Sight & Sound Theatres will be reviving its popular stage show “Moses,” which is based on the Biblical narrative of the unlikely hero who led the people of Israel out of slavery. The show opens at the Strasburg location on March 10 and will run through October 7.
The show was first produced in 2014, and since that time the ministry has experienced tremendous growth. Due to the launch of Sight & Sound’s online streaming service in 2020 and its film studio in 2022, the company has reached new audiences, so the producers felt that now was a good time to reintroduce a popular show.
Stephanie Lefever, Sight & Sound’s communications manager, told The Lancaster Patriot about the excitement the production team has felt about bringing “Moses” back to the stage. “It is an old show to us, near and dear to our hearts,” she said, “but it’ll be a new experience for some of those audience members.”
The team has incorporated new elements into the show so that people who have previously seen “Moses” can experience something fresh as well. While they can of course expect familiar highlights like the glowing tablets on Mount Sinai and the Red Sea parting so that it feels like the audience is enveloped in the water, there will be a larger cast for this production and the show will incorporate the theater’s LED screen. The screen was purchased for the 2018 show “Jesus” and was used again in the most recent stage production, “David.” The technology lends even more depth and realism to the impact of the 300-foot wrap-around stage and the massive set pieces.
Another new element of “Moses” is its lead actor. The title role will be primarily played by Shane Litchfield, who performed the title role of “David” last year. However, since there will be so many shows every month, three other actors will also rotate through the role of Moses, including Jonathan Blair, who recently played one of the lead roles in “I Heard the Bells,” Sight & Sound’s first feature film.
Lefever described the story as an epic one. It certainly lives up to the brand that the theater has built with its audiences. “It’s truly that immersive Sight & Sound experience that they know and love,” she said. “It might not be as grand as ‘Queen Esther’ was or as musically inclined as ‘David,’ but it is still an absolutely epic experience with a real meaningful message.”
It takes a lot of people to bring a Sight & Sound production to life. “Moses” has a cast of 50 and a backstage crew of about 50 as well, an increase in manpower compared to the show’s run nine years ago. Approximately 85% of the cast members of “David” also joined the cast of “Moses,” and some cast members from the show’s original run are reprising their roles.
The cast has been rehearsing for the last two months to prepare for the opening. Meagan Mapson, a newcomer to Sight & Sound’s cast and a member of the ensemble, expressed her surprise at the extensive rehearsal period, noting that most regional theaters typically have a two- or three-week rehearsal period. “After a week or two, I understood why it takes so long to rehearse,” she told The Lancaster Patriot. “There are so many factors with a large cast, large set, and we not only have actors who are primary leads in their roles, we also have understudies and back-ups and swings so we have to do multiple roles to make sure everyone is prepared once the show opens.”
One way that Sight & Sound Theatres remains unique is its inclusion of live animals in its productions. In “Moses,” the human cast will be acting alongside 50 different animals, including donkeys, macaws, camels, goats, sheep, and even a rat. There have been a couple of rehearsal days that focused exclusively on the comfort of the animals and the safety of both the animals and the people involved.
Mapson said she has been blown away by Sight & Sound and everyone who works there. “They have made me feel so welcomed and ready for success! The rehearsal process has exceeded my expectations and I also appreciate that there is a team of people to pray with at every rehearsal when needed and we often praise and worship,” she said.
Keeping God at the center of the ministry is key for Sight & Sound, and this encompasses both taking care of its cast and crew spiritually and offering its audiences stories that remind them about eternal principles. The story of “Moses” is full of themes that are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. Lefever stated, “A big piece of Moses’ story is one of identity and understanding that the Lord can use anyone. I mean, Moses — many don’t realize, but he had a stutter, he didn’t make the best choices in life, and he ran from God. But God still chose to use him in taking His people to the Promised Land. And so we live in a world where so much of society is trying to tell us who we are and what we should be. But truly, Moses’ message is to trust in who the Lord has designed you to be and the call that He has on your life and to follow that.”
Showtimes and ticket information can be found at sight-sound.com.
I seen MOSES in April 2023 It was the most SPECTALURE show I have every seen. I have been on a natural high since. Something I have never experienced. I am pretty sure I will be back for a another performance. I have not been able to explain it. But AWESMONE isn’t enough. I keep saying WOW !! Keep up the great work.
We went to see Moses this afternoon!
Nothing short of amazing!
There was a glitch on the set and production stopped for a bit but the cast and everyone handled it such a Godly way!
May every cast member, staff, greeters be told that we as retired missionaries we truly blessed!
Thank you and thank you!
Duane and Linda Cross
The show was out of this world!! It takes us to the same exact time in the Bible, the spiritual aspect is profound and authentic, you can feel the power of the Holy Spirit throughout.