"Leap Of Faith: The Musical" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Leap of Faith: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What happens when a tent-revival scorcher meets Broadway razzle? Alan Menken’s score answers with gospel call-and-response, country backbeats, and Americana guitar lines wrapped in bright ensemble vocals. The story follows Jonas Nightingale, a charismatic con man posing as a preacher, whose stranded ministry hits a drought-struck Kansas town—and runs into Sheriff Marla McGowan. The music sells the pitch: big handclaps, Hammond swells, tambourine snap, then quieter folk-hued ballads when doubt creeps in.

The original Broadway cast recording arrived later in 2012 through Ghostlight Records, running about 73 minutes across 20 tracks—an album that plays like Sunday service meets county fair. According to Playbill’s production vault, the Broadway staging opened at the St. James Theatre on April 26, 2012, with Raúl Esparza (Jonas), Jessica Phillips (Marla), Kendra Kassebaum (Sam), Kecia Lewis (Ida Mae), and Leslie Odom Jr. (Isaiah) leading the company; the musical’s songbook is “flavored with the sounds of gospel, country and American roots music.”

Questions & Answers

Who wrote the score and lyrics?

Music by Alan Menken; lyrics by Glenn Slater. Book by Janus Cercone and Warren Leight.

When and where did the Broadway run happen?

St. James Theatre, opening April 26, 2012, after previews beginning April 3; closed May 13, 2012.

Is there an official cast album?

Yes. The Original Broadway Cast Recording was released December 4, 2012 by Ghostlight Records; 20 tracks, ~73 minutes.

What musical styles dominate?

Gospel revival, country/Americana, and pop-theatre balladry—arranged like a service: opener, testimony, altar call, benediction.

Standout vocal showcases?

Esparza on the roof-raiser finales; Kecia Lewis and Krystal Joy Brown in the choir-driven “Rise Up” passages; Leslie Odom Jr. leading rhythmic test-of-faith numbers.

Any award recognition?

Tony Award nominee for Best Musical (2012) and multiple Drama Desk nominations.

Notes & Trivia

• Based on the 1992 film; the stage version retools the romantic axis and centers a mother-daughter-son gospel trio (Ida Mae, Ornella, Isaiah).
• Menken described the score’s palette as rooted in gospel and American roots—steel strings, organ, and choir front and center.
• Leslie Odom Jr. plays Isaiah Sturdevant, a Bible-college true believer who challenges Jonas’s showmanship from within the flock.
• The Broadway production ran 24 previews and 20 performances—short life, big cast-album afterlife.

Genres & Themes

• Gospel revival → communal electricity; faith-as-spectacle and faith-as-truth battle it out in harmony stacks.
• Country/Americana → drought, dust, and small-town grit; guitars and shuffle grooves keep the town human.
• Pop-theatre ballad → private reckonings (Jonas/Marla) where the tent noise drops to a whisper.
• Show choir & brass → sales pitch energy; Jonas’s “miracles” get horn stabs and modulation lifts.

Tracks & Scenes

"Rise Up" — Company (Ida Mae, Ornella, Isaiah, Jonas, Sam & Angels of Mercy)
Where it lands: Tent goes live; the ministry hits town and the company fires up a revival groove. Big handclaps, organ, tambourine; a true show opener.
Why it matters: Establishes Jonas’s sales pitch and the choir’s spiritual muscle—the sound of a town getting swept up.

"Fox in the Henhouse" — Marla & Jonas
Where it lands: First real spar between the sheriff and the slick preacher, staged like a cat-and-mouse two-hander in 12/8 sway.
Why it matters: Turns attraction into interrogation; Marla names the con and the score gives her caution a blues edge.

"Step Into the Light" — Ornella, Jonas, Ida Mae & Company
Where it lands: A full-chorus altar-call, bodies moving, key-change lift, brass shouts; Jonas at max wattage.
Why it matters: The show’s “come forward” moment: thrilling—and a little suspect—because persuasion is the point.

"Walking Like Daddy" — Isaiah
Where it lands: Isaiah’s testimony: lineage, expectations, and pressure to be the real thing, not a tent trick.
Why it matters: Gives the believer a voice equal to Jonas’s; rhythm section tightens like resolve.

"I Can Read You" — Marla & Jonas
Where it lands: A flirt-duel that doubles as character X-ray. Acoustic textures and brushed kit keep it intimate.
Why it matters: Chemistry with calculus—two skeptics trying to out-pattern-match each other’s heart.

"Dancin' in the Devil’s Shoes" — Isaiah, Ornella, Ida Mae & Choir
Where it lands: A fire-breathing cautionary stomp; choreography mirrors the lyric’s heel-turns.
Why it matters: The faithful warn against spectacle for profit; Jonas hears it and barrels on anyway.

"King of Sin" — Jonas
Where it lands: Spotlight confession masquerading as swagger; Hammond grinds, rhythm swaggers.
Why it matters: The mask slips—charisma curdles into self-portrait.

"People Like Us" — Sam & Marla
Where it lands: Two pragmatists compare scars and survival skills; strings and pedal steel color the quiet.
Why it matters: Moves the show from pitch to people; community over charisma.

"Last Chance Salvation" — Jonas & Company
Where it lands: The big altar-call push; choir stacks and drum-line cadence accelerate the “final offer.”
Why it matters: Musically stages the moral brink—miracle or manipulation?

"If Your Faith Is Strong Enough" — Jonas & Company
Where it lands: The thesis sung loud: name it, claim it. Harmonic sunshine over a lyric that dares the town to believe.
Why it matters: The most seductive promise in the score—belief as lever.

"Jonas’s Soliloquy" — Jonas
Where it lands: Alone with the lie. Sparse accompaniment; melody drops pretenses.
Why it matters: Penultimate turn: the salesman meets his conscience.

"Leap of Faith" — Company
Where it lands: Benediction closer—full company, bright key, rhythmic clap-out.
Why it matters: The tent folds, the town remains; the album leaves you lifted and a little wary.

Marketing clips: Broadway previews and montage videos used live show excerpts (not bespoke trailer tracks), showcasing “Rise Up,” “Step Into the Light,” and ensemble revivals.

Music–Story Links

• The opener (“Rise Up”) frames Jonas as both preacher and producer—big grooves do the lifting before belief has a chance.
• Duets (“Fox in the Henhouse,” “I Can Read You”) map a guarded romance: each verse advances a move, not just a feeling.
• Isaiah’s numbers shift the moral center back to the congregation; when the choir answers, the town finds its voice.
• Late-show solos (“King of Sin,” “Jonas’s Soliloquy”) strip the band back—spotlight as lie detector.

How It Was Made

After a 2010 world premiere in Los Angeles, the Broadway run re-teamed Menken and Slater with a revised book by Janus Cercone and Warren Leight. Christopher Ashley directed on Broadway; Sergio Trujillo handled choreography. Music direction foregrounded a roaring gospel ensemble (the Angels of Mercy) with Menken’s roots-flavored orchestration. The cast album—released by Ghostlight—captures the full arc, including reprises that mirror a real revival’s ebb and flow.

Reception & Quotes

“Flavored with the sounds of gospel, country and American roots music.” — Playbill

“A rousing choir, brass punches and a charismatic lead… the tent practically shakes.” — Cast-album coverage

“Short Broadway run; long afterlife on record.” — Production retrospectives

“Odom’s believer brings steel to the show’s spine.” — Review roundups

Additional Info

• Original Broadway cast: Raúl Esparza (Jonas), Jessica Phillips (Marla), Kendra Kassebaum (Sam), Kecia Lewis (Ida Mae), Leslie Odom Jr. (Isaiah), Krystal Joy Brown (Ornella), Talon Ackerman (Jake).
• Broadway run: 24 previews, 20 performances; St. James Theatre (April–May 2012).
• Cast album: 20 tracks; digital released Dec 4, 2012; physical CD via Ghostlight.
• Key numbers for quick sampling: “Rise Up,” “Step Into the Light,” “I Can Read You,” “If Your Faith Is Strong Enough,” “Jonas’s Soliloquy.”
• Musical style tags: gospel revival, country/Americana, pop-theatre ballad, brass-and-choir showpiece.

Technical Info

• Title: Leap of Faith: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Year: 2012 (Broadway); album released Dec 4, 2012
• Type: Stage musical cast album
• Music / Lyrics: Alan Menken / Glenn Slater
• Book: Janus Cercone & Warren Leight (based on the 1992 film)
• Label: Ghostlight Records (under license)
• Venue: St. James Theatre, New York
• Awards: Tony Award nominee — Best Musical (2012)
• Availability: Major DSPs (album stream/download)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Playbill production vault; IBDB credits and dates; Wikipedia production history (with references); Ghostlight Records album page; Apple Music / Spotify listings; BroadwayWorld and Playbill track-list announcements; Broadway.com video features.

November, 12th 2025