KU Theatre kicks off 2026-2027 season with “Songs for a New World”

KU Theatre is back after a busy start to the new semester. Actors and crew are working nearly every day to put on this season’s musical “Songs for a New World” by Jason Robert Brown.

The musical marks the start of KU Theatre’s 2026-2027 season and will feature 12 student actors. 

Director Michelle Miller said the arts provide an opportunity for human expression.

“The arts are just the most human expression that we can make,” Miller said. “It’s something that, you know, we’ve got this era of AI right now, and it cannot be replicated.” 

For the cast, the musical has also meant preparing for a production that requires both strong vocals and emotional storytelling.

“It’s usually just done with four actors, but we had such a talented group of students that we expanded the cast to 12 actors, which means we get that many more voices and textures and also point of views of human experience,” Miller said.

With the show opening this Friday, actors have had to learn several different techniques to give their best performance.

“There’s some very difficult music. But we also do some movement here and there,”  said KU actress Natalie Loftus. “So yeah, just a lot of honing your craft and kind of training your vocal cords and lungs to keep up with this show,” she said.

The Lawrence theatre community gives local actors and creatives several opportunities to tell stories and connect with audiences.

“There are a lot of opportunities, especially in the Lawrence area, whether it’s at KU, Theatre Lawrence, or at the Lead Center,” said KU actor Jacobi Robinson. “All of those are amazing ways to get involved. So I just recommend going out and seeing anything when you can.”

“Songs for a New World” can be seen this weekend and next weekend. Tickets are on sale now at kutheatre.com

Watch the segment here: