iety ▁of ▁Little ▁Boy , ▁Joe ▁Be an , ▁was ▁suggested ▁by ▁his ▁long - time ▁collabor ator , ▁Bob ▁Mc All ister , ▁a ▁B ain bridge ▁Island ▁High ▁School ▁English ▁teacher ▁who ▁had ▁h ired ▁Mark ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁spring ▁musical ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁story ▁of ▁Job . ▁ ▁Nich ols ▁says ▁he ▁did ▁everything ▁possible ▁to ▁make ▁" a ▁de press ing ▁story " ▁as ▁much ▁fun ▁as ▁he ▁could , ▁using ▁a ▁ple th ora ▁of ▁musical ▁styles ▁from ▁Gilbert ▁and ▁S ull ivan - in sp ired ▁ch orus ▁to ▁Gr unge - era ▁dir ge ▁rock ▁to ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁prim al ▁Dead ▁Can ▁Dance ▁sound . ▁" The ▁tw ist ," ▁says ▁Nich ols , ▁" was ▁that ▁I ▁had ▁no ▁intention ▁of ▁making ▁the ▁characters ▁of ▁God ▁and ▁the ▁Dev il ▁simple ." ▁What ▁he ▁did ▁was ▁expand ▁them ▁into ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁" New ▁Age ▁God s " ▁who ▁tort ure ▁the ▁wonder fully ▁adapt able ▁Joe ▁Be an ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁see ▁how ▁far ▁a ▁" poly the istic ▁modern ▁rich ▁hi ppy " ▁can ▁be ▁pushed . ▁In ▁the ▁end ▁Joe ▁has ▁fallen ▁from ▁" the ▁luck iest ▁man ▁ever " ▁to ▁a ▁hom eless ▁wa if , ▁yet ▁in ▁his ▁mis ery ▁is ▁finally ▁able ▁to ▁see ▁clearly ▁the ▁met ap hor ical ▁and ▁actual ▁difference ▁between ▁character / sp irit ▁and ▁play / re ality . ▁ ▁Nich ols ▁has ▁c ited ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁biggest