The first show from Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, “Songs For A New World” is a beloved evening of songs that introduce the audience to a wide variety of characters — from a political prisoner to a scorned socialite, a promising basketball star and the worried mother of a missing soldier — each facing a scary and exhilarating crossroads in their life. Featuring a “small, powerhouse adult cast and a driving, exquisitely crafted score,” “Songs” is the perfect way to usher in a new year. A new world, indeed.