SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
MUSIC & LYRICS BY JASON ROBERT BROWN DIRECTED BY MICHELLE MILLER CHOREOGRAPHED BY ANNA TOVÉ SHELTON MUSICAL DIRECTION BY JEREMY WATSON
DEC. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 2022
OCT. 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, 2026
Songs for a New World
Music & Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Originally produced by the WPA Theatre, New York City, 1995 (Kyle Renick, Artistic Director) Original orchestration by Brian Besterman and Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Michelle Miller Choreographed by Anna Tové Shelton Musical Direction by Jeremy Watson Scenic Design by Logan Fixsen Costume Design by Erin Barnett Lighting Design by Ann Sitzman Sound Design by Alex Weston Dramaturgy by Victoria Estes Stage Management by Shia Schrock CAST Ensemble - Lakyn Bradley, Darryl Brundidge, Jr., Natalie Loftus, Zach Newkirk, Sierra Quinn, Jordan Rasmussen, Jacobi Robinson, Lucas Schreck, Essy Siegel, Alicen Silva, Christian Steger, Madison Torrez Setting & Time: 1492 to modern day, various locations Intermission: This performance is presented with a 15-minute intermission. Runtime: 90 minutes (approximately) Musicians Piano – Jeremy Watson Bass – Jeff Harshbarger Violin & Guitar – Bradford Athey Percussion – Steve Riley Acknowledgments Thanks to Frank Gentile. The director extends a special thanks to her dear friend, Colin Donnell, from the 2018 Encores! cast for an inspiring Zoom encounter with the cast. Songs for a New World is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com The University of Kansas Department of Theatre & Dance is an organizational member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. The Department is also a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre.
Director’s Note Written in 1995 by a twenty-five-year-old Jason Robert Brown, Songs for a New World is a chain of thresholds: the grappling and the instant before we leap, choose, or change. A woman on a ledge, an athlete ascending out of poverty, a prisoner defying his cell, each voice stands on the precipice, interrogating its fear. We ask what a true north looks like when life blows us off course and how we find our way back. Doors, windows, and staircases rise across five levels and reach into the audience, inviting you into another’s embodied experience. Songs are set in histories that echo: the exiled, the starved, the marginalized, and the hope-filled heart. Twelve student voices reflect the unique timbres within a shared humanity. In uncertain times, theatre is shared breath in the dark, a courage that cannot be outsourced.
– Michelle Miller
Musical Numbers Opening Sequence I: The New World – Company Opening Sequence II: On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492 – Darryl Brundidge, Jr., Madison Torrez and Company Just One Step – Essy Siegel I’m Not Afraid of Anything – Lakyn Bradley The River Won’t Flow – Jordan Rasmussen, Jacobi Robinson and Company Stars and the Moon – Natalie Loftus She Cries – Zach Newkirk The Steam Train – Jacobi Robinson and Company The World Was Dancing – Lucas Schreck, Madison Torrez Dancers: Jordan Rasmussen, Alicen Silva and Company Surabaya-Santa – Natalie Loftus, Lakyn Bradley Christmas Lullaby – Sierra Quinn King of the World – Christian Steger I’d Give It All for You – Alicen Silva, Lucas Schreck Transition to Flagmaker - Jordan Rasmussen The Flagmaker, 1775 – Essy Siegel, All Women Flying Home – Darryl Brundidge, Jr. and Company Final Transition: The New World – Natalie Loftus, Zach Newkirk, Christian Steger Hear My Song – Madison Torrez, Alicen Silva, Sierra Quinn, Darryl Brundidge, Jr., Jordan Rasmussen and Company
Production Staff & Crew Assistant Director James Kensinger Assistant Scenic Designer and Crew Lead Rose Darley Assistant Costume Designer and Crew Lead Elise White Assistant Lighting Designer and Crew Lead Jay Santee Assistant Stage Managers Jenna Jones, Dawson Welde Rehearsal Accompanist Caroline Guidry Dance Captain Jordan Rasmussen Production Assistant Johnny Loomis Scenic Faculty Mentor Rana Esfandiary Stage Management Faculty Mentor Jenna Link Graphic Designer Chris Millspaugh Design Photographer Luke Jordan Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup Crew Bryce Davis, Erin Fitzgerald, Payton Flory Scenery & Properties Crew Kiley Germany, Shobi Narayan, Calleigh Van Dyken Lighting & Projections Crew Conner Booton, Katie Missel, Sydney Scheerer Sound Crew Julian Petrick Crew Swing Alex Reimer Livestream Director Alex Weston For Your Information...
In accordance with Kansas State Fire Marshal regulations, we request that you take a moment to identify the two emergency exits closest to you. We have checked these exits and the other emergency equipment in this building and verify they are available for use in case of emergency. In case of an emergency, pay close attention to the house manager or your usher for important life-saving information. No food is allowed in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre; please keep food in the outer lobby. Bottled and lidded drinks are allowed in the theatre. KU campus buildings are smoke-free. In consideration of our actors and other audience members, children under age five are not allowed to attend performances. All patrons, even children, must have a ticket to attend performances. All cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off during performances. Texting is not allowed during performances. The use of photographic, video, or recording equipment during performances is prohibited. Lost items should be reported by calling the University Theatre Production Office at 785-864-3381.
This production is an Associate entry in the American College Theater Festival (ACTF), a national educational network founded in 1969 that recognizes and promotes excellence in collegiate theatre production and training. Through ACTF participation, productions are eligible for response, feedback, and consideration for regional and national recognition. Students and faculty may also be invited to participate in ACTF educational programs, scholarships, and professional development opportunities across a range of theatrical disciplines. By entering this production, our theatre department participates in a nationwide effort to celebrate and advance exemplary work in college and university theatre.
KU Theatre & Dance Land Acknowledgment Translation from Menominee to English The KU Department of Theatre & Dance acknowledges that our performances take place on the ancestral homelands of several Tribal Nations, including the Kansa/Kaw, the Osage. Specifically, the University of Kansas occupies land forcefully ceded in an 1825 treaty with the Kansa/Kaw Nation and a later treaty removing the Delaware/Lenape people. This traditional territory was not a single property with border lines but rather maintained by Tribal peoples as traditional stewards, and we recognize an enduring relationship exists tying Tribal peoples to the land. Elements of the land remain embedded into their Tribal identities, culture, and language. The University Theatre emphatically recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the four federally recognized Tribal Nations present in Kansas today: the Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Sac and Fox, and Iowa. As we gather in this community space, we ask that you all take a moment to give thanks for this day as we celebrate and honor the contribution of this production by the KU University Theatre. We ask that you feel the good energy, passion, and commitment of the students and help us to honor their gifts they will share today. We wish for you to be rejuvenated and take this good energy and find a way to share a little with your community and others. The world needs laughter, music, dance, and the arts–the language of universal love. The land is home to us all. In the name of humanity, we ask for a final moment of reflection as we recognize and honor the past, and most importantly the arts and culture of the original people of this land. The Department looks forward to future partnerships and collaborations that honor this land acknowledgment. Enjoy the production and safe travels to all. KU DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE FACULTY Erin Barnett, Jane Barnette, Henry Bial, Christian Boudreaux, Ashley Brittingham, Claire Buss, Rana Esfandiary, Justin Harbaugh, Alex Haynes, Michelle Heffner Hayes, Laura Kirk, Mechele Leon, Jenna Link, Webster McDonald, Michelle Miller, Markus Potter, Rebecca L. Rovit, Ann Sitzman, Shannon Stewart, Maya Tillman-Rayton, Kelly Vogel, Jeremy Watson
PROFESSIONAL STAFF Technical Director Alex Weston • Managing Director Jim Dick Scene Shop Manager Dave Wanner • Costume Shop Manager Gail Trottier Marketing Communications Coordinator Lisa Coble-Krings • Administrative Associates Lowen Millspaugh & Jack Rischer • Advising Specialist Christian Boudreaux • Accounting Specialist Christina Fowles HR Specialist Emily Hockel • Budget Analyst Karla Williams
STUDENT PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS House Managers & Event Staff Seija Bailey, Maddy Bauer, Clara Childs, Noah Hastings, Hayden James, Evan Lugo, Camryn Purtle, Kinzie Wilmes Administrative & Box Office Staff Seija Bailey, Clara Childs, Noah Hastings, Paige Hinca, Aiden Howell, Camryn Purtle, Kinzie Wilmes Assistant to the Production Manager Jordan Cabuay Marketing Assistant Molly Stover-Brown Costume Assistants Perseus Dobbs, Liv Keller, Alaina Rossell Lighting/Projections Assistants Conner Booton, Sean Ingram, Laney Jasper, Jay Santee Scenic Assistants Grace Couldry, Logan Fixsen, Chloe Pennington Sound Assistant Aurora Walker
Friends of Theatre & Dance
If you would like to become more involved with the Department, join our Friends of Theatre & Dance organization. FROTH members are active in supporting and assisting the University Theatre and University Dance Company programs and the Department’s students, faculty, and staff. If you’re curious to learn more about FROTH and how you can join, contact Jack Rischer, administrative associate at the University Theatre, call 785-864-3381 or visit kutheatre.com/froth. 202 6-’27 FROTH Officers President: Kate Giessel Treasurer: Spencer Holdren Past President: Ashley Lafond 202 5-’26 Board of Directors Will Averill Theresa Buchheister Greg DiVilbiss Mary Doveton Cindy Hart Joan Hoffman Jon O’Neal Kahill Perkins Lisa Sharpe-Elles Tonya Waller Ex Officio Henry Bial, chair Jim Dick, managing director Jack Rischer, administrative associate Season Sponsor Truity Credit Union Members Executive Producers Randy Adams Jeremy Mullis & Sarah Bishop Lendley C. and Connie Black Harvey S. Bodker Julia Hardin & Ryan Butts Kelly Calvert & Greg DiVilbiss Marilyn & Thomas Dobski Joan Hoffman Elaine & Mike Kautsch Carol J. & David S. Kyner Sandi & Allan Miller Jerry Nossaman Bobby R. & Eleanor Patton Lucy J. Price Gene Puckett Janet Riley Janice M. Carlisle & Joseph R. Roach Linda & Scott Robinson Marc V. Scrivo Eleanor A. Woodyard Jack & Judy L. Wright Truity Credit Union Benefactors Henry Bial & Jane Barnette Vicki & Joe Douglas Kelly & Julie Dunkelberger Richard & Virginia Hardin Peggy & Larry Johnson Maria Orive & Michael Kennedy Jacob W. & Maia A. Kipp Dave Marden & Judy Niebaum Darren Sextro Carol Shankel Jim & Thelma Taylor
Patrons David & Mary Kate Ambler Beverly A. Smith Billings Tonya Ebner Bradley Everett Kelly Fonkalsrud David Gaston John & Ines Gilbert Kate Giessel Webster & Joan Golden John & Susan GronbeckTedesco A. Kip & Kay Grosshans Allan & Louise Hanson Cindy Hart Michelle Heffner Hayes Spencer Holdren Chris McCoy Sheila Connelly & Suzanne Morrissey Jim Peterson & Katherine Pryor Tom & Debbie Pryor Dick & Barbara Schowen Peter & Lisa Stobie Larry Tenopir Producers John E. Bechen Dean & Judy Bevan Gigi Gibson Bolt Nathan Bowman Mindy James & Rex Buchanan Michael Butell Peter & Rosalea Carttar Anne Chapman Janice Craft Laura Kirk & Paul Fellers Iris Fischer David M. & Ann Gardner Dan & Carolyn Harden Dick & Sue Himes Jean Schrader & Jason Hornberger Robert & Sheryl Jacobs Don & Alice Ann Johnston Lesley Ketzel Diane & Robert Knapp Gerald J. Koellsted Thaddeus & Margaret Kramar Ashley Lafond Susan Levine Mary Loveland John & Linda Lungstrum Laura Anne Meyer Kristen Miles Jean & Bill Mitchell Bridget Murphy Barbara Clarke Nash Mark & Susan Osborn John & Janice Pattinson Mark & Jane Potts Mark Reaney Rick Riffel Sherry Ann Roschitz Dr. Janet S. Rose
Teri Pierce & Susan Scannell Mary & Fred Sgroi Jean Shepherd Kathy Smith Robert M. & Margo Campbell Szabo Kathryn & William Tuttle Thomas & Melody Volek Virginia A. Waldorf Alice Weis Jerome Yochim Laura Zabel Friends Catherine Campbell Beth Chambers Candice Davis Jacqueline Z. Davis James L. Dick James C Dunn Pam Eglinski Benjamin Furnish Bernie & Renee Gerstmayr Francesca Haynes William & Cynthia Hislope Karen Hummel David R. & Diana Ice Betty Laird Sacie & David Lambertson Mechele Leon Fred & Carolyn Madaus Lorraine Michel Courtney Moffitt Katherine Patz Markus R. Potter Robert Rohrschneider & Rebecca Rovit Georgann H. Eglinski & Ronald W. Schorr Richard Sengpiehl Sally Shedd Kalen Stockton Anne Stronach Audrey Kamb-Studdard & John Studdard Paul Touyz Susan L. Traub Gail Trottier Judy A. True Austin H. Turney Senior Citizens/KU Students Mary K. Digby Susie Nightingale Esther Smith Julie A. Trowbridge-Alford Ione Unruh Linda Joy Watts Holly Wostal This list does not include members who have joined since September 15, 2026.