Extra Ticket- Songs for a New World, May 17 with Jason Robert Brown, Laura Benanti, Alice Ripley in DC area

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/3/07 at 12:07pm

I have an extra ticket for the May 17, 8 PM performance of Songs for a New World at the Strathmore Center near DC because the person I was going with can no longer make it. The seat is not next to mine, but is in row L, seat 13.

Ticket was $47. Will accept $30. PM me if you are interested.

[JRybka]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 9:40pm

I am going to go tomorrow

Anyone know how the theater is? Is it HUGE?? Can you see from anywhere?

[JRybka]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 1:42pm

bump

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 2:37pm

Updated On: 5/16/07 at 02:37 PM

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 8:19pm

Bump for reviews!

[flamingo]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 8:48pm

I've been to the Strathmore a few times. It seats about 2100 people. The sight lines seem to be good from any seat. However, I found that there was a peculiar echo every once in a while durng one concert I attended --I was sitting high up, on one of the sides, close to the stage (forgot what it's called). At 2 other concerts, I sat in the first row, close to center, and then about the 10th row, also center, and heard perfectly . They may have worked on the sound system-the first concert (with echos) was soon after Strathmore opened, the last 2 were in Oct. 2006.

I am also going on May 17.

[JRybka]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:57pm

I was there tonight and it is 1203am as I locked myself out of my apartment and just got in... I will do a review tomorrow while I am sitting at work but let's just say that it was FABULOUS! (with comments....)

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:35am

Ok, the place is fairly large. I went tonight, and I'll say that Alice was incredible! Really the entire thing was just amazing. The opening was FANTASTIC and Alice's "Surabaya-Santa" was hysterical. Tituss' "King Of The World" was also not to be forgotten. And of course Jason Robert Brown was ridiculously amazing on the piano.

If you can get there tomorrow night, go! It is WELL worth it.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:58am

Did Laura show up?

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 6:10am

Tonight's the night for me as well. I can't wait to see this concert! Hopefully, I will run into all of you out there tonight.

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 2:37pm

Bump...any reviews?

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 4:37pm

https://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=18438

There's a nice, little review from last night. :)

"There is so much to write about the performances. But let me sum it up. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW TONIGHT!! Final performance is at 8 p.m. It's not often you get a chance to such a talented composer perform his own work with such an amazing cast of singers AND actors."

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 10:58pm

Alrighty, it's officially over. Now let's hear (or read) some reviews! :)

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:11pm

I was there in the front row tonight. Incredible, incredible concert. Jason Robert Brown is ridiculously talented on the piano and treated us to an encore of Moving too Fast from L5Y. Let's just say I wished it was him on the OCR instead of Norbert Leo Butz. In terms of the actual concert, every song was well sung and I much preferred these renditions of the songs to the CD version. I think this is one of the scores that one needs to hear live to fully appreciate both the lyrics and the music and the emotion and meaning behind them. Alice Ripley rocked Flagmaker and Surabaya Santa, and well, every other song. Laura Griffith, who I had never seen before, reminded me a lot of Laura Benanti vocally. Very pretty voice for the most part. The guys were also great though I preferred one over the other. Not one truly weak link.


But pretty much for me, Alice owned the concert (and JRB on the piano).

Updated On: 5/17/07 at 11:11 PM

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:23pm

^Which of the guys did you prefer? :P

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:25pm

Brian D'Arcy James. Its just my preference for vocal styles/choices though.

Updated On: 5/17/07 at 11:25 PM

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:31pm

How full was the house?

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:34pm

Front orchestra was quite full. The rear had a lot of empty seats on the sides. The 1st tier was about half full (from what I could see).

It was nowhere near as full as the last Bway-related thing at Strathmore, but then again, that was Bernadette Peters.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 5:05am

I couldn't have put the experience in better words than KChenowethfan. The show was a blast, and Alice Ripley was absolutely fierce!

I also have to give Laura Griffith all the credit in the world for what she has pulled off in the past three weeks. She has literally rehersed and performed two full shows in that span, SFANW and Stairway to Paradise (in which she was in the ensamble). She knocked it out of the park toinight!

I was sorry to see so many empty seats. These shows should have sold out easily.

Just after the show, Jason Robert Brown signed and posed for pictures in the lower lobby. I stayed, got him to sign the program insert, and got a picture. He then went back up to a private party with the rest of the cast.

I stayed around for an hour after that, waiting for the rest of the cast. Everybody finally came out around 11:25. I got the whole cast to sign the insert, and got pictures with Laura, Alice and Tituss. I got pics with Brian at DRS and The Apple Tree, so I didn't ask him. He looked exhausted, as they all must have been. They put on a fantastic show. It was an amazing experience.

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 10:17am

^ Yeah I just read that Brian also performed at Marvin Hamlisch's birthday party on Tuesday. AND his show opens on the 22nd. He's got a full plate!

I've heard nothing but good things about these concerts. Makes me more upset that I couldn't be there!

[circusliz]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 10:38am

I am going to have to disagree with some of the above views. Although overall this was a thrilling evening of music, I didn't like Alice Ripley all that much. I thought many of her vowels were off and/or harsh (her "are" at the end of "Flagmaker" sounded like "uuhhhhhh"), and she was really flat at the end of "Surabaya-Santa." Laura Griffith did a really nice job with such a short rehearsal period. She and Brian D'Arcy James were very well matched on "I'd Give It All for You", and she outsang Ms. Ripley on the female duo harmony in "Hear My Song." Her "Christmas Lullaby" was quite lovely.

I felt that the men -- including JRB -- stole the show. I think that Brian D'Arcy James was the most consistent of the performers, both vocally and in the emotional performance of his songs. "She Cries" was a highlight for me. Although I didn't necessarily like the quality of Tituss Burgess' voice, his range was very impressive and his characterization of the songs was fantastic -- by far the best of the group. His performance even got me to like "Steam Train."

The songs that invovled the entire ensemble were by far the strongest.

JRB on the piano was, as expected, the true highlight of show. I had a clear view of his hands -- what I wouldn't give to be able to play piano like that. I was thrilled that he did an encore, and his "Moving Too Fast" did not disappoint. I also waited around for autographs and a picture, which I will now add to my growing collection.

Overall, a great night of music.

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 11:54am

I just wanted to add that the harmonies at the end of "On The Deck Of A Spanish Sail" were absolutely gorgeous last night, especially on "command". It was chilling.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 6:49pm

The group harmonies were gorgeous and I thought they were pretty well balanced with the exception of Titus. I have to concur about Alice's vowels, but they did not really bother me having seen her in other roles/concerts. I did not hear any flat notes from her.

[scott68]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 8:07pm

Washington Post Review (very positive for the performers/material, not so much for the venue's acoustics): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051702519.html

The siren call of possibility echoed from the stage at Strathmore on Wednesday, when Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World" received a glitzy concert staging, co-produced by Signature Theatre.

Musical theater darlings Brian d'Arcy James and Alice Ripley, with fellow Broadway performers Laura Griffith and Tituss Burgess, filled the vocal roles of the 1995 revue, a constellation of songs dealing with themes of decision, transformation and renewal. The performers shared the stage with a band led by another celebrity: Brown himself. The esteemed composer-lyricist directed four other instrumentalists from a grand piano, thumping the keyboard, tapping his feet and bobbing his head with abandon as the score wound through its many shifts in mood and style, from jazz through pop and gospel to a vamping pastiche of German cabaret.

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 5/18/07 at 11:53pm

Yeah, I must say I was underwhealmed with the lighting and sound. There were a lot of shadows at times where there really shouldn't have been, but I got over it. It wasn't that big of a deal. And the sound could have been fixed a bit, it wasn't quite balanced (at least from where I was sitting), but it was much better the second night.

Thanks for posting about the review :)