AS part of its 10th anniversary celebration, the Byron Bure Academy of Theatre Arts (BBATA), is staging a vibrant production of Songs for a New World by Jason Robert Brown at The Wave Theatre from 29 April to 10 May 2026,
This production, from the team behind the sold-out Shrek, The Musical (2025), features a powerful, diverse cast with strong vocal abilities and emotional range across pop, gospel, and jazz-infused songs exploring pivotal moments of choice and transformation.
This contemporary musical revue explores pivotal moments of choice and transformation, as Brown himself describes it, “it’s about one moment… about hitting the wall and having to make a choice.” Through interconnected stories that span time and place. from a 1492 sailing ship to a New York penthouse ledge, the production follows characters standing at life-defining crossroads. The message, even in uncertainty, remains hopeful: we’ll be fine.
The score blends pop, gospel, and jazz influences with powerful harmonies and emotionally charged storytelling with hits like Stars and the Moon, King of the World, Just one Step and I’m Not Afraid, making it a dynamic showcase for a diverse and vocally strong cast. With two alternating casts, audiences have multiple opportunities to experience this moving and vocally rich production.
- Venue: The Wave Theatre (Above Tigers Milk, 44 Long Street, Cape Town)
- Dates: 29 April – 10 May 2026
- Running time: Approximately 2.5 hours (including a 20-minute interval)
- Tickets: R200, book here
Directed by Byron Groenewald-Bure
Assistant Director: Tara Macpherson
Musical Direction: Casey Wallace
Choreography: Jessica de Bod & Wendy Henrique
Physical Theatre: Luyanda Jantjies
