THE YOUNG CARPENTER from the House of David was deeply disturbed; in fact, he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Joseph had just learned that his fiancé Mary was pregnant. To top it all, he witnessed the stoning to death of an adulteress, Ester. Her husband Ephraim, still besotted, refused to cast the first stone, as required by law, and instead joined his wife in death.

This tragic event?imaginary?is one of the highlights of ?Song of Joseph,? a new musical by librettist Fides Cuyugan Asensio, the opera diva, and young composer Raymond Roldan. The musical, sponsored by the Oblates of St. Joseph (executive producer Fr. Ron Aleonga, OSJ) and directed by Noel Cabazor, will be premiered at the Meralco Theater (Ortigas Ave., Pasig City), 8 p.m. on Nov. 17-19. There are plans to bring it to Pampanga, Batangas, Iloilo and Cebu next year.

?Song of Joseph? is all about the love story?which is sometimes tense?of Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus, although the Savior is shown at the end as a young man, as his foster father, now 67, prepares to meet his Maker.

Tenor Johnson Joven Uy plays Joseph, with sopranos Tricia Amper Jimenez and Arlynne Lupaz Tecson alternating as Mary. Rising young soprano Jeanelle Bihag is cast as the fictional, ill-fated Ester, and Ed Decenteceo as her husband Ephraim. Tenor Eladio Pamaran is King Herod, with Miguel Aguila and Adi Visconde as the young Jesus. Also in the cast are members of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus.

The music by Roldan (also the arranger) is filled with engaging melodies, ?Hebrew sounds,? and there?s even a rap number by the Three Kings, played by baritones Marvin Gayramon, Jonaf del Fiero and Greg de Leon.

Syncretic

?I would say this is a ?syncretic musical,?? opines Cuyugan Asensio. ?It is interesting to hear the music evolving from the strong classical tradition of the opening chorus, with its ?Fourteen Generations? theme, then followed by a strong rock song ?Oh Moon? sung by a macho young carpenter Joseph intensely in love with Mary.?

Growing mellow, the soprano-librettist notes: ?As I hear this musical, I hear a musical that will bridge the gap between our children and grandchildren ? it?s time we see and feel the space as the years pull us farther apart.?

Her Joycean ?epiphany? occurred when her granddaughter Nicole, also a singer, ?so bravely took a different path away from her elders. It, after all, is either world now. St. Joseph points the way with his staff??

There are caveats, however. The young singers and composers ?stand on the shifting sands of music theater art ? there are many quicksand traps and it is up to us elders to help the young avoid them, help them find the bedrock of tradition, even as they experiment with their own generation?s music theater.?

She declares: ?It is an exciting time for us.?

The musical is dedicated to the late environmentalist-arts organizer Odette Alcantara, a close friend of the librettist. ?She was a woman of faith,? Cuyugan Asensio concludes. ?And she had faith in everything I did.?