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A brand-new musical based on the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints opened at The Covey Center For The Arts in Provo last weekend.  “1820 The Musical” is ambitious, thought provoking, high energy and original as it gets and, along with the tag stating “they called him a lunatic”, the intrigue to see this was absolutely there and it did not disappoint.

People through the years have called Joseph Smith many names to discredit the work and the vision but Lunatic seems to be the word that captures best what others may have perceived at the time that either he was indeed a prophet or just a plain lunatic leading his people astray with falsehoods and fibs.

This musical theater production is as solid as it can get yet sublime and simple in its storytelling, what really sells this production to a theater goer is the high energy music combined with well thought out choreography executed at a very high level with the actors doing mostly double and triple duty.

“Told through the eyes, heart, and witness of Emma Smith, 1820: The Musical was created as a direct response to The Book of Mormon musical,” explained Creator and Director George Nelson. “It’s a historical look at the faith, love and trials of Emma and Joseph and tells their true story in a way that has never been done before.” 

In addition to his playwriting, Nelson is also an award-winning director and professor at Brigham Young University (BYU). He has directed over 60 plays, musicals, and films at BYU and in other venues and received national awards from both the Kennedy Center and been named a Fellow by the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. 

Featuring an ensemble cast of 17 led by Zack Wilson as Joseph, Kerilyn Johnson as Emma, and Conlon Bonner as Hyrum, the musical features 19 original, moving musical numbers written and composed by Kendra Lowe Holt, Kayliann Lowe Juarez and Doug Lowe. 

David Archuleta described the show as, “Fantastic and well-written music. Very different from anything else I’ve ever heard from Latter-Day Saint related productions.” 

The set is a simple wood framed versatile structure that allows the actors and the audience to use their imagination but works well enough to never guess where and when in time things are happening.  One of the highlights certainly is the lighting design, amber tones combined with colorful and white lights at appropriate times truly enhance the production and do not distract from the essence of the story.  The lighting actually helps further the emotion and mood of each individual sequence whether it be a high-flying dance number or a heartfelt quiet scene.

This absolute gem of a stage production should be seen during this present run which lasts now through September 11. 1820: The Musical is ground breaking in the genre, lively when the story dictates and paints the perfect moods for the moments in time when Joseph and Emma have their many emotional highs and definitive lows as Joseph navigates his way through the early days of his new calling through to the stunning portrayal of his martyrdom which is all set to a Broadway worthy musical score that can be listened to over and over.

Was Joseph a lunatic? 1820: The Musical will let you decide.

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