"Rare Musicals. Well Done."
Minneapolis Musical Theatre can check another well done rare musical off their list with their current production of
Jason Robert Brown's
Songs for a New World. The first musical written by JRB, who has since gone on to win two Tony Awards for best score (
Parade in 1999 and
The Bridges of Madison County in 2014, through which I recently fell in love with his music),
SFANW is less a musical than a song cycle. There's no plot or throughline, just four actor/singers performing seemingly disconnected songs, but all centered around the theme of that one defining moment in life. In a way, it's a dozen musicals in one; each song is like a mini-musical unto itself, telling a complete story and defining character(s). It's a fantastic collection of songs, some funny, some sad, some poignant, some all of the above. MMT does a great job bringing these songs to life with just four chairs and a keyboard (and percussion) on a bare stage at Bryant Lake Bowl.
