Interview: Brown, Murney, Scott, Young Chat Bringing JRB's SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD to Cocoa Beach

The incredible talent and empowering storytelling of Broadway will soon be gracing Florida's shores with two star-studded performances of Jason Robert Brown's beloved 1995 musical SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD. On Friday, January 23rd, an all-star cast of Broadway favorites will perform this incredible show at Cocoa Beach's DoubleTree by Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront as part of a benefit for the Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce.

The show, which is more of a song-cycle than a traditional book musical, focuses on individual characters as they make life-altering decisions. Tony-nominated cast member Josh Young explained, "Each song is reflecting the character on the precipice of a big decision. I think that's why it's so universal, because everybody has big life decisions, and you can go down one path or the other."

Along with Young, who was nominated for a Tony for playing Judas in the 2012 revival of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the cast is made up of Broadway alums Ashley Brown, Broadway's original Mary Poppins, and a Gulf Breeze, Florida native; Julia Murney (Broadway's WICKED and LENNON); and Orlando native Michael James Scott, who has been seen on Broadway in THE BOOK OF MORMON, MAMMA MIA!, and currently as the standby for The Genie in ALADDIN.

When I spoke to the cast last week from their rehearsal studio, they all mentioned how personal this show has become to them. While the songs chronicle a group of very specific characters as they prepare to venture off into their own "new worlds," as the cast has worked on the show under the direction of Broadway's Daniel Goldstein, it became clear that the songs' messages could apply to any number of different situations.

"The message is so positive, it's about keep pushing on," Brown said. "You're going to come to a lot of rough patches in your life, but there's always the silver lining on the other side. Always keep pushing through, and there is a new world waiting for you."

Murney believes that the show's message is one that could truly be life-changing. "It's very possible that someone on Friday evening in Cocoa Beach in that ballroom will need to hear that type of thing," she said. "I know that I need to hear it, and at certain times a song gets sung, and it comes at me when I don't know it's coming, and I say, 'Oh, why is my face wet?'"

The show was the composer Brown's first professionally produced musical, before he won three Tonys for PARADE and THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, and incorporates many different musical genres. In addition to traditional Broadway show tunes, there are songs that have pop, folk, and country influences, amongst many others.

Despite being a cult favorite in the theatre community, Scott believes that SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD's musical variety will appeal to everyone in the Cocoa Beach audience. "Even if they don't necessarily know the piece, it translates really beautifully, because of the message and the different influences in the music," he said. "Everyone in the show has a moment that makes me melt."

Check out the teaser of the cast singing the opening song below:

Brown and Scott, who co-starred in an earlier production of the show in 2012, feel that their appreciation and understanding of the each character's journey has deepened over the years. In the show, Brown sings the song "I'm Not Afraid of Anything," which she first took on as a 16-year-old high school student.

"I thought I understood it then, and then to come back when we did it two years ago, I thought I knew what it meant then; which was completely different than I thought at 16," Brown admits. "Now, it means something even deeper. As you get older, you've had a lot more experience, and you have a lot more to pull from and to feel."

Despite the weight of many of the decisions facing the characters in the show, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD is filled with comedic songs and moments; perhaps most notably in the song "Surabaya-Santa," sung by a disgruntled Mrs. Claus, tired of spending her Christmases alone.

New York producer, and Cocoa Beach native, Jeremy Merrifield has a good reason to bring such a powerhouse the show to Florida specifically for the Chamber of Commerce benefit; his mother, Jeanne, is the Chamber's chairwoman. The 6:00pm performance, which includes dinner, sold out quickly, so an 8:30 performance "sans dinner" was added. To get tickets, visit the Broadway By The Beach website.

Whether or not you are a life-long fan of Brown's iconic song cycle or not, the cast is convinced that this is an event you will not want to miss. "I think it's a multi-layered experience. On a very base level, it's a very lovely evening, where you get to hear some beautiful music, and you get to hear some great singers sing," Murney said. "Then, on the other hand, if you happen to come in ripe and ready for a little shift inside, some of these songs can give you that too."