Leap of Faith: Is Raul Esparza heading back to B'way?

The New York Times reports that a stage adaptation of the 1992 Steve Martin film, Leap of Faith, may be heading to Broadway in the fall of 2012, starring Raul Esparza.

The musical, written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater, tells the story of Jonas Nightengale (Esparza), a fraudulent Christian faith healer whose traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town. Jonas quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival. The sheriff is determined to stop Jonas from separating the townspeople from their money, but Jonas' real challenge arises when he meets the pretty waitress Marva and her son, whose love forces an ultimate cynic to take a real leap of faith.

The musical premiered at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, where it played from 11 Sep - 24 Oct 2010. The Los Angeles production was directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford, and stared Raul Esparza as 'Jonas Nightengale,' and Brooke Shields as 'Marva.'

LA Times critic Charles McNulty wrote, "Much of the score is derivative, the dancing often seems like ballet school parody, .... and the closing moments are pure sentimental hokum." However, he also wrote, "There's a fascinating character in the middle it all, and a performance by Esparza that digs deep into questions of faith, love and mystery."

The NY Times report that a developmental reading of Leap of Faith was held in New York the week beginning 7 Nov 2011. The reading showcased five new songs and a substantial re-write of the story, written by Glenn Slater and Janus Cercone, which saw the "loss of one character and the combination of some others."

Thomas Viertel, one of the musical's lead producers told the NY Times, "Our creative team has done great work in clarifying the story, making it more fun, and creating surprises in how the story is told."

The developmental reading in New York once again featured Raul Esparza as 'Jonas Nightengale.' Esparza was joined by Priscilla Queen of the Desert cast member Jessica Phillips who played the lead female role of 'Marva.'

There has been no official announcement about the production, but it seems certain that Esparanza will once again star.

The Broadway capitalization of Leap of Faith will be between $10 and $15 million.

The Paramount 1992 movie "Leap of Faith" - screen play by Janus Cercone and directed by Richard Pearce - starred Steve Martin as 'Jonas Nightengale' and Lolita Davidovich as 'Marva.'

Raul Esparza as 'Jonas Nightengale' in the 2010 LA production of A Leap of Faith