photo courtesy of Dawn Ford
Last week I joined four other ladies (Stacy Monson, Sarah Anderson, Dawn Ford, & Mari Keisling) on a writing retreat in Branson, Missouri (read about it here). We wanted to cap off our week with a show, as Branson is renowned for its diverse theatrical, musical, and entertainment venues. My daughter recommended Moses at Sight & Sound Theatres (we saw Jonah a few years back), and my fellow authors agreed it looked like a good choice.
Well, it was better than good!
But let me back up a bit. When my family saw Jonah, we also paid for a backstage tour which took us through much of the building. As this was Moses‘ second weekend open, Sight & Sound didn’t offer tours yet, but I knew my fellow authors would love to see behind the scenes, so I gave Sight & Sound Theatres a call and asked if there’d be a chance we could get a tour. I connected with Meg Armstrong who said she’d love to give us a peek backstage. She told me she’d connect with us after the show and give us a mini-tour, which was way more than I expected. 🙂
Sarah takes selfie with Moses
We actually met Meg prior to the show when we asked an *usher* to take a picture of our group. The usher happened to be Meg. I introduced myself and our group, and she treated us as if we were extra-special guests. (A fun aside: as we were waiting for the show to begin, this young gentleman (accompanied by Meg) came up to my daughter who had a center-aisle seat and said “Take a selfie with me. You really want to take a selfie with me.” So she did. Then he jogged away as Meg said “That was my brother. And Moses.” Cool, right?! 🙂
Now as for the show, WoW is the best way to describe it! From the large-as-life sets surrounding (and among) the audience on three sides, to the amazing vocal and acting talent, the engaging story, some fun special effects, and the inclusion of live animals, it was magnificent! I could watch the production over and over again and not tire of it. It felt like we were in the midst of Egypt.
Then, at the end of the show, an actor invited guests to come up front if they wanted prayer. How cool is that?! The theatre is also unique in a couple other ways: there is no curtain call and no actor names are listed in the program. The theater wants all the glory to go to God, not to the people playing the parts. Where do you see that in theaters?
Waiting for the performance to start
Following the show, Meg brought us backstage for a quick peek and to answer questions. We got to see workers readjusting the massive sets, and she explained how the pieces are moved during the production. She answered more questions, then her brother, Fraser (Moses), came over to say “Hi.” We asked him additional questions, and somehow the topic got around to my daughter wanting to perform with Sight & Sound Theatres someday. He offered tremendous encouragement to her, and gave her some advice, including audition tips. To top it off, he asked if he could pray for her. Again, WoW!
Behind the scenes with Meg Armstrong
Needless to say, my daughter is now even more determined to become part of Sight & Sound Theaters. I wouldn’t mind that one bit. 🙂
Thank you to Sight & Sound Theatres for offering a high-quality, professional, Bible-based production that all families can enjoy. Thank you Meg and Fraser Armstrong, and all the employees of Sight & Sound Theatres, for welcoming us and for making us feel as if we were extra-special guests! We will return!
About Sight & Sound Theatres ~
Mission: Our purpose is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sow the Word of God into the lives of customers, guests and fellow workers by visualizing and dramatizing the scriptures, through inspiration productions, encouraging others and seeking always to be dedicated and wise stewards of our God-given talents and resources.
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