Following two years of pandemic shutdowns, isolation, loss, and socio-political divisiveness, Prospect Theater Company takes a look at the challenging journey of life and the need for connection and hope in its world-premiere musical anthology Notes from Now – Songs of Resilience & Renewal, playing at 59E59 Theaters. Prospect’s Producing Artistic Director Cara Reichel served as the curator and creative producer for the highly entertaining and meaningful performance, comprised of a line-up of seventeen newly commissioned songs by 21 of the most talented and compelling musical-theater composers and lyricists of today.
Directed and choreographed with humor, heart, and uplifting vitality by Billy Bustamante, the show is not just a concert of enjoyable and relatable songs (by Jay Adana, Troy Anthony, Masi Asare, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Georgie Castilla and Jaime Lozano, Gretchen Cryer, Tia DeShazor and Derrick Byars, Alexandra Elle and Stephen Schwartz, Adam Gwon, Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar, Peter Mills, Ryan Scott Oliver, Michelle J. Rodriguez, Angela Sclafani, Paulo K Tiról, and Amanda Yesnowitz and Deborah Abramson), but a themed narrative on the puzzle of our current times.
Each well-chosen number considers an aspect of what’s happening now and the feelings that result, to tie the selections together. And each is also a fully formed stand-alone mini-musical, employing the set (by Riw Rakkulchon), costumes (by Rodrigo Muñoz), lighting (by Shannon Clarke), sound (by Ben Scheff), and props to enact an engaging story, with the potential, given the relevance and depth of the subject, to be expanded and developed into a full-length production.
A roster of seven first-rate established and emerging musical-theater artists from Broadway and beyond – Ashley Blanchet (Waitress), Thani Brant, Darron Hayes, Josh Lamon (The Prom), Aline Mayagoitia (HBO’s Love Life), Outer Critics Circle Award winner Judy McLane (Romeo & Bernadette), and John Yi (Soft Power) – brings consistently outstanding and expressive voice to the songs and affecting empathy to the characters, whose experiences they are singing. Kudos to casting director Michael Cassara for assembling such a terrific cast.
Backed by an equally impressive six-piece band (Music Director and Conductor Sean Peter Forte on piano, Suzy Perelman on violin, Matt Sangiovanni on guitar, Marc Schmied on bass, Jessica Wang on cello, and Brandon Wong on drums), the performers display their command of a variety of musical genres, from high-energy show tunes to heartfelt ballads to indie rock and rap stylings, with lush orchestrations by Macy Schmidt (recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 music list for 2022). Together they create rich and resonant harmonies and offer a variety of funny, joyous, and significant observations on the state we’re in and the necessity of staying strong, keeping busy, getting out of your own head, and maintaining contact.
The musical vignettes include scenes of remote learning and Zoom meetings, virtual dating and broken relationships, finding new pastimes and addressing the wrongs of society, seeing ourselves in the metaphors of a vintage mirror and the “Polarizing” behavior of polar bears, feeling the pain of missing loved ones and the euphoria of returning to the theater (expressed in Peter Mills’ “Coming Back to You” – a love song to Broadway and a favorite of the enthusiastic theater-loving audience, performed with signature wit and panache by Josh Lamon), and learning a lesson from the flowers (in which the black box theater is decked) that wilt, then “Bloom” again.
If the events of the past few years have gotten you down, head out to 59E59 and let the exuberance, substance, and artistry of Notes from Now lift you back up. You’ll be blooming in no time!
Running Time: Approximately 95 minutes, without intermission.
Notes from Now – Songs of Resilience & Renewal plays through Sunday, March 20, 2022, at Prospect Theater Company, performing at 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, Theater A, NYC. For tickets (priced at $60-80, plus a $5.50 service fee), go online. Everyone must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the building and must wear a mask when inside.
