I feel really, truly sorry for anyone who missed Second Stage’s production of “Songs for a New World,” which played Nov. 20-22 in WestCo Café. Directed and choreographed by Elizabeth Trammell ’10, with music direction by Stephanie Ross ’09, the show was an incredible display of creativity, talent and heart.

The official website of Jason Robert Brown, the show’s writer and composer, describes “Songs for a New World” as a song cycle. This outlines the basic format of the show, which consists of 16 full songs connected by several “transitions.” Six cast members perform these songs in a mixture of solos, duets and company numbers. There isn’t a linear storyline per se, but there is an overarching theme—in every song, characters move a little closer to understanding themselves and the world around them.

But trying to summarize the “plot” of “Songs for a New World” is difficult and more or less beside the point. The most important success of Trammell and Ross’s production was its ability to connect with the audience. At the Saturday matinee, you could literally have heard a pin drop during the moving “Christmas Lullaby”; audience members leaned forward listening intently, anxious not to miss a word. Although I initially read the brief song synopses in my program during set changes, by the end of the show I was too caught up in the action to pay it any mind. The cast members had me completely under their spell.

It’s hard even to describe how well the talented actors/singers of “Songs for a New World” performed alone and as an ensemble. Individually, each of the three men and three women brought personality and subtle nuances (in addition to considerable musical skill) to their solo pieces. Leah Lucid ’10 provided a dash of tragicomedy to the production, adeptly anchoring “Just One Step” (about a woman who, standing on a window ledge, threatens to jump—yes, there was a comedic element there) and “Surabaya Santa,” sung from the perspective of Santa Claus’s unhappy wife. Tim Dodds ’11, meanwhile, owned the stage during his solos, shifting from a growly lower register to a pure falsetto.

Allie Levey ’09 and Justin Bours ’10 put their musical and dramatic talents to good use in their more tender solos—Levey drew tears in his final solo, and Bours was especially excellent in “I’d Give it All for You,” his duet with Michaela Swee ’12. Swee, whose high soprano opened and closed the show, brought sweetness to “Christmas Lullaby” and served as a good foil to the older voices of her fellow cast members. And finally, Tess Smagorinsky ’09 showed off not only an incredible voice, but remarkable acting skills, in one of the show’s most well-known songs, “Stars and Moon.”

The cast had even more of an impact in the group numbers, which filled the small space with rich harmonies. A strong group presence and rich vocal blend turned such songs as “Flying Home,” “The Steam Train” and the finale, “Hear My Song,” into real showstoppers.

A small pit band, led by Ross on keyboard, accompanied the singers. The musicians played with sensitivity and allowed the singers to shine (no small task in such a small venue). Except for a few times when solos were lost under the instrumentals and backing chorus, all the vocals came through clearly.

In addition to the spectacular acting and singing, as well as the musical skill of the pit band, the minimalist set and light design were particularly effective. Consisting of a black platform, bare set panels and four large black cubes (which were moved around for different scenes), the spare set focused all attention on the actors (who were also dressed minimally, in black and white). The lighting, meanwhile, played up both individual actors’ faces and the collective action of the group during moments of choreographed movement.

I had only one quibble with the production, and it certainly wasn’t a problem with the creative team. Although the cast and crew managed to work the show’s venue to their advantage, I would have loved to see the show in the ’92 Theater. A show this professional deserves a professional setting.

In her director’s notes, Trammell writes, “The show manages to display hopes, dreams, fears, pain, and joy in such a way that we can identify ourselves in each moment.” I couldn’t agree more.