Songs for a New World offer universal stories of hope and perseverance, November 13 and 14
Gateway Theatre’s Barbara Tomasic directs Jason Robert Brown’s acclaimed song cycle at the historic Minoru Chapel
Barbara Tomasic
Clare Wyatt
Gateway Theatre presents Songs for a New World on November 13 and 14 at the Minoru Chapel
THERE COMES A TIME in everyone’s life when the world as you know it starts to crumble—a difficult decision has to be made, a bold risk must be taken, and there’s no way of knowing what lies ahead.
That universal experience is what ties together Jason Robert Brown’s 1995 musical-theatre work Songs for a New World. In the Tony Award–winning composer’s debut song cycle, a series of characters stand on the edge of new and unpredictable beginnings. An estranged couple realizes their unwavering love for each other after their separation; a heartbroken Mrs. Claus is intent on leaving her lonely relationship with the inattentive Mr. Claus; two working men strive to move forward despite systemic hardships.
And throughout, Brown’s score is infused with elements of pop, rock, gospel, and jazz. The songs jump from the funky, blues-inspired confessions of an ambitious young man dreaming of becoming a successful basketball player to soaring ballads conveying a young woman’s hopeful outlook during an unexpected pregnancy.
On November 13 and 14, Songs for a New World will take over Richmond’s historic Minoru Chapel. Directed by Gateway Theatre executive artistic director Barbara Tomasic, the 90-minute production will be performed as an intimate concert, exploring humanity’s resilience and determination through song.
The small cast features Vancouver-based artists Imelda Gaborno, Jenny Andersen, Hal Wesley Rogers, and Aaron Cheung, with music direction by Clare Wyatt. 
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