More than a decade in the making, local writer and librettist Andrew Flack’s Behold The Man was given a world premiere staged by Opera Las Vegas on Sept. 31 and Oct 1.

Many Long Beach Islanders are familiar with the opera, which Flack – a Manahawkin resident with deep roots in the area – has discussed over the years with local audiences, such as those at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies.

He gave The SandPaper an exclusive look behind the many layers of effort and what he would describe only as the aid of angels.