Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  If you missed last weekend’s “Songs for a New World,” you missed one of the most profound, moving performances ever put on by the Nederland High School Theater/Music department.

The good news is there are two more performances coming up this weekend on Friday and Saturday nights, two more chances to be a part of an amazing show in which our talented students offer up their hearts and souls, and leave it all on the stage when the curtain closes.

“Songs” is not about the color, the collective, rousing choreography that “Cats” had to offer, the dark, wrenching appeal of “Jekyll and Hyde,” the humor and naughtiness of “Sweeney Todd.” What it is about is how a human being, hit by a tidal wave of outside and inner disaster, can find a life raft within and push on to the sunshine, the ray of hope that is in everyone.

One leaves the NMSHS theater with a lump in the throat and an urge to stand taller, to breathe deeper and most of all to thank every one of the performers for the work they put into the show. They all admit, and they all are seasoned Ned performers, that it was one of the most difficult show they have ever done, but well worth the effort.

The show begins with a haunting “New World” melody that weaves in and out of the show and sits in the back of your head for the next week. The cast consists of 11 Nederland students who have stood on the school stage many times before. Their voices are solid together and apart. Among many ensemble numbers, solos and duets step forward, all in black and white, to let their words and harmonies tell each story.

Damon Vigil and Sasha Godsil step up into the spotlight in “On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492,” a song about the powerful role that faith plays in our lives throughout history. It is about the promise of a better place led to by God. The metaphors nestled in this song are reprised throughout the rest of the show.

Sophomore Emily Albright has often been in the solo light but never as bright as when she stands on a simple wooden platform in the middle of the stage. A fur coat is draped over her shoulders as she begins her rant “Just One Step,” threatening to jump to her death. The character’s rage and contempt are palpable as Albright, every bit of her body electric with the desperate moment, flings off her coat and screams her last, “Mommy!” It was a bravo performance.

Sophomore Hattie Bakke sang “I’m Not Afraid of Anything,” with such vulnerability it is heartbreaking. The voice of a woman who has built a wall around herself and is devastated when no one can break it down. Not only do these high school performers have to meet the challenge of the difficult music, they also have to polish their acting skills, portraying a gamut of emotions without dramatic movement.

Another standout performance was given by Natasha Kinczel who, in a pure, clear voice in “Stars and the Moon,” laments her choice of marrying a rich man instead of the man she loves. It reveals the bitter knowledge, too late, that she made a life-time mistake. Kinczel’s strong voice was show-cased in this solo number.

The three males in the performance, senior Hunter Mayhew, sophomore William Culver and Freshman Damon Vigil, bring the voices needed for the harmonies in the whole cast numbers. Hunter, in his first musical performance, stole the show with his uncanny stage presence, his acting ability and a voice to match. He is part of the trio number, “She Cries,” and a show stopping duet with Hayley Turner, “I’d Give it All of You,” the quintessential boy meets girl, they lose each other, they find each other and they end up knowing there is nothing in the world as precious as each other. It was an “aaaaaw,” and an ovation reaction from the audience.

Each and every song is a journey and the cast members who sang them are the guides, the storytellers, the chorus and the choir that leads the audience to the final company performance, “Hear My Song,” pulling the show together, revealing that along the way, we were never really alone, and the challenges we meet are also met by most people. We are saved by our relationships with one another.

The final words: “Hear my song; It was made for the times when you don’t know where to go; Listen to the song that I sing; You’ll be fine,” is the message left with the audience, who left the theater stunned and in awe by what they had heard and seen and learned during the show.

Huge applause goes to the directors Liz Evans, Kathy Bremers, Josh Lake, Mallorie Knight, and Ki Goodman for taking these talented students on this inspired journey, and sharing the results with the community.

Final performances will be Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m.