Tuesday, March 19, 2024

A Tonic for the Times: CoSA’s “Songs for a New World” (video)

With Broadway dark until June 2021 and the hope of gathering in a darkened theater for an evening of musical entertainment unlikely soon, the talented Musical Theatre students at Coronado School of Arts have released Songs for a New World, a pre-recorded online concert of soul-stirring melodies and lyrics that brim with emotion, hope and soul. The music and vocals are the stars in this touching production by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown and now available for streaming through November 30. Need a restorative evening? Here’s one.

It’s easy to see why Songs for a New World resonates with so many people. The revue had its premiere in 1995 and Brown describes his loosely structured Songs for a New World as being “about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” It explores the epiphanies people face every single day—from a woman in 1775 trying to keep hope alive while her husband and son are at war to a New York housewife desperate for attention to a young couple getting engaged and breaking up.

Visual Storyteller Brad Willis shares this preview and interview with some of the performers:

“In dark times, a number like ‘Hear My Song,’ with its themes of resilience in the face of hardship, is particularly meaningful,” according to Barbara Wolf, Chair of CoSA’s award-winning Musical Theatre & Drama conservatory. “It couldn’t be a more perfect time for this show.”

Filmed responsibly in these challenging times, this hour+ performance is available for streaming in the comfort of your own home at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/39915, now extended to be available until November 30 for only $25. The video on demand is available for 48 hours after initiation and can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) is a premier public school arts conservatory, home to 200 scholar artists grades 9 through 12, who attend the nationally ranked Coronado High School. CoSA provides an intense, pre-professional arts education to students from all over San Diego in six conservatories including Classical & Contemporary Dance, Digital Arts, Instrumental Music, Musical Theatre & Drama, Theatre Production Design & Management, and Visual Art.



Brad Willis
Brad Willis
Brad Willis is an author and retired network news foreign correspondent who has worked in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, Latin America and Asia. He has received national and international awards for compassionate journalism and for his war coverage. Brad is a longtime Coronado resident who has also served as Commissioner of Public Art for the City of Coronado. Send news tips or story ideas to: [email protected].

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