With One River
Southborough, MA
2025, Junior, Performing Arts
Lyrics written and performed by Sophia Zarrinkoub
Original song from “With One Look” from the musical “Sunset Boulevard”
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Original lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
This piece is a lyrical adaptation created for artistic and educational purposes, using the original melody to explore themes of environmental awareness and urban-nature harmony.
With one look,
I’m drawn to the stage,
Dazzling streets —
It’s the New York blaze.
Driving on I-95,
Passing groves of trees,
Left in memory.
With one look,
Grey steel towers high,
One in five of grassy fields survive.
Not a leaf or star in sight —
It’s a concrete jungle night.
No words can tell
The stories rivers tell,
With their darkened past
Behind a shimmering mask.
The city to my left,
East River to my right,
Running side by side —
Who knew they’d collide?
With one voice,
I dare to question why
The river stays,
Though we drown it dry,
Factory filth and sewage spilled,
Billions at a time,
Centuries soaked in grime.
With one heart,
We’ll undo the past,
Embrace the river and its strength at last.
We’ll build and grow with nature’s flow,
Merge the land and life we know.
Dormant tides begin to rise.
With one hope,
We’ll strive to create, unite!
With one hand,
We’ll ignite a change.
We’ll float gardens on the river’s range;
They’ll see ESCR take its stand.
This time it’s changing —
It’s changing for good.
Just one star
Will lead the galaxy.
Here right now,
It’s up to me!
Reflection
Reflection
Growing up in the suburbs of Massachusetts, surrounded by sugar maples and green “everything,” I often took nature for granted because it’s simply a part of my life. My backyard, the trail I take to school, and the local parks and playgrounds — everything is green. So when I visited New York City for the first time a couple of months ago, drawn by my love for Broadway, I was struck by how completely different it felt. Amid the skyscrapers and dazzling digital billboards — an intriguing change of scenery — I couldn’t help but notice the absence of nature: no stars in the sky, no cricket sounds coming from nearby brooks, and not a single oak leaf on the ground. Driving home, with the city to my left and the East River to my right, I glanced at the glittering waterway and thought, “Wow, one of the first signs of nature I’ve seen so far,” and “How could two opposite things coexist in such a strange yet magical way?” That moment led me to explore how urban environments and nature might interact, merge, and grow together. During my research, I learned that 70-80% of New York City is a concrete jungle and discovered the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, which merges climate resilience with urban renewal by introducing green infrastructure along the East River. In my song, the East River serves as a metaphor for coexistence, a victim of human impact, and ultimately a symbol of resilience and hope. I chose to write and perform a parody of With One Look from Sunset Boulevard — the first Broadway show I ever saw — because with one look, I saw the East River and got inspired. Through this year’s Ocean Awareness Contest theme, I’ve discovered that reconnecting with nature begins with awareness. My message: We must raise our voices, reimagine our cities, and take action.