MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 3, 2019) — Milligan College’s musical theatre program will present “Songs for a New World” on Oct. 24-27 in the McGlothlin-Street Theatre located in the Gregory Center. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m., Oct. 24-26, and 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at milligan.tix.com.
“Songs for a New World” is the first musical from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, the composer of “Parade” and “Bridges of Madison County.” Through a moving collection of songs, this musical examines how ordinary people survive extraordinary circumstances. The show follows multiple characters, including a captain of a ship in 1492, a flag maker suffering loss, a mother deciding to create a new life and a man choosing to take his basketball future into his own hands.
“Every character in this show faces an obstacle in life, and audiences will follow how each character chooses to respond and what consequences arise,” shared Dr. Carrie Klofach, assistant professor of musical theatre. “I really appreciate this show’s emphasis on community. Each character must depend on others to overcome their obstacles and discover a new world.”
The musical features seven main characters and includes an onstage band. The cast will be led by freshman Hannah Alford, of Abingdon, Virginia; senior Maggie Booher, Elizabethton, Tennessee; sophomore Katie Cochran, Johnson City, Tennessee; sophomore Kevin Odom, Kingsport, Tennessee; freshman Joseph Reese, Nashville, Tennessee; freshman Jacob Wilson, Managua, Nicaragua; and sophomore Margaret Siglin, Kingsport, Tennessee. The show is directed by Klofach and designed by Tess Evans-Shell, Milligan’s theatre technical director and artistic designer.
For many cast members, they were most excited about the opportunity to portray an independent story in this musical.
“This musical is different from other shows, and it has made each actor make bold character choices,” shared Siglin. “This show also serves as a good reminder that even though we all have our own individual stories, we are united by many things.”
Earlier in the semester, a member of the original Off-Broadway cast, Jessica Molaskey, visited Milligan to assist the cast in a private rehearsal. Molaskey, a Broadway veteran, also observed and coached Milligan students in a public masterclass.
For more information on Milligan’s musical theatre program, visit www.milligan.edu/musical-theatre.