1-01 Opening_ The New World-[AudioTrimmer.com].m4a

THE WORLD WAS DANCING

Reference Imagery (Amy)

Design Treatment

Reference Imagery (Man)

THE STEAM TRAIN

The Steam Train: Design Treatment

The Steam Train tells the story of a poor teenager’s sky-high ambitions to become a basketball star. The energetic, boastful number is occasionally interrupted, however, with flashbacks to the difficult past that he is desperate to move beyond.

The costume needed to reflect his economic status, basketball dreams, and 90s reminiscent jazziness of the song. I conveyed the boyish cockiness aspect through a backwards hat, T-shirt and athletic jacket, and sneakers— all thoroughly worn in, so as to align with the character’s less advantageous financial situation. The color red drew attention to the actor, and suggested his emboldened ego.

JUST ONE STEP

Just One Step: Design Treatment

Just One Step is sung by a woman with tremendous wealth and unbearable loneliness. Teetering on the balcony of her gleaming New York penthouse, she threatens to jump in a hysterical attempt to garner attention from her indifferent husband.

Upon hearing Just One Step, I imagined an eccentric 80s aesthetic. The original design depicts her in a scarlet suit jacket and matching skirt, with sharp shoulder pads and steep black high heels. However, the song-cycle nature of Songs For a New World (plus the small size of our cast) required the actress to change into Just One Step within seconds after a number set in the 1800s. For quick change’s sake, we compromised with a dramatic fur coat atop fitted her black base clothes from previous songs.

SURABAYA SANTA

Surabaya Santa: Design Treatment

Surabaya Santa expresses Mrs. Claus’s indignation at her husband for abandoning her for his work during Christmastime. Upon first listen, I designed the character set in the1950s-1960s, but after discussing with the director and watching the actress play her character, I realized that she interpreted the number in a darker tone. Taking inspiration from more dramatic, dark, almost Burtonesque style, I layered a lacy red duster cardigan over the actress’s base costume- it accomplished a devised feeling, and simplified the many quick changes to come.

THE RIVER WON’T FLOW

The River Won’t Flow: Design Treatment

Two characters, down on their luck and utterly despondant, give their two cents about life, fate, and money.

I wanted the color green to be prevalent in this number, symbolizing money and greed. Both characters wore it in some form, whether under a pair of overalls or beneath a tattered jacket. The most important aspect of these costumes was to communicate the characters’ less advantageous financial situation, which the entire number revolves around.

I’D GIVE IT ALL FOR YOU