By Alayna Een
He Shall Prepare a Way (HSP) by CJ Madsen is an amazing contribution to the tradition of creating art from sacred texts, and the production of this opera in Provo, Utah, is nothing short of miraculous. The cast, crew, and pit orchestra are drawn from local artists and the incredible talent of BYU’s music department, giving this humble, volunteer-centered passion project an astoundingly professional quality. HSP was written by CJ Madsen in 2019 and revised and produced as a concert version in 2021. The April 2022 show is the performance debut, with a professional video recording set for release in the summer.
HSP centers on the story of Nephi and his family from the first seven chapters of the Book of Mormon (holy scripture for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). While this story is generally well known, especially in Provo, Utah, CJ Madsen’s approach humanizes the characters, focuses on familial relationships, and adds context. CJ Madsen’s careful attention to Jewish traditions and inclusion of Hebrew and scripture text throughout the opera strengthen and compellingly connect aspects of the story. This scripture story stands alone as literature but is enhanced by a faith perspective. It starts with a family living in Jerusalem. The father Lehi receives a troubling vision from the Lord and is told to flee into the wilderness with his family: his wife (Sariah) his two daughters (Abigail and Rebekah), and his four sons (Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi). When the sons are sent back to retrieve brass plates containing a key scriptural record, they struggle to understand the purpose of the mission and the separation from their betrotheds, and Laman and Lemuel develop animosity toward Nephi. After successfully retrieving the plates and returning to the wilderness, they go back to Jerusalem to reunite with Ishmael’s family and their betrotheds and then to return together to Lehi in the wilderness. On the way, Laman and Lemuel’s animosity toward Nephi increases to violence, but Nephi’s faith in the Lord helps him overcome. A sacrifice from Nephi’s betrothed (Hannah) turns the tide and allows the families to repent, forgive, and celebrate a wedding.
In the first scene, the cast is dressed in neutral tones as it fluidly moves onto the stage. The actors don sashes that denote their role and family and the ensemble remains in white, costumes that are both effective and humble. The opera opens with “Jerusalem,” as all 30+ performers join in a powerful ode to the characters’ homeland. Any misgivings I had about the simplicity of the stage or the oddness of the venue (a cultural hall in an old church) were chased away by the opening chord. The vocal talent of the entire cast simply cannot be overstated. As the show went on, I was overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of the music and the engaging, committed character portrayals. The simple set (designed by Paul Schwartz) transforms easily and effectively between scenes and adapts cleverly to the production’s needs—I’ve never seen a doorway, a tablecloth, and a basket become a camel before, but I believed it wholeheartedly. The lights emphasized the drama in scenes of chaos and burned a pure white on certain characters in moments of vision and realization. These elements beautifully accompanied and highlighted the most compelling part of the production: the acting and music.
Spencer Baldwin (Lehi) has a round, rich voice that adds power to his prophetic commands, which are in turn softened by his emotive acting and touching duet, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord,” with Cristina Ruiz (Sariah). The brothers are played by Matthew Paez (Laman), Mitchell Wassom (Lemuel), Ethan Simpson (Sam), and Salmon Gee (Nephi). Paez does incredible work with the nuances of this difficult character, being both older brother, dedicated son, and a doubter who descends to anger. Simpson’s performance is especially engaging. Salmon Gee centers on the contemplative and questioning aspects of Nephi and beautifully portrays the key character arc of the opera. The sisters, Emry Kunzler (Abigail) and Rebekah Nelson (Rebekah), are incredible vocalists and great contributors to the family dynamic. I think the portrayal of sibling relationships, highlighted by the darling “Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go” on one end and by intense stage combat on the other, is one of the greatest strengths of the show.
Some of the most impressive female main characters are Ishmael’s daughters: Jamie Johnson (Deborah), Abigail Ketch (Dinah), Liza Gee (Miriam), Maddy Hunter (Jochebed), Ellie Niver (Hannah). These women shine in the song “Who Can Find Such a Virtuous Woman?”, which feels like a delightful Bible bent on West Side Story’s “I Feel Pretty.” Ketch and Niver function as foils but harmonize well and enact important plot points. Although I know women were present in scripture, it’s often hard for me to see them and impossible for me to hear them. CJ Madsen and these incredible performers create accurate, relatable, and strong female characters who fit powerfully and naturally into a familiar story.
The brilliant musical motifs, which were used for themes, repeated lines, and even certain characters, connect and deepen story elements, emphasizing the astounding quality of this opera. The orchestra beautifully rounded out the performance.
Samm Madsen is the dramaturg and stage director, and she and CJ Madsen beautifully balance the roles of husband and wife, composer and director. I would venture to say that never before in a musical production have two people done so much with so little. Their incredible vision and dedicated effort make HSP the glory that it is.
While limited tickets mean that few will be lucky enough to see the live performance in Provo, Utah, the Madsens have “prepared a way” for anyone to share and enjoy the show! The full album is available on streaming services and the forthcoming video recording will be released for free on YouTube. CJ Madsen’s He Shall Prepare a Way is a musical journey that you’ll want to take again and again!
CJ and Samm Madsen Present He Shall Prepare a Way
Music and Lyrics by CJ Madsen
The Church of Jesus Christ Meeting House, 1600 North 900 East, Provo, Utah, 84604
April 8–10, 2022 @7:30 PM
Tickets: email heshallprepareaway@gmail.com to request tickets
Standby Tickets: Arrive early to the performance to try for standby tickets
He Shall Prepare a Way Electronic Program
CJ Madsen Music Website
He Shall Prepare a Way Album
He Shall Prepare A Way Recorded Performance
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