It was bold. Maybe too bold. When His Story: The Musical first started making noise, the theater world didn't quite know where to put it. You had this contemporary, hip-hop-heavy retelling of the life of Jesus, landing in a purpose-built tent in The Colony, Texas. It wasn't Broadway—not physically, anyway—but it had the sheen of a multimillion-dollar production.
Honestly, the ambition alone was enough to make people sit up.
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Anna Miriam Brown wrote the music and lyrics when she was only 17. Think about that for a second. While most teenagers are trying to figure out their SAT scores or what to post on TikTok, she was composing a full-length book and score. It’s a literal prodigy story. The production eventually brought in big names like Jeff Calhoun—the guy who directed Newsies and Grease—to give it that professional edge. It was a massive gamble on a specific type of storytelling that blends ancient theology with the kind of beats you'd hear on a Top 40 station.
What His Story: The Musical Actually Is
If you’re expecting a traditional, stuffy church pageant, you're going to be very confused. This isn't The Passion of the Christ with a few songs thrown in. It’s a sung-through musical. That means the dialogue is minimal to non-existent; the story is pushed forward entirely by the music. It follows the life of Jesus, but the aesthetic is 100% modern. We’re talking joggers, hoodies, and choreography that feels like it belongs in a Justin Timberlake video.
The music pulls from everywhere. You’ve got clear influences from Hamilton—which, let's be real, every modern musical does now—but there are also splashes of pop, R&B, and even some traditional musical theater balladry.
Critics were divided, which is usually a sign that something interesting is happening. Some loved the accessibility. They argued that if you want to reach a younger generation with a 2,000-year-old story, you have to speak their language. Others felt the "hip" factor was a bit forced. But regardless of where you land on the "cool" spectrum, the technical execution was objectively high-level. The "Broadway Tent" at Grandscape wasn't just a gazebo; it was a 1,300-seat state-of-the-art venue designed specifically for this show.
The Anna Miriam Brown Factor
You can't talk about His Story: The Musical without talking about Anna. She started writing the songs after a mission trip to Africa. She reportedly didn't even have formal training in music theory at the time. She just started recording melodies into her phone.
It's a "lightning in a bottle" situation. Usually, musicals go through a decade of workshops, out-of-town tryouts, and endless rewrites by committees of 50-year-old men. This felt different because it kept that raw, teenage sincerity. Whether that sincerity worked for you or felt a bit unpolished is a matter of taste, but it gave the show a distinct "voice" that felt separate from the corporate polish of a Disney production.
Why the Texas Move Mattered
Most shows fight tooth and nail to get into a theater in Midtown Manhattan. His Story: The Musical took a hard left turn and went to North Texas.
Why?
Business-wise, it was brilliant. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has a massive demographic that aligns perfectly with the show’s themes. By setting up a permanent residency in a tent rather than a traditional touring house, they controlled the environment. They weren't just a "show"; they were an "event."
- The Venue: 360-degree views in some sections.
- The Vibe: Less formal than a theater, more like a concert.
- The Reach: It pulled in audiences from across the "Bible Belt" who might feel intimidated by a trip to NYC.
It basically bypassed the traditional gatekeepers. Producers Bruce Lazarus and Willie and Korie Robertson (of Duck Dynasty fame) saw an underserved market. They knew that there is a massive audience for faith-based entertainment that doesn't look like it was made in 1985. They bet on the idea that people would drive hours to see a high-production-value version of the Gospel, and for a long stretch, they were right.
The Sound: Hip-Hop vs. Hymns
The soundtrack is a wild ride. If you listen to "Arrival" or "The Way," you’ll hear the pop sensibilities immediately. It’s catchy. Like, dangerously catchy.
The challenge with any musical about a religious figure is the "cringe factor." How do you make a character like Jesus—who is often portrayed as stoic and distant—human enough to lead a musical? The show tries to solve this by leaning into the "Man of Sorrows" and "Friend of Sinners" archetypes through a lens of modern struggle.
The casting was vital here. Max Kuenzer, who played Jesus in the Texas run, had to balance the weight of the role with the athletic demands of the choreography. It’s a lot of jumping around while singing about eternal salvation. Not an easy gig.
Real Talk: Is it Just a Hamilton Rip-off?
People love to say this. "Oh, it's just Hamilton but for Jesus."
Is it a fair critique? Sorta.
The use of rap as a narrative device for historical (or semi-historical) figures is now a trope. Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't invent rap, but he popularized the "fast-talking-historical-figure" format. His Story: The Musical definitely walks through the door Hamilton opened. However, the melodic structure is much more aligned with modern Christian Contemporary Music (CCM). It’s less about lyrical intricacy and more about emotional swell.
If Hamilton is a chess match of words, His Story is a wave of feeling.
The Production Woes and the "Tent" Reality
Living in a tent isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The production faced its share of hurdles. Weather in Texas is... unpredictable. When you're running a high-tech show under a literal big top, wind and heat become your mortal enemies.
There were also the usual "new show" growing pains. Some scenes felt rushed. Some characters, like Judas or Mary Magdalene, were given massive moments that sometimes overshadowed the central arc. But that's the nature of a new work. It’s a living organism.
The show also had to navigate the tricky waters of being "faith-based" without being "preachy." If it’s too religious, you lose the theater nerds. If it’s too "theater," you lose the church groups. Finding that middle ground is like walking a tightrope in a hurricane.
The Lasting Impact on Modern Theater
Regardless of how long the lights stay on in the tent, His Story: The Musical proved something important: there is a path for independent musicals to bypass the New York cycle.
In the past, you needed a Tony or a rave review from the New York Times to be "legit." Now? You need a viral story, a solid TikTok presence, and a producer who isn't afraid to build a theater in a parking lot next to a Topgolf.
It also highlighted the massive talent pool outside the traditional hubs. The cast wasn't just a bunch of "local actors"; it was a professional troupe that could hold their own against any Broadway ensemble. This decentralized approach to theater is something we're likely to see more of as the economics of Manhattan become increasingly impossible for new creators.
Looking at the Numbers (The Real Ones)
While we don't have the internal P&L statements, we can look at the scale. We’re talking about a production that cost millions before the first ticket was even sold. That kind of investment in a "niche" genre—the contemporary Christian musical—is rare. It showed that the "Faith-Based" tag isn't just for low-budget movies you find in the bargain bin at Walmart; it can be a powerhouse for live entertainment.
The show's soundtrack has racked up millions of streams. People who have never been to Texas are listening to these songs on repeat. That’s the real metric of success in the 2020s. Does the music live on your phone after the curtain goes down? For a huge chunk of the audience, the answer is a loud "yes."
How to Engage with the Show Now
If you missed the initial run or you're just diving into the soundtrack, there are a few ways to really "get" what they were trying to do.
- Listen to the Concept Album First: The original recordings by Anna Miriam Brown have a different vibe than the live cast recording. It's more intimate and gives you a sense of the raw vision.
- Watch the Behind-the-Scenes Content: The producers released a lot of footage regarding the construction of the tent and the rehearsal process. It’s a masterclass in "How to Build a Show from Scratch."
- Check the Cast’s Socials: A lot of the performers from the Texas run are moving on to huge things. Following their journey gives you a sense of the caliber of talent the show attracted.
His Story: The Musical isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. If you hate the idea of Jesus rapping, you're going to have a bad time. But if you appreciate the sheer guts it takes to build a world-class theater in the middle of a shopping district and fill it with high-energy, pop-infused storytelling, you have to respect the hustle.
It’s a weird, loud, bright, and deeply earnest piece of work. In an industry that often feels cynical and rehashed, that’s actually pretty refreshing.
Actionable Steps for Theater Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan of the show or a creator looking to follow in its footsteps, here’s what you should actually do:
- Study the Independent Model: Don't just wait for a Broadway producer to call. Look at how His Story: The Musical used regional "hubs" to build a base. If you have a show, consider where your audience actually lives, not just where the most famous theaters are.
- Embrace Genre-Blending: Don't be afraid to mix high-brow themes with low-brow (or at least "popular") music. The friction between the two is where the energy comes from.
- Focus on the Soundtrack: In the digital age, your "cast recording" is your most important marketing tool. Make sure it sounds professional enough for a radio spin, not just a theater archive.
- Look for Underserved Markets: The "faith-based" market is massive but often overlooked by "prestige" creators. There is a huge opportunity for high-quality, nuanced storytelling in this space that doesn't rely on clichés.
The story of the show itself is almost as dramatic as the one on stage. It's a reminder that sometimes, to make a point, you have to stop playing by the rules and just go build your own tent.