PROVO — If you think you know the story of the prodigal son, think again.

A group of finger-pickin' musicians have taken the scriptural account and made it bluegrass musical material.

"Take the Mountain Down," featuring Marvin Payne and the Potluck Social String Band — with Payne, his son Sam, Tricia Storey, Kendra Lowe, Lacey Williams and Robby Sorensen — debuts at Campus Education Week Aug. 21-24.

"What it is, is a six-piece country bluegrass show," said executive producer R. Don Oscarson. "The show is really a musical with this band playing at a country picnic on a farm in the Smoky Mountains. As they're playing, a girl comes through who is having some difficulties with life and the decisions made that affect her life. The band becomes the family as they retell the story of the prodigal son.

"It's very, very clever," Oscarson said. "It's a fun kind of thing."

Local actor/songwriter/musician Marvin Payne and lyricist/composer Steven Kapp Perry wrote it and have played with the scriptural story similar to Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

The songs range from a lament over "Empty Bottles" to "What Will You Give Me for My Mother's Dream?"

"Publicans and Sinners Gather Round," "Down in the Dumpster Blues" and "A Shirt, a Shave and Brand-New Shoes" offer the show some rhythmic lightheartedness.

Eric Samuelson directs the show, which lines up with the actual scriptural references in Luke as the story unfolds.

"Take the Mountain Down" refers to the effort involved in bringing down the emotional walls a person builds to keep family and friends out after he or she has made poor decisions. It's the signature song.

"The message is we must not give up on our wayward children. The mother in the story never gives up," Oscarson said. "It's a powerful story with humor and pathos. We think the audience might enjoy it, and it's adaptable to a variety of booking possibilities."

If you go

What: "Take the Mountain Down"

Where: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU campus

When: 7:30 p.m., Aug. 21-24

Cost: $10 at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, Harris Fine Arts Center

Web: educationweek.byu.edu

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E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com