Names&Faces: Imagine NEPA, Gaslight Theatre to present 'Songs for a New World'
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Aug. 9—Two Northeast Pennsylvania theater companies will take audiences on a journey through the defining moments in life.
Imagine NEPA Performing Arts Center and Gaslight Theatre Company present "Songs for a New World" by Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown at two venues this month.
Imagine NEPA, 113 Church St., Dalton, hosts the musical from Friday, Aug. 18, through Sunday, Aug. 20, before it moves to George P. Maffei II Theatre at King's College, Wilkes-Barre, from Friday, Aug. 25, through Sunday, Aug. 27.
The performances begin at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays.
Gaslight Theatre Company Vice President Mike Wawrzynek, also the director of "Songs for a New World," said a partnership between the two theater companies came up as a way of sharing resources, and their missions closely align. It's Imagine NEPA and Gaslight Theatre's first production together, he added.
Along with Wawrzynek, the show features musical direction by Michele Millington of Mountain Top. Mandy Bruno Bogue of Milford, Kristen Long of Tobyhanna, LaToya Martin of Scranton and Dane Bower of Wyoming make up the cast.
According to a news release, the moving collection of songs takes audiences from a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge above Fifth Avenue, all while exploring the universal human experience of embracing change, conquering fears and embarking on new journeys.
Wawrzynek said "Songs for a New World" puts into words the moments in life when people need to make a choice. Audiences will relate to the feeling of hitting an impasse, making a decision and wondering if it's the right way to go, he added.
"I think that the nostalgia and thinking about where we've been and where we can go, it's so powerful, it's so universal," he said. "I just want the audience to leave feeling like they came in asking a question, and they leave knowing an answer to the question."
Admission costs $20, or $15 for students, seniors and military members. To purchase tickets, visit imaginenepa.com.
— BROOKE WILLIAMS
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