Charitable Encore
Last November’s production of the musical “God Lives in Glass” was so successful that the cast, crew and orchestra members from “Mamma Mia!,” “The Producers,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and “Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular” will present an encore production Saturday at Community Lutheran Church, 2720 E. Tropicana Ave.
All proceeds from the show will benefit the nonprofit group Family Promise of Las Vegas, an organization that works with local religious congregations — Jewish, Christian and Muslim — to house homeless families and help them get back on their feet with jobs and houses of their own.
Based on the book “God Lives in Glass: Reflections of God Through the Eyes of Children” by Robert J. Landy, the show’s 16 songs cover a range of musical territory from reggae and rap to pop and gospel.
Although the musical has religion seemingly written all over it, that isn’t the case, says Bruce Ewing, a former cast member of “Forever Plaid” who is currently in “Phantom” and is producing the show.
“It’s not a religious piece,” Ewing says. “It’s based on what kids say God is. … It touches all different cultures.”
Landy asked children from 20 different religions around the world such questions as “What does God do?,” “How do we let God in?” and “If you met God, what would you say?”
The results were published shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.
Later, Landy, the New York University professor of educational theater and drama therapy in the Steinhardt School of Education, wrote the book and lyrics for the show. Music and additional lyrics were written by Keith Thompson and the production was directed and conceived by Greg Ganakas.
Thompson, who recently moved to Las Vegas, is an award-winning composer and was musical director of the first national tour of “Mamma Mia!”
Ganakas is a music theater director and faculty member in NYU’s music theater program.
When it was performed last November, the show sold out in one day, according Ewing. “People were asking us to do it again,” he says.
When Ewing came to Las Vegas 10 years ago for “Forever Plaid,” he volunteered with Family Promise through his church.
“I made it the organization I wanted to be involved with. I’ve seen it change people’s lives. Family Promise is small and is made up of mostly volunteers. Last year we raised $30,000.”
The show will feature 45 singers and an orchestra of 12, all volunteers.
“It’s a great musical,” Ewing says. “I love the piece. We’re talking about doing it again for the Make A Wish Foundation.”