Whether or not you will enjoy the new Summer Stage's presentation of the musical "Songs for a New World" depends on how much you like theater music. That's because the play is comprised of nothing but theater music: There's no plot, no dialogue -- not even a loose story line linked together by characters or songs.

Instead, this 1995 musical presents around 20 lyrical numbers built on the motif of people recounting their life-changing experiences. In short, the work has "cult hit" written all over it, and is an ideal vehicle for a fledgling community theater intent on doing something different.

If the opening weekend performance is any indication, troupe founder and new Drama Learning Center owner Stephanie Lynn Williams is set on following in the successful footsteps of Mo Dutterer. Dutterer founded the Drama Learning Center-based Shadow Block Productions in order to stage just such lesser-known musicals.

"Songs for a New World" may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has enough moments of musical accomplishment to put the new Summer Stage outfit on the local entertainment map.

Ironically, the main drawback of "Songs for a New World" is the songs themselves, which were composed by Jason Robert Brown. Brown nabbed a few Tony Award nominations for his other musicals, but his songs here just aren't distinctive enough to carry the evening.

The 12-member community cast makes the most of the music by putting it across with equal amounts of heart and attitude. The numbers work best when they come off as personal statements that could be diary entries by the individual characters. Less successful are the stabs at comedy, which are too broad or silly (or plain unfunny) to really connect.

Lauren Williams goes from a whisper to a scream (and back again) while expressing veiled vulnerability in the ballad "I'm Not Afraid of Anything." Nan Kaestner waxes both droll and depressing as a regretful, gold-digging wife in "Stars and the Moon."

A trio of accompanying musicians led by keyboardist Richard Blankman is given special prominence throughout. Instead of being situated to one side of the stage, though, they are placed at the rear, where they can better underscore the voices of the actors.

Two of the best musical numbers are deftly sung by Toby's Dinner Theatre veteran Alan Wiggins. Wiggins sings with such offhand ease and has such an appealing stage presence that you get the feeling he could easily carry a whole show on his own. His passionate reading of the sociology tract "The Steam Train" earned him the evening's most sustained and justified applause.

Other highlights include Shadow Block veteran Dean Davis' wistful take on the ballad "She Cries," and Adeline Sutter's comic turn as a suicidal New York housewife stuck out on a ledge in "Just One Step."

Less successful is the musical's other big comic number, "Surabaya-Santa," which presents the forced conceit of Mrs. Santa Claus expressing disdain for her hubby because ... he's never around on Christmas.

The choreography by Stephanie Lynn Williams and Kelly Sutter takes an original tack by keeping the cast barefoot throughout. That comes off as more natural than you might imagine. Williams, who also directs, has the cast dress in toned-down preppie street clothes, making them look more like people we might run into at the mall.

Appropriately, this down-to-Earth show works best when it's about making exactly that sort of unflashy, individualistic statements.

"Songs for a New World" continues Thu. and Sat., Aug. 7 and 9 at 8 p.m., at the Drama Learning Center (9130-I Red Branch Road, Columbia). The center is planning a special celebration Sat., Aug. 8, with a pre-show "summer party" at 8:30 p.m. complete with a disc jockey, snowballs, popcorn and ice cream, followed by a late performance at 10 p.m. Admission is $15 general, $12 for groups of 10 or more. Call 410-997-9352.

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