PROVO — Parley P. Pratt was one of the most significant players in the organizing days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His imprisonment and escape in July 1839 is the subject of a new LDS musical premiering Aug. 16-19 at Brigham Young University.
"Parley P. Pratt's Great Escape" portrays events taken from Pratt's autobiography with the only fictitious character being Sister Soul, played by Angela Winston. Dubbed an angelic specialist, Sister Soul's job is to help the imprisoned Pratt get down to his soul, so he can maintain his sanity, learn some spiritual lessons and come up with a clever escape, according to Pam Mayes, playwright.
"The Sister Soul character was originally inspired by Gladys Knight's gentle ribbing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, about the need for more upbeat worship music," said Mayes. "But it was a duet sung by Sting and Mary J. Blige that sent me to the computer to create a wise woman character who was a counterbalance to Parley's intense masculine character."
If the music is any indication, this is not your typical LDS musical.
"The score is peppered with a variety of songs from Broadway ballad, blues and black gospel, to even cha-cha-cha," Mayes said. "With 11 original songs in its score, it is a unique contribution to the LDS music scene."
In addition to honoring Pratt, Mayes said she wanted to provide an archetypal vehicle to portray women in the early church, as well as men.
"Mary Ann Pratt as his wife and Laura Phelps as the gutsy "'savior"' of the piece, balance Morris Phelps and King Follett," Mayes said. "Luman and Phila Gibbs are my Shakespearean comic relief, which I am sure was not true in the real-life version of the story. I imagine living with these "'lesser lights"' for months was a trial in itself."
The production is running in conjunction with Campus Education week at BYU.
If you go . . .
What: Parley P. Pratt's Great Escape
Where: De Jong Concert Hall, BYU
When: Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.; Aug. 17-18 at 5 and 8 p.m.; Aug. 19 at 8 p.m.
How much: $9 general admission
Phone: 422-4322
Web: www.parleysgreatescape.com
E-mail: pugmire@desnews.com