The show previewed at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit, opening September 9, 1986 and running through October 4.[1]
It opened at the Neil Simon Theatre on October 22, 1986 and closed on October 26, 1986 after playing 13 previews and 6 performances.[2] It starred Dean Jones as James Prescott. The production was directed by Michael Maurer, with choreography from Mary Jane Houdina and music direction from Peter Howard. The production team consisted of Neil Peter Jampolis (Scenic/Projection/Lighting Design), Hervig Libowitzky (Scenic/Projection Design), Karen Roston (Costume Design), and Jack Mann (Sound Design).[3]
| Character |
Original Broadway Production[3] |
| James Prescott |
Dean Jones |
| Archbishop Parisi |
Thomas Batten |
| Kate Prescott |
Susan Bigelow |
| Paul Cooper |
Alan Brasington |
| Colonel |
Ted Forlow |
| Matthew Prescott |
Danny Gerard |
| Vijay Bannerjee |
Mitchell Greenberg |
| Phyllis Terwillinger |
Kathryn McAteer |
| Friend |
Alan Mintz |
| Father Frank Girella |
William Parry |
| Don Cesare |
Casper Roos |
| Signor Bocciarelli |
Gordon Stanley |
| Nathan Gelb |
Peter Walker |
| Peter Vonn |
Lenny Wolpe |
| Major/Ensemble |
David Young |
| Ensemble |
Valerie De Pena |
| Ensemble |
Michael Duran |
| Ensemble |
Terri Homberg |
The Detroit production received universally poor reviews. In the Detroit Free Press, Lawrence DeVine said "...the musical in its guts lacks genuine character." and that the book had an inability to get beyond the commonplace.[4] Christopher Potter of The Ann Arbor News predicted "In its present, floundering form, "Into the Light" won't last a week on Broadway without first undergoing radical surgery during its three hurried weeks at the Fisher."[5] Other reviews cited an improbable premise and lousy lyrics as the show's downfall.[6][7]
Upon opening on Broadway, Frank Rich of The New York Times called the solemn staging "more appropriate to a requiem than a musical entertainment," and the Italian clerics "clownish" adding "The creative team at hand tries and fails to conquer the meaning of the universe with esthetic means that would be a tad lightweight for The Tap Dance Kid."[8] In the New York Daily News, Howard Kissel states "But you don't need faith or scientific data to know that 'Into the Light', a musical in which the Shroud plays a key role, is fake through and through. He also lambasts the laser effects in the show saying, "Flashy technology is invariably a way to camouflage the lack of solid ideas.[9]
