BWW Reviews: Sight & Sound Theatres Delivers Production of Biblical Proportions with MOSES

For over 38 years, Sight & Sound Theatres has been giving well-known Biblical stories theatrical treatment, ensuring the stories that are so well-known come to life in a way that is real, inspiring, and accessible to those that ascribe to the Christian faith and those that might not. Productions featuring the stories of Noah, Joseph, and Jonah - among others - have been staged at one or more of its venues in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Branson, Missouri. Now, the ambitious theatre company is tackling the story of yet another man of the Bible in an astonishing world premiere production at the Lancaster County location. The story of Moses is perhaps among the most logical to theatricalize and offers numerous opportunities for theatrical creativity.

We have a story of a young man with humble beginnings who eventually undertakes a journey that few would expect. His mother - aware of the government requirement that all Hebrew baby boys must be killed - makes the ultimate sacrifice of love by placing her baby boy in a basket and sends it floating down the Nile River so he might have a chance to survive if raised by a non-Hebrew. His sister, Miriam, follows the basket down the river and observes the Pharaoh's daughter claiming the baby as her own to raise. When she requires a Hebrew woman to nurse him, Miriam is able to reunite boy and mother until he is old enough to be returned to the powerful Egyptian family. Moses, upon his return to Pharaoh's palace, is treated to a life of privilege and power and is basically handed an important position on a silver platter. Yet, he remains deeply concerned about the treatment of the Hebrew people under Pharaoh's rule, including pervasive slavery, as well as the widespread worship of idols in lieu of God. As he fights against the establishment both literally and figuratively, he relinquishes his cushy status in Egyptian society and becomes something of a pariah. Initially at a loss as to what do next, he flees and becomes a shepherd. Yet, it soon becomes apparent that God has greater plans for him. After God speaks to Moses via a burning bush and proves a capacity to do the miraculous, Moses realizes he must respond to God's call to bring his people - the Hebrew people - out of bondage.

Yet, this response to the call from the Almighty God is not an easy one. Moses begins to question what God is requiring of him and how he - an average man that isn't exactly the most eloquent speaker as described in Exodus 4:10 - must convince the Hebrews to follow him and the Pharaoh to allow them to be set free. Yes, the same Pharaoh with whom Moses does not exactly have a warm and fuzzy relationship. Aaron, Moses' loquacious brother, assists Moses in conveying the message, but Pharaoh - as well as the Hebrews Moses must lead out of Egypt - resists. A series of plagues ensue - locusts, boils, and more - as a means to convince Pharaoh to do what's right and let the Hebrews go to the Promised Land. Moses is ultimately successful in convincing the enslaved people to follow him although it's initially far from easy to get them out of Egypt. Yet, it becomes even clearer that God has a plan, which He will execute through Moses, to allow the Hebrews to escape the Army desperate to counter any attempt by the Hebrews to cross out of Egypt. The Red Sea parts as Moses yields completely to God. As the Hebrew people travel in the Promised Land in search of food, God calls Moses again and delivers to him the Ten Commandments on stone tablets on top of Mt. Sinai, which will guide how the Hebrews of his day and those that follow shall live.

In essence, it's the ultimate story of a man grappling with what he needs to do with his life, succumbing to what's best, and overcoming every obstacle in sight. A great study in human will and what positive things can happen when we just believe, the story offers a great vehicle for rich character exploration. The multitude of miracles - both scary (the plagues), and spectacularly fabulous ones that make way for human success and prosperity - afford numerous opportunities for intense and breathtaking theatrical spectacle. So, we have a rich, complex, and entirely relatable story with elements of the miraculous thrown in. What's not to love about that?

As presented by Sight & Sounds Theatre in a telling that's extraordinarily faithful to the Biblical text, it turns out there's a lot to love. Jeff Bender and Joshua Enck's script brings out of all of the crucial elements in the story and ties them together in an entirely cohesive way, which is no small feat given the sprawling nature of the tale. Thanks to their script and Enck's purposeful direction, they do well to highlight the inherent messages found within the text that are likely to resonate with those who have spent their lives in church (such as myself) and even those who may have not. There are lessons about sacrifice, perseverance and patience, and the need to place the greater good over individual comfort. For those that follow Christ, there's also the important - and often forgot - message about the need to just, well, "let it go" and trust in God to do what's best in your life no matter how hard (or even ludicrous) it may all seem.

One thing that's particularly appealing about this production - that may not necessarily be a hallmark of all or most religious-based theatre - is the attention to detail and rich characterizations at play within the story. Although the message of the story does - as in the Bible - guide how it is told, there's never a sense that the need to 'preach' is what's driving the telling of the story.

On this note, one thing I happened to appreciate in this telling of the story is the way that Bender and Enck never lost sight of the fact that Moses had difficulty speaking, yet never made the story a sickeningly sweet and heartwarming one about the poor disabled man overcoming so much to do God's will. As someone who happens to stutter, I appreciated how they handled this element of Moses' character, but never let it completely define him as a person. While I do have quibbles as to how the script determined when Moses would stutter - as someone who knows a bit about how stuttering comes about and the circumstances under which it is usually most prominent - they are just that, quibbles. They did not detract from my ability to immerse myself into the story, which isn't always the case with shows that feature a character that stutters. This is a testament to both the script, as well as the actor playing Moses, and the strength of the story itself. Incidentally, here I must also note that the actor's take on a stutter was among the most realistic I've heard in theatrical productions, as most attempts usually result in me cringing.

The uniformly solid cast of triple-threat performers (which cannot be individually named as a result of Sight & Sound's policy) is a key ingredient to adding dimension, and a real sense of humanity and all of its complexities to the proceedings. Although there was some over-acting the night I saw the show particularly in the first half, the group - including the enormously talented actor playing our hero - was overall successful in conveying the story in an authentic way. Whether through musical numbers composed by Don Harper, dance numbers, dialogue, or both, they were effective in bringing the audience along on the journey Moses and his cohorts went on.

Harper's intricate yet ear-candy-like melodies and story-driven lyrics are also a fundamental reason why the show is an engaging one. The urgency and conflict at play in the show's soaring ballad "Something Greater Than Me" in both the lyrics and the music made me feel more deeply for Moses' plight. In Act 2, as numerous miracles occur, the music - which is reminiscent of what one would find in a high-quality film - adds suitable ambience. Rich orchestrations, played exceedingly well by over 60 recorded musicians, only add to the experience. While it would have been very nice to have some live players, the fact that Sight & Sound does not skimp on the number of musicians playing the charts is something to be admired. I only wish many other theatres would follow suit.

Audiences familiar with Sight & Sound productions have likely come to expect a certain level of breathtaking spectacle through intricate lights, sound, and massive sets (and even live animals) in all of its productions. This production of Moses certainly has all of those ingredients, with the scenes depicting the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, being the most impressive for one reason or another (the latter for the artistic approach). Yet, as impressive as the technical elements were, they never overshadowed the story. They certainly rivaled anything you'd find in a Broadway production or some spectacle show at Disney World, which is in and of itself a testament to how seriously the Sight & Sound technical folks take their theatre and the massive talent that's involved in putting this show together.

The production on the whole is a balanced one. Impressive effects, solid music, casting, and stories do not - at least on a standalone basis - always result in a successful show. Yet, when all of these elements come together as one, the result is a promising and magical one. While I am certain that the show will flow even more smoothly as the year-long run progresses, it is off to a great start. The magic is indeed there and whether you're religious or not, it's likely impossible to not come out of the theatre without feeling something.

For me, personally, as someone who grew up in church and all that such an upbringing entails, attended an Evangelical Christian College, I admit that I am one of those people who can probably recite the most known Bible stories to you in my sleep. The story of Moses is far from a lesser known tale so really there was nothing new for me story-wise. Likewise, you don't have to convince me that the stories the Bible offers are still really relevant today. Yet, thanks to the incredibly purposeful production, I left with a renewed appreciation of the story and the message it offers in a personal and broader context, but also an appreciation for the immense theatrical talent that was behind every element of the production. Even non-believers are likely to appreciate the work at hand. This production is concrete evidence that Sight & Sound offers more than just a theatrical experience for the churchgoing public, particularly those that fall into the Evangelical category.

Take a chance on it. It's worth your time.

Running Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes, including an intermission.

Moses plays at Sight & Sound Theatre in Lancaster County, PA - 300 Hartman Bridge Road, Ronks, PA. Tickets are now available for performances through February 7, 2015 online or via phone at 1-800-377-1277.

Photo: Courtesy of Sight & Sound Theatres

To post a comment, you must register and login.