Into the Light
A Musical in 2 Acts, a Prologue, 13 Scenes and an Epilogue. Book by Jeff Tambornino. Music by Lee Holdridge. Lyrics by John Forster.
Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway - Opened 22nd October, 1986; closed 26th October, 1986 (14 previews, 6 performances)
Synopsis
James Prescott, a sceptical physicist from Los Alamos, belongs to an American scientific expedition attempting to determine the truth or otherwise of the Turin Shroud, the linen relic revered by true believers as Jesus' burial cloth. James's obsession with his scientific mission leads him to neglect his wife, Kate, and young son, Matthew, for the lab. The son, to compensate for his father's absence, places his faith in a jolly fantasy friend whom no one else can see.
In true musical theatre style the problems get resolved before the final curtain
Musical Numbers
ACT 1
- Prologue: Poltergeists - Matthew Kate
- Neat/Not Neat - James, Father Frank, Kate
- It Can All Be Explained - James, Father Frank
- The Data - James, Team
- A Talk About Time - James, Kate
- Trading Solos - Father Frank, Matthew, Friend
- Let There Be Light - James, Don, Father Frank, Signor Bocciarelli, Archbishop Parisi
- Wishes - Matthew
- The Three of Us - Kate, James
- Rainbow Logic - James
ACT 2
- Fede Fede - Don, Archbishop Parisi, Team
- To Measure the Darkness - James, Kate
- The Testing - James, Team
- The Rose and I - Kate
- The Testing continued - James, Team
- Measure the Darkness (reprise) - James
- Be There - James, Matthew
- Epilogue: Into the Light - Company
CAST
(in order of speaking):
- Friend
- Mathew Prescott
- Kate Prescott
- James Prescott
- Colonel
- Major
- Father Frank Girella
- Peter Vonn
- Nathan Gelb
- Vijay Bannerjee
- Phyllis Terwilliger
- Paul Cooper
- Don Cesare
- Archbishop Parisi
- Signor Bocciarelli:
Scenes and Settings
The action takes place at the present time during late summer in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and in Turin, Italy.
Act 1
- Scene 1: James Prescott's office and the Prescott home.
- Scene 2: The lab at Los Alamos.
- Scene 3: The Prescott home. late at night.
- Scene 4: The next morning.
- Scene 5: Turin, Italy. The Council Chambers of Il Centro di Sindonologia.
- Scene 6: The Precott home.
- Scene 7: The airport and lab at Los Alamos.
Act 2
- Scene 1: Turin, Italy.
- Scene 2: Turin, Italy.
- Scene 3: The Prescott home.
- Scene 4: The testing room, St. John's Cathedral.
- Scene 5: Albergo Excelsiore.
- Scene 6: The testing room.