When audiences come to a performance of "Songs for a New World," they can expect something a little different than a traditional musical. "It's like paying for one show, but you're actually seeing 15," said Wally Calderon, who will direct the show for Servant Stage. As Calderon explained, "Songs For A New World" is a collection of songs that are intertwined.

"It's a very interesting piece of theater," he stated. "People are used to going to see a show where they are following one story in the same setting, but in this show, these are 15 different stories. Every song is its own story, its own character. They are all tied together through a couple of themes." Those themes include the moment of decision, when people must choose to back away from something, move forward or shift gears entirely, he said. "The decision might be about love, or it might be a decision about family or about life in general or about a career," he remarked. "When I'm watching it, I find myself getting caught up and wanting to hear more from each song, but we have to go on to the next one."

Written by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, the show was created in 1995, but it isn't dated, Calderon said. "There are so many themes in this show that are still relevant, especially in today's world," he noted.

Some songs feature heavier themes and others are more comedic. "All of the songs have aspects that are applicable to the lives of our audience," Calderon explained. "The songs are a direct commentary to our audience, telling us that we all face these tough decisions and these moments when we make them, and we may think we're the only ones going through that, but we're not. We're not alone."

"Songs for a New World" features four roles, but the Servant Stage production is double cast. The performers are Brittany Adair Beitzel, Cassandra Cummings, Joshua William Green, Paul Michael Hughes, Asia Littlejohn, Jenna Leigh Miller, Geoffery Morgan, and Ian Sanchez-Herasme. With a mix of solo numbers and ensemble pieces, the show is almost entirely sung through, with only small bits of transition between songs. "The music is beautiful and powerful, but the show is not done too often partly because it's so vocally demanding," Calderon said. "We have the singers to do it well."

"Songs for a New World" will be performed at The Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Friday, March 11 through Sunday, March 27. Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Fridays, at 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. All performances are offered for pay-what-you-will admission as part of Servant Stage's mission to make theater accessible to everyone, but reservations are required. To reserve tickets, visit https://servantstage.org or call 717-455-0255.