Revisiting some of the very best
Stage Prophets in Review bringing the stage to life, again
Some exciting rehearsals have been taking place this spring at Evangeline Middle School in New Minas.
Stage Prophets in Review is preparing to whisk audiences through the world of Mary Poppins, Anne of Green Gables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables and Fiddler on the Roof.
“We thought it would be cool to revisit excerpts from all of the great shows we’ve presented since 2002,” says assistant director Kate Pinto.
From a cast of 16 young people putting on a production in a church basement in 2002, Stage Prophets has grown into a cast of more than 100, ranging in age from one to 70, with annual soldout shows at Festival Theatre in Wolfville. From June 3 to 5 Stage Prophets in Review will celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary with memorable excerpts from two decades of performances.
“We’ve done one major production every year,” Pinto says. “We’ve also done occasional dinner theatres and shows during the Christmas season.”
Some of the performers and crew have been there for the entire 20 years and at least one cast member, Janelle Sampson, has been in every production.
The show will feature the song Generations – from Children of Eden, a musical about the Biblical family of Adam and Eve – which will celebrate multi-generational gatherings. There have been numerous multi-generational collaborations over two decades of Stage Prophets’ history.
“All of our cast members who have multiple generations in Stage Prophets will come together for that number,” Pinto adds. “We sometimes have three or four generations of the same family on stage at the same time. There are not a lot of extracurricular activities that can do that.”
Stage Prophets in Review features a cast of about 100, supported by a large contingent of set designers, costume designers and backstage technicians. There will also be a special surprise for the audience, Pinto promises.
“We’re bringing in a projection specialist from Montreal,” she says, without giving too much away. “We’re really excited about it.”
Stage Prophets strives to
raise awareness of important social issues, from homelessness and poverty to celebrating First Nations culture and bringing awareness of refugee situations, both past and present. The group has a philosophy anchored by four cornerstones: belief, gratitude, belonging and nobody is greater or lesser.
“We will be intentionally weaving the themes of those cornerstones throughout the narration of the show,” Pinto explains. “Each selection that we’ve chosen falls into one of those categories.”
Many of the lead performers over the years will reprise their roles for Stage Prophets in Review. The grand finale of the performance will give audiences a sneak peek at what they can look forward to in 2023. Stage Prophets had planned to present a stadium styled production of Jesus Christ Superstar this year, replete with a mass choir, rock and roll band, pyrotechnics and even motorcycles. While the pandemic made this plan unfeasible, the production has only been put on hold, Pinto promises.
“We will be remounting Jesus Christ Superstar in spring of 2023.”
For information and tickets on the upcoming productions, call 902-5425500 or go online at acadiau.universitytickets.com.