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Culture Theatre

Songs For A New World

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Andrew Lamb (Angelwalk). Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge). To April 23. $25-$45. 416-872-1111. See listing. Rating: NNNN

If the admittedly limited niche genre of music theatre song cycles is your thing, you will adore this collection of powerful pop-leaning gems.

Best known as the show that launched the career of Broadway composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown back in the mid-1990s, Songs For A New World features four performers exploring a variety of characters, each struggling with a different middle-class choice: happiness or wealth, honesty or comfort.

To flesh out the rich storytelling offered in each song, director Andrew Lamb goes beyond the scope of most song cycles, offering simple yet evocative interactions between the performers that nicely heighten the impact of each piece.

However, the strength of the show is – as the title suggests – the songs. Brown’s compositions (here accompanied by a small orchestra of keys, bass and percussion) are very vocally demanding but well rendered thanks to the uniformly strong ensemble of Erica Peck, Denise Oucharek, Stewart Adam McKensey and Justin Bott. Regardless of genre, from the jazzy pop in Just One Step to the gospel rock of The River Won’t Flow, Brown demonstrates an ear for memorable piano and vocal hooks.

While the sweet and tender sentimentality of the now classic Stars And The Moon is a sure-bet tear-jerker, the upbeat and immediately catchy soulful groove of The Steam Train offers an empowering sense of fun.

Songs is an emotional roller coaster, but you’ll leave with a smile.

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