewarding. As a Critical Mass member and a show cast member, Toothaker’s list of songs to learn in a short span doubled. It taught her a new level of discipline and resilience, Toothaker shared.
“The biggest thing I have learned from the process is that I can do hard things,” Toothaker said. “In my profession in the real world, I will be having a lot of opportunities at one time. I am going to have to learn how to roll with it, and there are no excuses to be unprepared.
“This show has been a really good lesson in that. Even though it is hard, you are capable of keeping up if you want it enough. We are talking about stepping into a new world, and that is kind of how college has felt. Your future is right ahead of you, and you know where to go and you are reaching for it, but there is still work to do.”
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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IF YOU GO:
What: "Songs for a New World"
Where: Black Box Theatre
When: 7 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, with more shows coming up at 7 p.m. Nov. 20-21 and 2 p.m. Nov. 22
Tickets: Click here.
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