‘Whisper House’

The action takes place in a lighthouse. Before the three-level set was completed, actors got an idea of what they would be performing on from this scale model. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

March 6, 2014 12:01 PM PT

Kevin Hoffman (as Lt. Rando), from left, Mare Winningham (as Lilly) and Ted Koch (Charles, the sheriff) rehearse a scene. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

High atop the three-story lighthouse set, stage carpenters check that the bulb is not overheating the faux Fresnel lens. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

The living and the dead mix in the lighthouse. Christopher (Eric Brent Zutty), clockwise from top, lies on the floor of his bedroom on the practice set at the Old Globe, with a ghost (David Poe) lurking, and Charles (Ted Koch) and Christopher’s aunt Lilly (Mare Winnigham) have a drink. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Projection designer Aaron Rhyne (left) directs the video recording of shadow players that will be used in the show. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Writer Kyle Jarrow, from left, and director Peter Askin work with female ghost singer Holly Brook. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Female ghost singer Holly Brook works with dance director Wesley Fata as A.J. Foggiano, the understudy for the role of Christopher, looks on. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

David Poe and Holly Brook sing with the orchestra. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Lt. Rando (Kevin Hoffman) breaks into dance. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Kyle Jarrow, left, wrote the musical’s book and Duncan Sheik composed the music. They teamed on the lyrics. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

David Poe and Holly Brook sing during a dress rehearsal. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Lt. Rando (Kevin Hoffman) orders lighthouse worker Yasuhiro (Arthur Acuna) to freeze. Yasuhiro, a Japanese American, is a person of suspicion to 11-year old Christopher, whose pilot father has been killed by the Japanese in World War II. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)