My overall impression
I have loved the music of Jason Robert Brown for years but never have I seen his work brought to life so honestly and intimately as in A Cuppa Tea’s production of Songs For a New World.
The Fringe space they have at the Complex east theatre is stripped down due to the constraints of the festival but the actors, choreography and brilliant direction play up what could be a production setback and turn it entirely to their advantage.
The bare stage allows for the raw and honest performance of each dynamic performer to truly shine through. Emily Morris, Keith Montanez, Scott Weston, and Sherry Manujano each bring a color uniquely their own to the production. Not to mention that each of their voices is as good if not better than the show’s original soundtrack (should you have heard it prior to attending this incarnation). To be in a space so neutral your are swept up in a wave of sound and emotion as each actor bares their heart over and over for each song. As I was taken on this musical journey I found myself, for first time, understanding the running theme of “A New World”. Most memorable moments are without a doubt Emily Morris’s “Christmas Lullaby,” Sherry Mandujano’s “Flag Maker: 1775”, Keith Montenez’s “She Cries”, and Scott Weston’s “King of the World”.
Overall Christopher Maikish and Jim Blackett’s honest direction (and musical direction) paired with the precise and moving choreography of Heidi Buehler beautifully bring to life a collection of stories through song about facing life’s challenges head on, of heartbreak, of new beginnings, and of starting over.
