Brookfield Theatre For The Arts Is Offering Good ‘Songs’

By Julie Stern

BROOKFIELD — At the end of the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts’ production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World, a perky officer of the theatre organization addressed the audience and offered a pair of season tickets for 2006 to anyone who would stand up and say what the point of the show was, that is, what was the unifying connection between the 18 songs that comprise the cabaret style musical.

That’s not too hard, really. From the opening sequence “On the deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492,” the songs reflect the fantasies, aspirations and agonies of an essentially rootless population, whose dreams are big. This is America, after all, but whose grasp of what is possible is not always clear. Most of the numbers are actually dramatic monologues which gradually reveal a long and involved story.

The whole thing is reminiscent of the work of Stephen Sondheim, with lyrics that are more clever and memorable than the music, but the Brookfield rendition is bolstered by the impressive talent of the small company.

Under the direction of Jean-Pierre Ferragamo, the four principals — Bart Geissinger, Sarah Widomski, Richard Damaso and Katherine Dickson — do an outstanding job. Their voices are all strong and true and a pleasure to listen to.

In particular, though, it is worth singling out Ms Dickson for her comic performance. In “Just One Step” she is an angry wife threatening to jump from the balcony of her Park Avenue high-rise in response to her husband Murray’s indifference.

In “Christmas Lullaby” she begins as a wistful 17-year-old, swept off her feet by the attentions of a famous older man. Gradually we realize that this is how she became Mrs Santa Claus, and she is getting fed up with his going off and leaving her with a jolly “Ho Ho Ho” every December. In fact, she is getting so desperate that she is starting to flirt with the elves.

Richard Damaso’s presence on stage is marked by a powerful electric energy that is absolutely riveting, especially in his solo piece, “King of the World.”

Ms Widomski and Mr Geissinger have a moving duet in “I’d Give it All for You,” a portrait of a young man who is so traumatized by his father’s business failure that even though he meets the girl of his dreams in college, he is unable to face the emotional risk of commitment.

If you enjoy songs — and this show is nothing but songs — performed on a bare stage, with just a couple of stools as props, this makes for a highly entertaining evening out.

(Performances conclude this weekend, with shows on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm. Call for ticket details and reservations, 775-0023.

The theater is on Route 25, near Brookfield Public Library.)