And The Father said to His children, Adam and Eve, of His Garden of Eden, “It's perfect.”

I left a final dress rehearsal of the Boothbay Playhouse production of “Children of Eden” blown away by the performances delivered by this company's fine group of actors.

From the very first scene as the Storytellers sing of the creation of the world, “Let There Be,” you know you are in for a powerful piece of musical theater — and that this is just the cast to deliver a first-rate show.

Recurrent themes run throughout this show about parents and children: parents' not wanting to lose control of their children; the unwillingness about giving them the freedom to make mistakes; and the importance of giving them another chance. (If you are a “cry-er,” you'd better bring some tissues, “Children of Eden” has more than a couple emotional moments.)

After creating the perfect world of his dreams, the Garden of Eden, The Father (Joel Biron) creates Adam (Landon Sholar) and Eve (Kristen Robinson). All is right in the Garden, until Eve discovers the Tree of Knowledge. Eve is Father's difficult child, always questioning everything (in this case it takes the phrase “question authority” to new heights), far too curious about what lies beyond the Garden, and what lies in it, specifically hungering for that tree of forbidden fruit.

In the number, “In Pursuit of Excellence,” Eve makes the acquaintance of the Snake, portrayed by Nate Friant. Friant slithers, dances and tempts Eve with Mephistophelian grace. When he learns its answers she's looking for, he convinces her of the only way to do.

We all know what happens next: Eve takes a bite of the apple, Adam has a nibble and they are banished from Eden and condemned to the wasteland. They make a home and have two sons there, Cain (played passionately by Michael Burrell) and Abel by Friant, who transitions from Snake to dutiful son effortlessly. They all become the “first family.”

The scene amongst the family members leading up to Abel’s death is intense and believable; Sholar and Burrell bring it to its climax to perfection.

That intensity continues to the next scene, through Biron's burning performance as an angered Father as he banishes Cain and curses seven generations of his descendants.

The first act concludes with Eve's calling out to The Father and telling him of her family — the grandchildren and great-grandchildren given her by Seth, their third son. She also begs the Father to forgive her for her actions that led her and Adam to being banished from the Garden.

The second act is the story of Noah, portrayed by Joe McGrann, his wife (Emily Mirabile); and family, sons, Japeth (Robo Bishop), Shem (Jake Duvall-Early) and Ham (Nick Mirabile).

As Noah follows the Father's instructions to the cubit on the construction of the ark and welcomes the animals, he has no inkling about his youngest son's love for a daughter of Cain, Yonah (Chaney).

When Noah tells Japeth and Yonah they cannot possibly be married, Japeth leaves in a rage. Yonah, though deeply saddened, understands why their marriage cannot be. Chaney delivers a heartfelt performance in her solo, “Stranger to the Rain.” Japeth returns and convinces her to let him smuggle her onto the ark.

When 40 days come and go and still the rains continue, Noah is confused and concerned. The food supply dwindles, a daughter-in-law is about to give birth, and he has an ark full of animals and nowhere in sight to land them. When Shem discovers Yonah, Noah understands why The Father has not spoken to him and why, it appears, he has condemned them — and all creatures on His earth — to death.

Once again, His children have failed to obey and He has lost his last chance at perfection.

But it is father Noah who puts an end to his family's crisis by joining Japeth and Yonah in marriage for however much time they have left. Yonah frees one of the doves from its cage to see if it can bring any hopeful news. The dove returns (in the guise of the ever graceful Melissa Nein) and offers an olive branch to Yonah. The family can again see the stars — and an end to their travails.

The show's finale, a gospel song, giving Mrs. Noah the last word, “Ain't It Good?” will have audiences jumping to their feet and clapping in time. Emily Mirabile really shows off her vast vocal range and “brings it on home.”

This Playhouse production of “Children of Eden,” music and lyrics by Steven Schwartz, was brilliantly co-directed by Ginny Bishop and Emily Mirabile. Emily also choreographed the entire show, with the exception of Nein's dove dance. The dancer/dance instructor designed her own graceful moves.

Whether you've seen one show at the Playhouse this season or none, you do not want to miss this one.

It is a wealth of earthly delights in a still imperfect world.

The Boothbay Playhouse is located at 275 Wiscasset Road/Route 27, in Boothbay. Tickets, and more information, are available through the box office: 207-633-3379. Opening night is Thursday, Aug. 7, curtain at 8 p.m. Dates of the rest of the run: August 8-9, 13-16, 19-20 at 8 p.m. with one matinee at 4 p.m. on August 17.