Behold the Man, La Ópera de Cecilia is a two-act, crossover musical comedy, in both English and Spanish, based on the true story of Cecilia Giménez and her failed 2012 restoration of the Ecce Homo fresco in Borja, Spain. Inception Created by composer Paul Fowler and librettist Andrew Flack, Behold The Man is set against the backdrop of the Global Recession and follows Borja's economic woes while confronting the unwanted attention brought on by Cecilia's failed attempt to fix the fresco. Dubbed “the worst restoration in art history,” her image of Christ was swept up on social media and glorified with countless parodies and memes. Shunned by her neighbors and shamed online, Cecilia slipped into despair before the incident was accepted by her community and recognized as a good deed gone wrong, prompting the realization that “a disaster had become a miracle.” Behold The Man centers on Cecilia's story with a cast of fictionalized Borja characters. Included in the storytelling ensemble is the ghost of the fresco's original painter, Elías García Martínez, a local priest, a financially strapped young couple, Borja's mayor, and Cecilia's son and new wife, who is also the granddaughter of Martinéz. In the eight years since the 2012 “Ecce Homo” incident, it's estimated more than 250,000 visitors have made the pilgrimage to Borja to see Cecilia's “Ecce Homo” first-hand. Development Composer Paul Fowler and librettist Andrew Flack began researching and writing Behold The Man in September, 2012, shortly after learning of Cecilia's restoration-gone-wrong. From first reports, it was clear the story had captured the imagination of the international press and was taking social media by storm, quickly achieving the status of “internet sensation.” Almost immediately visitors from around the world began to arrive, posting selfies to Facebook while celebrating the “Ecce Homo” phenomenon. Following the media coverage from their home base in Colorado, the authors could see a silver lining in the offing and continued crafting Behold The Man in real-time as events unfolded in Borja. As news of Cecilia's transgression continued to spread, even Conan and Saturday Night Live joined the response with segments in “Weekend Update,” featuring Kate McKinnon in the role of Cecilia. Almost two years into the project, with the completion of ACT I, Fowler & Flack hosted the first “staged reading” of the work in Boulder, Colorado, directed by Amanda Berg Wilson. Production The following year with the completion of ACT