"Once is never enough" should be the tagline for Old Town Temecula Community Theater when it brings back the musical "Songs for a New World." Last year, the show proved a major success in Temecula.

This time around, it will have a Sept. 11 memorial slant. Plus, the show's composer, Jason Robert Brown, will close the show's run with a piano concert. It's all due to the fact that the show's musical director, Don York, has worked with Brown in the past.

"Don did a show with me a few years ago," said Brown from his home in L.A. "And he's really excited about theater in Temecula. He did a production of 'Songs for a New World' that was a big success last year and wanted to do it again. I do know that Don and the band are sensational."

York even asked Brown's advice in casting the show. As a result, there are more connections between this production and the composer. For instance, one role is played by Katy Marienthal, a former student of Brown's from the University of Southern California. Other cast members include Paul Kehler, who starred in the title role of "Jekyll and Hyde" in Temecula last fall, and Anthony Manough, who starred as Simba in "The Lion King" on Broadway.

"Songs for a New World" is a series of story-song vignettes with no overlying story arch. It played off-Broadway in 1995 and launched Brown's career as a musical theater composer and lyricist who combines pop rock flavor with theatrical lyrics. His next show, "Parade," won him a Tony Award for best musical score. He's gone on to write "The Last Five Years" (recently produced by North Coast Repertory Theatre) and "Urban Cowboy." He's known for his piano heavy scores and vocally demanding songs.

"I write at the piano, which is why there's such a strong piano sound," he said. "That's the place I always start and the sound comes from my fingers. But over the years, the piano sound is becoming less and less prominent. I know that other people complain that the piano part is difficult to play, but it feels natural to me while feeling foreign to others. But if anyone can play this score, Don (York) can."

Brown's piano-playing is the center of his concert Sunday night, although he will be bringing drum and bass players with him. He gives an average of 100 concerts a year.

"The concert is half from my solo album," he said, referring to the CD "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes." "The other half is from all my different shows. My concerts tend to be freewheeling in content. I never know what I'm going to do until I do it."

In December, Brown is opening a new show at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles titled "13." It features 13 13-year-olds.

"It's a chance for young people to take the stage," he said. "It's a show about them, not a kids show. It's a chance for them to speak in natural voices."

Brown is also working on the musical version of the film "Honeymoon in Vegas" with the film's creator, Andrew Bergman. The musical is scheduled to be completed sometime next year.

As the years pass, Brown said he has developed his own style, which began with "Songs for a New World."

"There's a rich palette I like to draw from, such as Gershwin, Bernstein and Sondheim," he said. "I like to fuse theatrical sensibility and musical sensibility without shorting one in favor of the other. I hope the result resonates with the audience."