Melbourne Reviews

Jason Robert Brown’s 1995 “abstract musical,” neither standard narrative musical theatre nor traditional revue, is treasured amongst many fans of the musical genre. Songs for a New World is an emotional roller coaster of powerfully written music, designed to trigger a response from the audience. It’s easy to see why this is such a loved production in the musical theatre community; the music is dramatic and covers the expanse of the human experience.

Created from Robert Brown’s extensive catalogue of songs written for other musicals and events, Songs for a New World has no direct throughline but still appears as a strongly connected piece. Each song has the capacity to stand alone, but as a unit, it is a powerful display of the human spirit.

The current revival by SoundWorks Productions returns after its Green Room-nominated 2023 season. The Brunswick-based company has revamped the original to include a much more expansive cast and traditional theatre atmosphere, adding in extra dance elements and cohesive sets, props, and costumes for a more rounded theatre experience.

While it was utterly delightful to see the breadth of talent in the company as they vocally nailed the demanding score, they were let down by sound issues. Perhaps due to the 15 cast members all on radio mics at the same time in the small Chapel theatre, bouncing off each other, but it was a shame to miss some of Robert Brown’s witticisms. The addition of dance was a welcome one, with the standouts being Ben Goldsbrough and Benoit Vari in their showstopping number ‘The River Won’t Flow’ and the exquisite Ethan Cooper, who was utterly captivating in the contemporary dance moments. Oddly, Cooper wasn’t given an opportunity to sing until the very end of the show, where he showed off his impressive vocal chops as well.

The lightning-fast lyrics of Robert Brown are deftly performed by Vait in ‘Just One Step’ in the gender-reversed performance that he embodies with aplomb. The more emotive songs, ‘I’m Not Afraid of Anything’ and ‘Stars and the Moon,’ were split into trios from their original solos, and while it worked well for ‘I’m Not Afraid of Anything,’ ‘Stars and the Moon’ lost some of its narrative trajectory with the three-way split dulling the emotional journey of the character.

Act two lacked some of the dynamism of act one, and there was a lot of prop work, which was somewhat distracting. It was wonderful to see Teo Vergara shine in the second act; there’s a depth to this young performer that is authentic and intriguing.

The band led by Music Director Mark Bradley (also on piano) were absolutely flawless. I’m trying to think of something witty to say here, but honestly, no notes.

Produced by Benjamin Samuel and directed by Lauren McKenna with choreography by Benjamin Curé, Songs for a New World is an easy and joyful watch. The songs absolutely slap, and the dancing is well executed. While there are some very “musical theatre” elements—think high-stakes emotion, American accents, and showbiz smiles, there’s still a lot of heart in the show. At the centre of it all is the fact that the appetite for musicals is still strong and the smaller independent companies still very much have a place in the Australian arts industry. If the packed audience at Songs for a New World is any indication, there’s a renaissance of top-quality productions done with care and consideration hitting smaller stages. Soundworks Productions has pulled off an incredible feat, updating a beloved original into a new and exciting piece that shows off the remarkable talent across the arts industry.