A new contemporary musical premiering in Utah looks to tell the story of the Restoration through the eyes of Emma Smith. It is a historical look at the faith, love, and trials experienced by Emma and her husband Joseph, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in modern times.
1820 The Musical was created by a team with Broadway and Billboard chart success, including the show’s award-winning director George Nelson. “It’s kind of been written as a counter to The Book of Mormon Musical. They make fun of almost everything we believe in and what we’ve tried to do here is say, look these are things that are important to us spiritually,” Nelson told KSL News. The show doesn’t shy away from difficult topics surrounding Emma and Joseph’s life while still building on a foundation of faith. “We’ve tried to address in a non-apologetic way, really, the things Joseph has been accused of throughout his life,” Nelson said.
After the pandemic delayed the show in 2020, the cast and crew worked hard to produce the official soundtrack, which is available to download and stream on Spotify, Apple iTunes, and Amazon Music. It includes all 19 songs written by the show’s songwriting team: Kendra Lowe Holt, Doug Lowe, and Kayliann Lowe Juarez.
1820 The Musical will play live at the Covey Center in Provo, Utah, from August 6 through September 11, 2021. You can get your tickets and learn more about the show by clicking here.
