IN THE BEGINNING Premieres at Sight & Sound

After 30 years, “In the Beginning” finally begins. Sight & Sound Theatres owner Glenn Eshelman’s idea to stage the biblical story of creation floated in his head for 30 years.

It was worth the wait.

Thursday’s opening night of In the Beginning before a VIP audience had the signature splendor of shows staged at Millennium Theatre, but it might have bested the best.

Eshelman opened the performance saying the musical gives audiences “a little taste of life and what it was meant to be: a touch of heaven.”

Thanks to the material, producer Eshelman had a lot to work with — there’s perhaps no bigger story to tell than the creation and fall of man.

The special effects and costuming opportunities were significantly greater than was available for “Ruth,” the last long-running musical at Millennium. This time Eshelman spared no expense.

From the start, In the Beginning is visually stunning, replete with planets and stars, putting the audience in the literal middle of the nascent universe.

The solar system soon gives way to luscious sets, showstopping costumes and a host of live and mechanical animals bringing to life the Garden of Eden and carrying the story all the way to Adam’s death 1,000 years later.

The show features 337 well-designed costumes. Especially outstanding are the masked archangels who glitter fabulously in gold. God’s costume leaned oddly toward the disco era (circa Dionne Warwick) — ditto the Heelies-footed angels rolling onto stage.

David T. Clydesdales musical score is more sophisticated than was heard in “Ruth,” with lovely harmonies and strong vocals delivered deftly by 46 cast members.

What particularly stands out in this show are its clever effects. Lucifer’s fall is nothing short of ingenious, thanks to an innovative combination of lighting, costuming and cables attached to a brave actor. Other remarkable sights are a giant serpent slithering down a tree (you’ll be impressed); that celestial opening, which plays out over the entire 2,069-seat theater; and the very closest thing to a real zebra that’s probably ever been seen in Lancaster County.

In a pre-show announcement, writers admit they took liberties with the creation story, in part to make it appropriate for family audiences, which had long kept Eshelman from staging the story sooner.

In this version, Adam and Eve are clothed by God when they are created and defrocked when cast out of the Garden of Eden. The lights go down, and when the couple re-emerge outside Eden, they are clothed in animal skins.

There’s also a curious wedding scene in Eden with God performing the honors, which seemed a little awkward but might make for an easier explanation for parents if kids start asking questions.

These are lesser issues with an audience that likely knows the biblical version. And taking license also yielded some intriguing results.

A large chorus of masked angels who silently watch most of the action unfold gives the effect of a Greek chorus.

And a snappy dance sequence before a sacrifice scene with actors carrying rain sticks and wearing face paint hinted at pagan rituals without offending.

In the Beginning boasts spectacular scope in Sight & Sound’s stylish treatment.

If you liked Ruth, you’ll love In the Beginning. And if you’ve always thought about seeing a Sight & Sound show, make it this one.

By Susan E. Lindt, Staff
Intelligencer Journal

Published: Mar 30, 2007 1:12 AM EST