Songs from Songs for a New World

In the ten years since Jason Robert Brown's song-cycle Songs for a New World enjoyed its original one-month New York engagement, the show has enjoyed more than three hundred productions. It's biggest breakaway hit, "Stars and the Moon," has been recorded and/or performed by almost every cabaret singer on the scene. There was even a mini-reunion concert at Le Jazz Au Bar late last year. So just about the only thing left to do with this show would be a symphonic concert at Symphony Space... with orchestra of high school students. That, at least, has not yet been done, or at least hadn't been until Sunday.

Sunday's concert, a benefit for the Bergen Youth Orchestra, had approximately ninety members of said orchestra performing this dense, demanding work that featured new arrangements and orchestrations created exclusively for them. And young though the musicians were, they rose admirably to the music and the occasion. With the new orchestrations and a who's-who cast list of Broadway stars stepping in to sing them, the emotional journeys of these now-classic songs took on new meanings and reached new levels. Some of the new arrangements were subtle, like the violins holding a piano note during "Stars and the Moon." Some were much more noticeable, like the new percussion section for "The Flagmaker" that made the song sound like it was taking place in the midst of battle.

Of the original cast, three singers returned to perform their signature songs. (Billy Porter is in Pittsburgh performing Ghetto Superstar.) Andrea Burns performed "I'm Not Afraid of Anything," and made the wise choice to not belt the higher notes. Her lovely soprano voice gave the song a stronger and more mature tone, and made the music sound all the more poignant and plaintive. Jessica Molaskey moved both audience members and herself to tears with what has to be her best and most intense rendition of "Stars and the Moon" yet. The woman's voice is pure gold. And Brooks Ashmanskas took an afternoon off from The Producers to perform "She Cries," reaching new ironic heights with the bittersweet song.

Other standouts of the evening included the exceptional opening number performed by Jerry Dixon, Beth Leavel, Kristine Fraelich and Lawrence Clayton. Ms. Leavel deserves special mention for her electric and passionate singing that kicked up the energy level of the entire theatre by several notches. John Tartaglia (sans puppet!) and Michael Arden performed a sassy and sharp "The River Won't Flow," and Miriam Shor's rendition of "The Flagmaker" was heartbreaking and amazingly intense. Michael Cerveris sang a beautiful "The World Was Dancing" with Nicole van Giesen, and Nikki Renee Daniels' "Christmas Lullaby" sounded exceptionally lovely with her strong voice and the soaring new orchestrations. Darius de Haas sang a stirring and emotional "King of the World," and Anthony Manough sang what well may be the definitive "Flying Home," punctuating every word and note with intensity.

And then there was Mr. Brown himself, serving as pianist, conductor, and jovial Emcee. He told stories about the show as a whole, about individual songs, and about his growth as a composer and musician. He also answered some "frequently asked questions" about the songs:

Q: What does "Blessing on the water and the stones" [a line from "I'm Not Afraid of Anything"] mean?

A [paraphrased]: It doesn't mean anything. I needed a rhyme, I was twenty, leave me alone.

These songs were especially appropriate for a benefit for a youth orchestra: not only was the music difficult enough to give these young musicians a true challenge, the subject matter of choices and changes is quite meaningful to high school students just starting out. The support of stars in any field is immeasurably helpful, and the contributions of these Broadway luminaries may well help guide the way for the next generation of musicians and composers to create their own songs about new worlds.