Forget the question of God or mammon. For The Last Session's Steve Schalchlin and Jim Brochu, it's more like God or Merman.

The Big Voice, the latest from the team that created Session, a 1997 Off-Broadway hit, will have a preview reading Aug. 12 at Laguna Playhouse. The two songwriters will present material from the semi-autobiographical Voice.

A musical comedy, The Big Voice is about two men from different backgrounds who decide to test God, but find musical theatre legend Ethel Merman at the end of their spiritual search. The Last Session also dealt with religion in musical form, as the story of an ex-rock musician who wants to record one last disc's worth of songs before he dies of AIDS unfolds against the evolving prejudices of one of his hired singers, a confused young Christian.

Tickets to The Big Voice are $25. Laguna Playhouse is located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach. For reservations, call (949) 497-ARTS. Laguna Playhouse is located at http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

— By Christine Ehren