CAMEO Stages SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, Now thru 8/17

The CAMEO 2013 season marks the 10-year anniversary of summer musicals in the Medina Performing Arts Center. In its first production in 2003, My Fair Lady, Medina native Rachel Spetrino was just 14 years old and was cast as a flower girl. This year Ms. Spetrino returns to direct her second CAMEO production, Songs for a New World, which opens August 9. Musical direction will be by another Medina high school alum, Tom Bonezzi.

CAMEO is undertaking an unprecedented challenge in bringing this unique and creative show to the Medina stage. Songs for a New World was written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, a Tony award-winning songwriter who has been dubbed "one of Broadway's smartest and most sophisticated songwriters." Songs for a New World was his first musical, and has been produced over 200 times around the world. Musicians as well as average listeners will appreciate the complexity of the score and the emotionally charged story.

But what is Songs about? Considered to be a "song cycle," there are 16 songs woven together differently by directors to tell compelling stories of the journeys people make in their lives. There is little dialogue.
Ms. Spetrino explains, "For our production, there is an over arching storyline, akin to the movie Love Actually where throughout the show we realize how the individual stories of the characters are intertwined."

Cast for Songs includes nine dynamic adult performers with talent and experience that enable them to tackle the challenging music: Rachel Anderson, Nick Bailey, Amanda Davis, Audrey Hoffmann, Zack Pytel, John Semenik, Tyler Skidmore, Cindy Smith, and Adam Vigneault.

Audiences for each performance are being limited to 100 people seated on stage with the performers.

"We want to provide the audience with an intimate theatrical experience of unique staging and contemporary musical genres," according to Ms. Spetrino. "The score incorporates jazz, gospel, musical theatre, funk, and pop, so there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy." A live quartet will provide musical accompaniment.

Performances for Songs for a New World are tonight, August 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:30 pm with matinees on August 11, 18 at 2:00 pm. Because there are adult themes and content, this show is not recommended for children under the age of 13. All tickets are $15 and are available at Medina Buehler's stores and online at www.cameo-medina.org.

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