“Exodus” is the explosive opening number that summons the world of the musical into being. It begins in darkness and breath, with an unsettling collage of whispers, footfalls, and body percussion that evokes the oppression of the Hebrew people under Egyptian rule. As the rhythm intensifies, the Ensemble becomes a living instrument – chanting, stomping, rapping, singing – layering sound upon sound until the stage vibrates with the pressure of four hundred years of bondage.