Bend Us

As musicals go, Bend Us is unusual in a number of ways.

• It is a near-even mix of historically accurate hymns, mostly sung a capella, and contemporary compositions sung with an accompaniment track.
• The first act contains mostly solos, one duet and one trio; the second act has several ensemble numbers.
• The music is used primarily for emotional impact rather than to move the story along.
• The scene in Act 2 called “Transformations” is entirely underscored, is 17 minutes long, and employs 45 light cues! About a dozen different hymn tunes are played or sung during the scene, which shifts from chapel singing, to newspaper reporter Awstin interviewing individuals about the revival, to scenes featuring an increasingly angry and critical Rev. Peter Price.

Here is a list of the hymns you will hear during the play:

I confess that I had never heard of the Welsh revival until Dave Frincke shared his script with me. But it has become increasingly obvious how much reading Dave has done on the subject. For example:  A scene feels long--I suggest…