UPPER SCHOOL MUSICAL
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD by Jason Robert Brown
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 7:00 PM DIRECTED BY
Caleb Goh MUSICAL DIRECTION BY
Daniel Doughty CHOREOGRAPHY BY
Danielle Hannah Bensky
POLYARTS Songs for a New World Music & Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Originally Produced by the WPA Theatre, New York City, 1995 Original Orchestration by Brian Besterman & Jason Robert Brown Dr. Caleb Goh Director Daniel Doughty Music Director Danielle Hannah Bensky Choreographer David Higham Lighting & Sound Designer & Technical Director Andrew Murdock Scenic Designer Hannah Chalman Costume Designer
Songs for a New World is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. mtishows.com
Director’s Note So much has changed in our world over the last year. The vibrant city of New York shifted from a bustling metropolis to a ghost town within a matter of weeks. As I walked through our beloved city, a deep sense of sorrow enveloped me. But as quickly as that emotion consumed me, it swiftly got replaced by one of resolve. We are resilient people. No matter what is thrown our way, we fight, we strive, we look ahead, and we surge forward in the hope of keeping afloat through every season of life. When Songs for a New World finally received licensing approval, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The brilliant Jason Robert Brown song cycle was uncannily prescient and is a perfect vehicle to reflect the currency of our situation. Theater has always been a platform to speak truth, face hard facts, escape from monotony, stir the creative mind into action, and inspire through words, actions, meaning, design, and voice. This musical proved to be the ultimate creative voice to springboard the conversation amid our strife-torn world. I decided to set the song cycle in March of 2020, when the onset of the COVID-19 virus began to change our existence here in New York. The musical would conclude its final number in the present day, a year after the virus took hold. Songs for a New World gave each performer an opportunity to shine through the various numbers while also providing them a platform to express their socio-political views on the world we currently live in. It also gave them a chance to come together as a creative community and feel the resilience inspired by their fellow castmates and friends. I would like to thank my fantastic production team: Daniel Doughty for his innovative musical direction, Danielle Hannah Bensky for her creative choreography, David Higham for his beautiful lighting design, Andrew Murdock for his visually arresting scenic design, Hannah Chalman for her evocative costumes, and Bob Burke and Keith Pressman for their ingenious videography skills. Special thanks also goes to Kristen Anderson-Lopez for securing a virtual session with Jason Robert Brown for the entire cast. Thank you to Jason Robert Brown for gracing the production with his time and insight. Thank you to my performers and stage manager for their dedication and ability to rise up to the professional expectations and challenges presented to them. Finally, many thanks to you for being here and continuing to believe in and support the performing arts at Poly. I hope that these songs will make us realize that we are not alone. Our world may be torn right now, but we will begin to heal. We will get through this. Listen to our song. We want to hear yours, too. Enjoy the show! Dr. Caleb Goh
A Note from the Performing Arts Department I often mention in these notes that mounting a full-scale musical at Poly is not a process confined to the rehearsal and performance period. Shows of this caliber can only be produced in such a short period because of the training students receive during the day in our curricular arts program. I will add that this year, the production team, myself included, would not have been able to bring a musical of this scale together without the on-the-ground training we received since last March. Teaching online and outdoors in tents, navigating health and safety protocols, and creative problem-solving laid the foundation for the protocols we used for the Upper School musical. While it has been challenging, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to stretch my teaching skills. I am proud of my colleagues in the Performing Arts Department: they found ways to maintain collaboration, promote skill development, and provide performance opportunities in their classes and fall productions, and they skillfully applied all they learned to this production. I am most proud of the students in our talented cast and crew. They had a very challenging rehearsal process, an abbreviated production schedule, and some of the most demanding music we have done in a Poly musical. But they were focused, independent, and hard-working. Though they were not together physically, they brought joy and connection to the process, and they have amazed and inspired me with their performances. This musical will forever remind me of the resilience and strength Poly faculty and students exhibited during the pandemic. I will always be proud of the work we did together. I hope you enjoy our presentation of Songs for a New World. Daniel Doughty Performing Arts Department Chair
Musical Numbers Opening Sequence: The New World..................................................................Company On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492............. Athena Chuang & Company Just One Step.............................................................................................Fiona Stephenson I’m Not Afraid of Anything............................................................................... Katie Lopez The River Won’t Flow................................. Brandon Jackson, Zeke Wise & Company Transition I........................................................................................................ Lulu McDonald Stars & the Moon..............................................................................................Adrianna Neal She Cries........................................................................................................... Robert Magnus The Steam Train.......................................................Athena Chuang, Charlotte Knutsen, Robert Magnus & Gauri Purohit Surabaya Santa................................................................................................Soph Cimmino Christmas Lullaby......................................Hannah Smith (Dance Solo: Adrianna Neal) King of the World...........................................................Natasha Eliis, Samantha Rodino, Leo Wang & Company I’d Give It All for You...................................................Nayan Khambhla & Gauri Purohit Transition II..........................................................................................................Eliza Schwarz The Flagmaker, 1775............................................................................... Charlotte Knutsen Flying....................................................................................................... Jack Yan & Company Final Transition....................................................... Genevieve Fitzpatrick, Abe Herzog, Mary Lin & Company Hear My Song......................................................................... Jasmine Donald & Company
Time & Place: The majority of this musical is set in New York between March 2020 and March 2021 with the exception of one sequence on board a ship in 1492 and another sequence set in a colonial house in 1775. Songs for a New World is a 90-min song cycle and will be performed with no intermission. Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
Cast Athena Chuang Soph Cimmino Jasmine Donald Natasha Ellis Genevieve Fitzpatrick Abe Herzog Brandon Jackson Nayan Khambhla
Charlotte Knutsen Mary Lin Katie Lopez Robert Magnus Lulu McDonald Adrianna Neal Gauri Purohit Samantha Rodino
Eliza Schwarz Hannah Smith Fiona Stephenson Leo Wang Zeke Wise Jack Yan
Production Staff Dr. Caleb Goh................................................................................................................ Director Daniel Doughty................................................................................................ Music Director Danielle Hannah Bensky............................................................................ Choreographer David Higham........................................................................... Lighting & Sound Designer Andrew Murdock......................................................................................... Scenic Designer Hannah Chalman.....................................................................................Costume Designer Bob Burke & Keith Pressman..................................................................... Videographers Anne Vasquez................................................................................................. Stage Manager Joseph Inglis.............................................................................. Program Artwork Designer Linda Busetti & William Rosario............................................................................Publicity Tasha Fonstein, Sundiata Gittens & Owen Samra............................Technical Crew
Meet the Cast Athena Chuang is in Grade 12 and is so excited to perform in her fourth and final show at Poly Prep. She has been in Grease and Urinetown as a performer, as well as Into the Woods as part of the crew. She hopes you enjoy the show and would like to thank all the cast and crew for their efforts in bringing this show to the stage! Soph Cimmino is in Grade 11 and is thrilled to be performing in their sixth show at Poly. During the autumn production of Love, Shakespeare, they performed as Nurse in Romeo & Juliet and Claudio in Measure for Measure. Last year, they had the privilege of playing Stage Manager in Our Town and Roger in Grease! Soph is so thankful for all of the people in the cast and crew who made this production happen, and hopes you enjoy the show! Jasmine Donald is in Grade 9 and is extremely excited to be a part of this amazing musical! As a new student to Poly, she is so happy to have made several amazing friends and built amazing relationships with her fellow cast members and directors. Jasmine has done several shows in the past such as Seussical, Frozen, Once on This Island, Grease, The Lion King, and more. The whole cast and crew have worked hard for this show and the whole experience has been amazing! Natasha Ellis is in Grade 10 and is so excited to be a part of this wonderful cast and show! At Poly, she has been in Footloose, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Grease! Natasha wants to thank Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, and the rest of the cast and crew for coming together to create such a wonderful show amid these interesting times! Genevieve Fitzpatrick is in Grade 9 and this will be her seventh show at Poly including Seussical, Footloose, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Clue, and Matilda. She is passionate about theater at Poly Prep and she is so excited to be doing such a great show especially during these hard times. Everyone in the cast and crew is extremely talented and has worked very hard to get this show to where it is. Abe Herzog is in Grade 9 this year and this is his sixth show at Poly Prep. He is super excited to join everyone in this wonderful cast! Brandon Jackson is in Grade 11 this year and is excited to see how the production of Songs for a New World will turn out. Some past performances in Poly include Eugene in Grease, George in Our Town, and Officer Barrel in Urinetown. He would like to thank Dr. Goh for trying to make this experience as normal as possible in the middle of this pandemic, as well as his family and fellow cast members for making this experience as great as possible!
Nayan Khambhla is in Grade 11 and is thrilled to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. He has previously been in many of the Poly productions and is very excited and proud to add Songs for a New World to the list. He would like to thank Mr. Doughty, Dr. Goh, and Ms. Bensky for allowing him to be a part of this extremely talented cast and crew. Charlotte Knutsen is in Grade 12 and is very excited (but very sad) to be performing in her last Poly musical! This year Charlotte has been in the Grades 11 and 12 play, Love, Shakespeare, as Lady Macbeth and Helena. As for in-person Poly shows, she’s been in Les Mis (Little Cosette), 13 (Patrice), Into the Woods (Rapunzel), End Days (Masha), Urinetown (Little Becky Two-Shoes), The Laramie Project (Ensemble), and Grease (Sandy). She will miss the theatre department so much!!!! Many many thanks to Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, Mr. Higham, Mr. Murdock, Ms. Chalman, Anne, Tasha, and the wonderful cast of Songs for a New World for keeping theatre alive during a global pandemic. She hopes you enjoy the show! Mary Lin is in Grade 9. She is new to Poly this year and is thrilled to be a part of her first musical here. In November, she played One in What Happened in Apartment 1B, one of the tales in the series, Ghost Story. In her previous school in China, she played one of the head girls in the musical Summer. She is grateful for the opportunity given by Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, and the whole Poly Prep Arts Department to participate in this fabulous musical, Songs for a New World. Katie Lopez is in Grade 10 and is psyched to be a part of Songs for a New World, which will be her eighth show at Poly! Her previous Poly productions include Footloose (Rusty), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Lucy), Last Summer (Tamar), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania), among others. She’s been singing and acting since before she could walk, and would like to thank the entire Poly Arts Department for fostering her passion for theater even in these trying times. She is so excited to be a part of this incredible cast and crew, and hopes you enjoy the show! Robert Magnus is in Grade 12 and is excited to be a part of this cinematic production, even though this will be his last performance in a Poly production. Some of the previous Poly productions he was involved with include Love, Shakespeare (Pertruchio/Macbeth), Grease (Teen Angel/Ensemble), The Laramie Project (Ensemble/Various Characters), Urinetown (Old Man Strong), End Days (Ian/Jeremy), Into the Woods (The Birds), and Snow Angel (Stage Manager). He would like to thank Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, and Ms. Bensky for their leadership and hard work to make sure a musical could be possible this year. He would also like to thank his family, the cast, and the production team.
Meet the Cast (Cont.) Lulu McDonald is in Grade 9 and is excited to be part of Songs for a New World, her first musical at Poly as a new student. In the fall, she played Emily Dickinson in Little Rose, part of the Poly Grades 9 and 10 play Ghost Story. She also played Calliope in her middle school musical Xanadu Jr. She is grateful to Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, and the whole Poly Arts and Health Departments for working to put on this musical in pandemic times and hopes you enjoy the show! Adrianna Neal is in Grade 10 and is very excited to be a part of her first musical in the Upper School, Songs for a New World. She attended the Poly Prep Performing Arts camp for five years before attending Poly Prep during the school year, and has participated in multiple productions both at Poly and outside Poly. She is also an active member of Dance Team and Harmonics and has been a competitive dancer since she was 9 years old. Theater is Adrianna’s passion and she is very grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of this amazing production. Thank you to Ms. Bensky, Mr. Doughty, and Dr. Goh for making all of this possible even during these unprecedented times. Gauri Purohit is in Grade 12 and is so excited to be a part of this amazing production of Songs for a New World! Gauri is an avid performer and has always loved to participate in the musicals and art shows at Poly since she was in the sixth grade. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and specifically Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, Mr. Higham, Mr. Murdock and Ms. Chalman for enabling the “theater kids” of Poly to keep pursuing acting and performing in a time when it would be easier to cancel the productions completely. Samantha Rodino is in Grade 11 and is excited to be a part of her fifth production at Poly. In the fall, she played Beatrice and Isabella in the Grades 11 and 12 play Love, Shakespeare. Last year, she played Mrs. Webb in the Grades 9 and 10 play Our Town. Outside of Poly, she has been in many productions, including The Wizard of Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West at the Rockaway Theatre Company. She thanks Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, and the entire Poly Prep Arts Department for the opportunity to be a part of Songs for a New World. Eliza Schwarz is in Grade 10. She is new to Poly Prep this year and is so excited to be in her first musical at Poly. She played the warrior Annanore in Silence, one of the tales in the Grades 9 and 10 fall play, Ghost Story. At her school in Cleveland, OH, she played one of the Storytellers in her Grade 8 musical, Once on This Island. She is so grateful for this chance to be a part of Songs for a New World and would like to sincerely thank Dr. Goh, Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, and the whole Poly Prep Arts Department.
Hannah Smith is in Grade 11 and is so happy to be performing in her ninth Poly production! Last year, she appeared as the Stage Manager in the Grades 9 and 10 production of Our Town as well as Patty in Grease. She has been an avid member of the Poly Prep Performing Arts community since Middle School and is so grateful to still have the opportunity to perform in Songs for a New World even in these challenging times. She would like to thank Mr. Doughty, Ms. Bensky, Dr. Goh, and the entirety of the cast and crew of Songs for a New World for making this experience possible, and she hopes you love the show! Fiona Stephenson is in Grade 10 and is excited to be performing in Songs for a New World. She has appeared in numerous Poly productions, including Footloose, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Our Town, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Grease, and Ghost Story. She’d like to thank the Poly Theater creative team for this opportunity. Leo Wang is in Grade 10 and is thrilled to be a part of Songs for a New World. This is his second musical at Poly, and he also had appeared in the Grades 9 and 10 production of Ghost Story this year. Leo has an artistic personality, and he is fascinated by so many art forms. He loves theater, cello, and visual art. He feels so lucky to be a part of this fantastic production and would like to thank everyone who made this production possible in this challenging time. Zeke Wise is is in Grade 9 and is ecstatic to be a part of his first Poly musical. He has participated in the Grades 9 and 10 play, assuming the roles of El Coco and Chupacabra. He has played parts such as Jack Kelly from Disney’s Newsies, and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. He is so grateful to be a part of this amazing program, and is wildly impressed with the Poly theater department for thriving so well especially under COVID. He sincerely hopes you enjoy the show! Jack Yan This is Jack’s debut on Poly’s musical stage! He was previously in the Grade 11 and 12 play, Love, Shakespeare, playing the roles of Hamlet and Benedick. He is in Grade 11 this year and is extremely excited to be a part of the production of Songs for a New World. He believes this musical is a perfect fit for the times we are going through, and thrilled to see the entire production be brought to life by our wonderful cast and staff! He wishes, through our art and music, that we may bring love and joy to our families and community. As we move forward in this constantly changing world, he wishes this musical will bring hope to your world!
Meet the Production Staff Dr. Caleb Goh (Director) Dr. Caleb Goh moved from California to the east coast a few years ago. He is the director of theatre and speech in the Upper School. Dr. Goh graduated with a BA in Drama from QUT (Australia), an MFA in Musical Theatre from SDSU (California), and a Ph.D. in Musical Theatre at WAAPA (Australia). He has worked professionally as an actor, singer, dancer, playwright, director, and choreographer in over 70 stage productions, a dozen television series, and four feature films. Previously, Dr. Goh was the glee club director and taught drama, dance, and musical theatre at La Jolla Country Day School. He was also musical theatre lecturer at the National University of Singapore and Lasalle College of the Arts (Singapore), and US drama program director at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. In addition to his role at Poly, Dr. Goh has concurrently assumed the position of adjunct professor at SUNY Purchase, lecturing in Musical Theatre History & Performance. Daniel Doughty (Music Director) Daniel Doughty joined the faculty of Poly Prep in 2006. He teaches Middle and Upper School choral ensembles and general music classes and serves as the Chair of the Performing Arts Department. Mr. Doughty is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators, the National Association for Music Educators, and the New York State School Music Association and serves on the board of the Kodaly Organization of New York. Songs for a New World is Daniel’s fourteenth Poly production as musical director. He is thrilled to work with such talented artists, both adults, and students, onstage and off. Danielle Hannah Bensky (Choreographer) This is Dani’s fifth year as a choreographer at Poly and second year teaching dance in the Upper School full time. Dani is currently a Teaching Artist with Disney Theatricals, Encores! at City Center, TADA Youth Theater and is the original choreographer for Peace On Your Wings; the story of Sadako Sasaki which has been seen Off Broadway in NYC, and on tour in the West Coast and Hawaii. Dani has taught master classes and created pieces for studios and conservatories across the US with Liberate Artists. In addition, Danielle has choreographed/staged many full-scale musicals and original concert dance pieces for The New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF), Rye Country Day School, Stagedoor Manor, Ohana Arts Hawaii and York College (CUNY).This is Danielle’s ninth year working for The Walt Disney Company on the NY creative events team after a stint with Disney Cruise Line. Her training consists of The Joffrey Ballet School, New Jersey Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Dani is so grateful for this opportunity to create art with such talented colleagues and students during this unprecedented time. It is endlessly exciting to be a part of such a collaborative and innovative process.
David Higham (Lighting & Sound Designer & Technical Director) This is Mr. Higham’s 29th year at Poly where he has been responsible for designing, lighting, sound and / or scenery for over 160 productions. Mr. Higham serves as the Manager and Technical Director for the Richard Perry Theatre and teaches classes in Stagecraft, Set Design and Film Production. As well as his work at Poly Mr. Higham has designed lighting for productions for, amongst others, the Public Theater, the Irish Arts Center, The Women’s Project, The Alvin Ailey II Company, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, The National Shakespeare Company and the Lincoln Center Institute. Mr. Higham has also worked as a lighting consultant for numerous New York based architectural, landscape architectural and interior design firms. It continues to be a pleasure to create theatre of a very high standard and to work with such highly accomplished colleagues and exceptionally talented students. Andrew Murdock (Scenic Designer & Videographer) Andrew Murdock is an interdisciplinary artist and educator. He has worked at Puppetry in Practice and Marquis Studios teaching classes in video, puppetry and stop motion animation (K-12 in NYC public schools). His personal work often bridges the tangible and digital by utilizing techniques in video, physical theatre and puppetry. He holds a customized BFA dual major in Sculpture and Film, Animation, Video (FAV) from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College focusing on collaborative theatre making and the integration of technology. Recent credits include: Video Designer and Livestream Technician for 36.5 / PROCESS by Sarah Cameron Sunde (Socrates Sculpture Park/Hallett’s Cove, NYC), Commissioned Video Project AMASS (ArtYard, Frenchtown, NJ) and Co-creator, Puppeteer and Designer of original work-in-progress piece BE(INGS) created in collaboration what Gabrielle Schutz (Object Movement Festival, NYC). This is Mr. Murdocks’ first year at Poly Prep and he is very excited to help showcase the student’s work in these strange days. Hannah Chalman (Costume Designer) Hannah Chalman is a costume designer, costume technician, and makeup artist from Tennessee. Ms. Chalman received her MFA in Costume Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and her BA in Theatre from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Before joining Poly Prep, Ms. Chalman worked as the Costume Design Assistant for Long Wharf Theatre’s 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 season. Other credits include working as Assistant Costume Designer for Othello (The Public Theatre - Shakespeare in the Park), Assistant Costume Designer for Admissions (Lincoln Center Theatre) and as a Personal Assistant to Toni-Leslie James for Come From Away (Broadway).
Meet the Production Staff (Cont.) Anne Vasquez (Stage Manager) Anne is in Grade 11 this year, and is excited to be working on this unique production this year at Poly. This is her sixth Poly production, having been an assistant stage manager for Grease and The Laramie Project last year and Urinetown the year prior. She has also been stage manager of Our Town last year and End Days in Grade 9. She would like to thank Dr. Goh and the Poly Arts Department for working to make a safe spring production during the pandemic possible. She hopes you enjoy the show! Jason Robert Brown (Composer & Lyricist) JASON ROBERT BROWN is the ultimate multi-hyphenate - an equally skilled composer, lyricist, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, director and performer - best known for his dazzling scores to several of the most renowned musicals of our time, including the generationdefining The Last Five Years, his debut song cycle Songs for a New World, and the seminal Parade, for which he won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Score. Jason Robert Brown has been hailed as “one of Broadway’s smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and his “extraordinary, jubilant theater music” (Chicago Tribune) has been heard all over the world, whether in one of the hundreds of productions of his musicals every year or in his own incendiary live performances. The New York Times refers to Jason as “a leading member of a new generation of composers who embody high hopes for the American musical.” Jason’s score for The Bridges of Madison County, a musical adapted with Marsha Norman from the bestselling novel, received two Tony Awards (for Best Score and Orchestrations). Honeymoon in Vegas, based on Andrew Bergman’s film, opened on Broadway in 2015 following a triumphant production at Paper Mill Playhouse. A film version of his epochal Off-Broadway musical The Last Five Years was released in 2015, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan and directed by Richard LaGravenese. His major musicals as composer and lyricist include: 13, written with Robert Horn and Dan Elish, which opened on Broadway in 2008 and was subsequently directed by the composer for its West End premiere in 2012; The Last Five Years, which was cited as one of Time Magazine’s 10 Best of 2001 and won Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics (and was later directed by the composer in its record-breaking Off-Broadway run at Second Stage Theatre in 2013); Parade, written with Alfred Uhry and directed by Harold Prince, which won both the Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards for Best New Musical, as well as garnering Jason the Tony Award for Original Score; and Songs for a New World, a theatrical song cycle directed by Daisy Prince, which has since been seen in hundreds of productions around the world since its 1995 Off-Broadway debut, including a celebrated revival at New York’s City Center in the summer of 2018. Parade was also the subject of a major revival directed by Rob Ashford, first at London’s Donmar Warehouse and then at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Jason conducted his orchestral adaptation of E.B. White’s novel The Trumpet
of the Swan with the National Symphony Orchestra, and recorded the score for PS Classics. Future projects include a new chamber musical created with Daisy Prince and Jonathan Marc Sherman called The Connector; an adaptation of Lilian Lee’s Farewell My Concubine, created with Kenneth Lin and Moisés Kaufman; and a collaboration with Billy Crystal, Amanda Green, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel on a musical of Mr. Saturday Night. Jason is the winner of the 2018 Louis Auchincloss Prize, the 2002 Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyrics and the 1996 Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Foundation Award for Musical Theatre. Jason’s songs, including the cabaret standard “Stars and the Moon,” have been performed and recorded by Ariana Grande, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Billy Porter, Betty Buckley, Renée Fleming, Jon Hendricks and many others, and his song “Someone To Fall Back On” was featured in the Walden Media film, Bandslam. As a soloist or with his band The Caucasian Rhythm Kings, Jason has performed concerts around the world. For the past four years (and ongoing), his monthly sold-out performances at New York’s SubCulture have featured many of the music and theater world’s most extraordinary performers. His newest collection, “How We React and How We Recover,” was released in June 2018 on Ghostlight Records. His previous solo album, “Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes,” was named one of Amazon.com’s best of 2005, and is available from Sh-K-Boom Records. Jason’s 2012 concert with Anika Noni Rose was broadcast on PBS, and he was the featured soloist for a live episode of Friday Night Is Music Night, broadcast live from the London Palladium and featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra. His collaboration with singer Lauren Kennedy, “Songs of Jason Robert Brown,” is available on PS Classics. Jason is also the composer of the incidental music for the Broadway revival of You Can’t Take It With You, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Kimberly Akimbo and Fuddy Meers, and Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery, and he was a Tony Award nominee for his contributions to the score of Urban Cowboy the Musical. He has also contributed music to the hit Nickelodeon television series, The Wonder Pets as well as Sesame Street. Jason spent ten years teaching at the USC School of Dramatic Arts, and has also taught at Harvard University, Princeton University and Emerson College. For the musical Prince of Broadway, a celebration of the career of his mentor Harold Prince, Jason was the musical supervisor and arranger. Other New York credits as conductor and arranger include Urban Cowboy the Musical on Broadway; Dinah Was, off-Broadway and on national tour; When Pigs Fly, Off-Broadway; William Finn’s A New Brain at Lincoln Center Theater; the 1992 tribute to Stephen Sondheim at Carnegie Hall (recorded by RCA Victor); Yoko Ono’s New York Rock, at the WPA Theatre; and Michael John LaChiusa’s The Petrified Princ” at the Public Theatre. Jason orchestrated Andrew Lippa’s john and jen, Off-Broadway at Lamb’s Theatre. Additionally, Jason served as the orchestrator and arranger of Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’s score for a
proposed musical of Star Wars. Jason has conducted and created arrangements and orchestrations for Liza Minnelli, John Pizzarelli, and Michael Feinstein, among many others. Jason studied composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., with Samuel Adler, Christopher Rouse, and Joseph Schwantner. He lives with his wife, composer Georgia Stitt, and their daughters in New York City. Jason is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and the American Federation of Musicians Local 802. Visit him on the web at jasonrobertbrown.com. Music Theatre International (Licensing) Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser, and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior™ shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
A Note About Our Rehearsal Process and Safety Protocols Due to the current health and safety protocols, we made several adjustments to our rehearsal process, which are outlined below. Our teaching and rehearsal process was done entirely via Zoom. We had one day on campus to rehearse together and three days of on-campus filming. In preparation for our on-campus days, we worked closely with Sarah Zuercher, Director of Health and Well-being and COVID Safety Coordinator, to create these protocols: • Students were rapid-tested upon arrival. Remote students were required to submit PCR test results before the first on-campus rehearsal. • Students were masked and socially distanced all day except for specific moments when we were filming. • Students remained seated in the theatre’s back rows while not rehearsing to avoid proximity with the performers on stage. • Staging and choreography adhered to state and national guidelines for social distancing: 12 feet apart for dancing and singing. • Solo numbers, with only one person on stage, were filmed unmasked. •
We filmed small group numbers, with multiple singers, several times so that only one student at a time was unmasked. The footage was edited to create the final scene. Small group numbers maintained 12-foot distancing in staging and choreography.
•
For the three largest group numbers, 12-foot distancing was not possible. For these songs, students maintained 6-foot distancing. Students did not dance, and they did not sing. Students pre-recorded music for these numbers and lip-synced while on stage. All students remained masked except for soloists who unmasked to lip-sync their part.
• Students did not share props, costume pieces, or microphones. • We created a detailed filming schedule for each day on campus, calling only the students needed for that day. Students were dismissed when they finished filming.
RETURNING STUDENTS, DATES AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR FALL 2021 OFFERINGS COMING SOON! — Grades 9 & 10 Preseason Theatre Workshop — Grades 11 & 12 Preseason Theatre Workshop — Auditions for the Grades 9&10 and 11&12 Plays — Course Registration We encourage returning students to continue their in-school training at Poly by enrolling in some of the following classes. Please contact Daniel Doughty at ddoughty@polyprep.org for more information: • Acting • Advanced Acting • Concert Choir • Advanced Concert Choir • Dance • Advanced Dance • Stagecraft and Construction
• • • • •
Set Design and Computer Aided Drafting Concert Band Jazz Band String Ensemble Music Production
Our Production Would Not Be Possible without the Generous Support of: Audrius Barzdukas P’20 Head of School Michal Hershkovitz P’16, ’18 Assistant Head of School, Academics Sarah Bates Head of Upper School Michael Robinson Head of Arts Daniel Doughty Performing Arts Department Chair The members of the Performing Arts faculty, the Engagement & Communications Department, the Poly Prep IT staff, the Facilities and Maintenance Department, Vinny Rutuelo and the Security staff, Chef Lou and the kitchen staff, and the Upper School deans.
Please follow our new Poly Prep ARTS social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for all-things-art at Poly featuring students Nursery–12th grade. FOLLOW US @polyprepARTS
POWERED BY ANNUAL GIVING
Join Us for These Upcoming Performing Arts Events Afternoon of Student Choreography Thursday, March 25 | 6:00 PM Acting Showcase and Theatre Awards Ceremony Tuesday, May 18 | 6:00 PM Poly Conservatory Spring Recital Wednesday, May 19 | 4:00 PM Spring Dance Concert Friday, May 21 | 7:00 PM MS/US Spring Vocal and Instrumental Concert Tuesday, May 25 | 7:00 PM MS Musical, Godspell JR. Friday, May 28 | 7:00 PM
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR UPCOMING EVENTS.