ROME – The deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship will make the seamless transition this weekend into a modern-day apartment ledge high above the busy streets of Fifth Avenue, as the Shorter College Theatre Department presents “Songs for a New World.”

With music and lyrics written by Jason Robert Brown, the performance will transport the audience from the high seas to a bustling city high-rise to meet a startling array of characters -- ranging from a young man who has determined that basketball is his ticket out of the ghetto, to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams in a soulless marriage.

“Songs for a New World” opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 at Shorter’s Callaway Theatre. An an additional performance will be Saturday, also at 7:30 p.m.

A matinee is planned Sunday at 2 p.m. Additional performance dates are scheduled for Oct. 2 -4, 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.

General admission is $12. Admission for students and senior adults is $8.

For tickets, call the Shorter College box office at 706-233-7288.