KU Theatre & Dance season opens with ‘Songs for a New World’
LAWRENCE — Fans of musical theatre in northeast Kansas will soon be able to ride the rhythms, moods and motifs of the University Theatre’s season opener, “Songs for a New World,” Jason Robert Brown’s breakthrough off-Broadway musical.
The work is presented as a theatrical song cycle and features performers from the University of Kansas Department of Theatre & Dance and School of Music, among other majors. While written for four voices, KU’s cast has been expanded to provide more opportunities for students.
KU’s production is made further distinct through involved choreography featuring a variety of dance styles.
Performances are 7 p.m. Oct. 2, 9 and 10 and 2 p.m. Oct. 4 and 11 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall. There are many themes present in the work, including love, coping with grief and longing for a new identity. The show is poignant for everyone, said director and KU lecturer Michelle Miller, who during her career has been a filmmaker, vocalist, theatre creator and educator.
“As Jason Robert Brown said, ‘Songs for a New World’ is about the moment of decision — that instant when everything changes and you must choose who you will become,” Miller said. “He was only 25 when this work premiered off-Broadway, and it was written from that youthful perspective of a composer grappling between the inspiration of his early influences and finding his unique voice.”
That's what makes the piece of theatre such a good choice for our young actors, Miller said.
“Each vignette stands alone, yet they echo one another: moments when the world as we know it ends, and something new — terrifying, destabilizing, exhilarating and transforming — begins,” she said. “What could be more indicative of the space inhabited by students as they are tested in a crucible of learning before they launch into the world?”
“Songs for a New World” will be livestreamed during the performance Oct. 4 and 9. In-person or livestream tickets to “Songs for a New World” can be purchased via the show’s web page, in person noon-5 p.m. at the box office in Murphy Hall, or by calling 785-864-3982.
The creative team is rounded out by Anna Tové Shelton, freelance choreographer, performer, fitness and dance educator, and recent KU graduate, as choreographer; Jeremy Watson, KU musical director, lecturer and accompanist, as musical director; Logan Fixsen, junior in theatre design from Olathe, as scenic designer; Erin Barnett, costume shop supervisor and lecturer, as costume designer; Ann Sitzman, lecturer and technical coordinator, as lighting designer; and Shia Schrock, sophomore in theatre performance and psychology from Olathe, as stage manager.
The following professional musicians will provide live accompaniment: Watson on piano; Jeff Harshbarger, KU professor of bass, on bass; Bradford Athey, Kansas City-based jazz bassist, composer, visual artist, and architect, on violin and guitar; and, Steve Riley, Lawrence-based percussionist, composer and music educator, on drums.
The ensemble comprises Lakyn Bradley, junior in pre-nursing from Overland Park; Darryl Brundidge Jr., senior in theatre from Pensacola, Florida; Natalie Loftus, senior in theatre performance and English from Hays; Zach Newkirk, senior in theatre and journalism from Overland Park; Sierra Quinn, senior in theatre and voice, from Smithville, Missouri; Jordan Rasmussen, sophomore in theatre from Polk City, Iowa; Jacobi Robinson, junior in theatre performance from Abilene; Lucas Schreck, sophomore in theatre design from Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Essy Siegel, senior in digital marketing communications and theatre performance from Kansas City, Missouri; Alicen Silva, sophomore in theatre and voice from Olathe; Christian Steger, sophomore in film & media studies from Olathe; and Madison Torrez, senior in film & media studies and theatre performance from Topeka.
About Michelle Miller
Michelle Miller is a service-driven storyteller, singer, director, actor and writer, but she said her greatest love is teaching. Previously at KU, she directed “Silent Sky” by Lauren Gunderson and the original musical “Milking Christmas,” by Ryan McCall and Friend Dog Studios. Miller has seven Emmy nominations for her work with Rocky Mountain PBS, has sung with the Boston Pops under John Williams, performed at Lincoln Center, Fenway Park and the Vatican, and collaborated with multiple Tony-winning composers on new works. She is a multiterm lecturer in the Department of Theatre & Dance, where she teaches musical theatre, voice and speech, and Acting II.
About the department
The University Theatre is a production wing of KU’s Department of Theatre & Dance, offering public productions during the academic year. Established in 1923, the Department of Theatre merged with the Department of Dance in 2018. The University Theatre season is funded in part by Student Senate fees. Additional support is provided by Truity Credit Union.
KU Theatre & Dance is one of three departments in the School of the Arts. As part of the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of the Arts offers fresh possibilities for collaboration between the arts and the humanities, sciences, social sciences, international and interdisciplinary studies.