EDMONDS — For three decades, the sheet music sat in a box in the garage.
The musical scores were handwritten. The pages were falling apart.
But someone remembered the music, and the message, of “In His Hands,” a religious rock opera based on the life of Jesus. He contacted the composer, Susan Olmos, who is director of music at Holy Rosary Parish in Edmonds and works as a music teacher at the parish’s school.
Olmos was intrigued at the thought of revising her religious musical that had first been performed in 1984 in Seattle.
Yet she knew there were numerous obstacles to overcome. “Do I still have all the orchestra parts?” she wondered.
When she looked in the box, Olmos was able to find the music for the pianist and director’s score. There were parts of the music for the strings. And none of the vocal scores.
She spent the summer of 2015 recreating the choral music and then notating it on the computer. The new production is scheduled for performances May 13, 14, and 15 at Mountlake Terrace High School’s Performing Arts Center. The musical, with 21 songs, is based on the Gospel of Luke, and includes a 22-member orchestra and 40-member chorus.
Olmos has made musical adaptations for the people who would perform in the revived production. The songs for Judas, who was a tenor in the original production, had to be adjusted for a baritone. Some songs were rewritten, others added, including one for the thief who is imprisoned with the Apostle Peter just before his death.
Olmos sees the thief as a key character in the production. “The thief in the cell with Peter has never seen a Christian before,” she said. She said she sees the thief as someone who may have the same questions about faith and religion as some of those she imagines might be in the audience.
“If they have questions, I think it’s a good thing,” Olmos said. “It means they’re still seeking.” Sometimes faith can be stronger “when you’ve had that freedom to wonder.”
The thief ultimately sees the peace Peter has as he faces his death, and through Peter’s example, the thief “gets an inkling of what it means to be a Christian,” she said.
Olmos said her goal was to try to dramatize what makes the life of Jesus so influential. “I tried to answer the question what sets him apart? Why did he have such an affect on human history?”
The parish and donors have helped pay for the estimated $30,000 cost of putting on the production. A professional recording of the performance will cost $2,500. Olmos said she will pay out-of-pocket for any costs not covered by the sale of the CD.
Proceeds from the performances will benefit Washington Kids in Transition, an Edmonds group that assists homeless and low-income students. Audience members also are encouraged to bring packaged, ready-to-eat food donations for the organization to distribute.
Following the performances, Olmos said she hopes to promote the production to theater companies and perhaps even to movie studios.
“What sells it is the music,” she said. “I keep telling people that if you come on Friday night, you’ll want to come back. The songs are catching, haunting. They’ll stay with you.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
‘In His Hands’
Four performances of “In His Hands,” a religious rock opera based on the life of Jesus, are scheduled May 13, 14, and 15 at Mountlake Terrace High School’s Performing Arts Center, 21801 44th Ave W. The shows are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. May 13, 3 and 7:30 p.m. May 14 and 3 p.m. May 15. Tickets are available online at inhishands.brownpapertickets.com. Proceeds from the event will benefit Washington Kids in Transition, an Edmonds group that assists low-income and homeless students.
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