Show relies on ‘Moses’ staff
Grateful crowds, both secular and spiritual, flock to see a production on a 300-foot-wide wraparound stage
Moses lays down his shepherd’s staff at the top of a staircase of rough-hewed boards.
In the dim light of the slave quarters, it springs to life, writhing back and forth downward, creating a similar reaction from the crowd in the front rows. Then, in an instant, the hand of God returns it to wood at the touch of Moses’ hand.
Sight & Sound Theatres in Branson, Missouri, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have raised the staff on religious theater productions with Broadway-eclipsing sets and world-class talent.
Its latest production, “Moses,” is being performed through Oct. 20 in Branson.
Grateful crowds, both secular and spiritual, flock to see a production on a 300-foot-wide wraparound stage, filled alternately with Egyptian rivers, statues, palaces and chariots.
When a desert oasis is required by the story, it is complete with palms, Bedouins, camels and livestock, and when a sea must be parted, the audience not only sees the event but also feels the wind as one of the defining miracles unfolds.
“What we do is, we bring the Bible to life,” said Cynthia Carson, vice president of Branson Operations.
“You go back in time, and you identify with what Moses is going through.”
“All of our staff, from the
front of our house to our cast — everyone at both locations — we all believe that we’ve been called here to serve Jesus Christ, and we want to present this gospel in our everyday life, on the stage and off the stage. We like to say that we are a business, but we have a ministry.
“We come and serve together as a family, we believe that we all have a high calling, and this is a tool — evangelistic tool — that we can use.”
Carson said the Biblebased productions have been received well in Branson, with sold-out crowds and “just wideeyed excitement.”
She said the Branson location seats 2,000 and has been open for 10 years.
“It’s amazing entertainment for one thing, and just the production is spectacular. Set pieces, the craftsmanship is just incredible,” Carson said. “So for that alone, if people just want to come and see that and enjoy amazing entertainment, they’ll enjoy, but definitely they’ll also hear the message of Jesus Christ.”
Theater history
Sight & Sound Theatres opened 41 years ago in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Budding artist Glenn Eshelman took up photography as a reference for his art and developed a knack for pictures.
He and his wife, Shirley, made a multimedia slideshow at the request of a local church, and it was met with enthusiasm. They expanded their show, added actors, costumes and sets and moved to a theater.
The original success was tempered when the theater burned, and they were forced to start over, building from the ground up.
“Up” now includes matching 339,000-square-foot theaters, computerized sound and lighting and a combined 600-plus employees in the two locations.
Carson said the staff does 98 percent of the work themselves. She said the Lancaster staff is twice the size of Branson and does most of the writing, costume and set design.
Scene shops in both locations share responsibilities for producing the set pieces. Set pieces for the different shows are trucked between locations.
“Noah,” “The Miracle,” “Joseph,” “Jonah,” “Moses” and “Miracle of Christmas” have been performed at both locations. “Noah” was in Branson for four years.
“Then we went to a two-year model,” Carson said. “At this point, we are negotiating whether or not we will hold them for a year or two years.”
Both locations will present the “Miracle of Christmas” show for the holidays.
“Sampson” premiered last year in Lancaster and is moving to Branson in March 2018.
A new production entitled “Jesus” premieres in Lancaster at the same time.