SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD in Toronto -- WOW!!!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 10:48pm

I just got home from an evening of Jason Robert Brown's SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD -- what magic! It was as if four angels had descended onto the stage of the Isabel Bader Theatre to sing to the heavens!

I am sooo glad I went; thank you all for encouraging me to go. I also feel so blessed to hear such beautiful music coming from such beautiful performers. The CD of SFANW truly does NOT do the show justice -- it doesn't hold a candle to the thrill of live music. The songs come alive in front of you; not just a feast for the ears, but for the eyes as well, as those onstage emote and craft each number with their gestures and nuances.

I cannot praise the four performers enough -- Thom Allison, Sharron Matthews, Tracy Michailidis and Jason Knight -- all were incredible, fantastic, wondrous, majestic, glorious...I'm running out of superlatives. They were perfect, each one a vital component to the evening -- together they radiated divine beauty. But I must point out the sheer magnificence of Sharron Matthews, who has such refined skill, presence and charisma in her showstopping numbers (particularly "Sun and the Moon," "The Flagmaker, 1775" and greatest of all, her glorious "Surambaya Santa"). I must also point out Thom Allison -- who I saw last week in TAKE ME OUT, but he's infinitely more sexy and charming here -- whose powerhouse voice truly rocked my world. I didn't know he was such a versatile and thoroughly impressive performer! What a voice! This man could take over Broadway.

Tracy Michailidis and Jason Knight were also fantastic, but their numbers weren't as juicy. It was interesting to see how the four singers onstage, although each playing different characters, embody certain traits characterized by their particular pattern of songs. And, of course, the orchestra was fantastic -- it was nice to see someone finally putting that piano to good use (the Bader Theatre is owned by my college, and I've performed on that stage several times; that gorgeous new piano still hasn't been broken in yet).

The first number ("The New World") sent me to high heaven, as it did my friend who was completely astounded by it all. Wow, what magnificence!

Updated On: 1/30/05 at 10:48 PM

[La Vie Boheme]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 11:11pm

You hated it that much?

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 1/31/05 at 10:28am

I had goosebumps most of the show, and I am not easy to goosebump. Hah...me and my friend Lindsay agreed that Thom was WAY more in his prime here than in Take Me Out. He seemed to emote more in the song "King of the World" than in the entire evening of Take Me Out...and it also points to how poorly written his character in Take Me OUt is and how genious Jason Robert Brown is. Sharron was also amazing, and Jason Knight had an amazing understaed voice and acting style, which suited his songs perfectly. I think the weakest link vocally was Tracy, especially in her upper register, but even so she had the charm and personality to make up for it.

I left the evening determined to put together a benefit concert of my own sometime next year, possibly a version of MisCast with resdent Toronto musical theatre actors (including Michael Therrieur (sp?) who was there last night).

Kudos to all those involved and I hope this becomes a regualr thing around this city. It seems so unfair that NY gets all the benefits when Toronto has such a storng talent pool.

Akiva

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/31/05 at 10:37am

Such an amazing revue!

[RumTumTugger22]

Posted: 1/31/05 at 1:45pm

That show is how i fell in love with Jason Robert BRown all of his music is exactly like that. It makes you feel. That's Musical theater!!!

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 1/31/05 at 2:14pm

I have a couple of friends who went and they enjoyed the show as well. Link, it's not surprising that Thom was more impressive than in TMO, he IS a musical theatre star, first and foremost. Anyone who ever saw him in Rent would agree. :) BTW, Michael Therriault was there because Tracy is his g/f. Also there was Sarah Cornell who was in The Producers with Michael. Sounds like a great evening for a great cause.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/31/05 at 2:21pm

JRB's music is also in another realm of magnificence when performed live! I thought the CD of SFANW was good, but the harmonies, voices and orchestrations are soaring live! I'm kicking myself for not having caught THE LAST 5 YEARS when it was at Canstage. I love the CD, but I can only imagine what a wondrous experience it would be onstage.

I had previously enjoyed Sharron Matthews as Mme. Thenardier in LES MIZ, but here she's given a better chance to show her awesome talents. I can't believe this woman isn't given a starring role in a musical somewhere, she's fantastic -- as is Thom Allison. Why isn't he on Broadway??

I didn't see any of actors -- Michael Therriault, Sarah Cornell -- during intermission. That's probably because I was chatting it up with my friend, who was ushering for the evening, but I really should have schmoozed more. Akiva, if you're throwing a benefit concert, I'll be first in line for tickets!

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 2/1/05 at 11:46am

BlueWizard,

Do you know at what point in the run of Les Miz did Sharron play Mme Thenardier and what actor played her husband when you saw it? I am just interested because a proffessor of mine David Walden played that role and I'm pretty sure he played it close to the end of the run.

Akiva

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 2/1/05 at 2:28pm

I'm pretty sure it was the 1998 return engagement with Colm Wilkinson. The name David Walden doesn't ring a bell, though, so I don't think it was he who performed with her.