It's one of the most familiar, beloved, Bible stories. If you grew up attending church, it was likely that this was one of your favorites. Countless numbers of Sunday school teachers have recounted the tale on felt boards across the world. Whatever your religious affiliation, most people know the general account of Moses, and his quest to free the Jewish people from Pharoah and lead them out of Egypt. This week, I was glad for an invitation to view a screening of Prince of Egypt, the Musical, based on the biblical account.
This isn't the animated version that you may have enjoyed some years ago, but a full, live action cast. Synopsis:
"Filmed live at the West End's Dominion Theatre, London, the show features a cast and orchestra of 60 performers, making it one of the biggest musicals ever staged. The Prince of Egypt: The Musical is the must-see event for all fans of musical theatre. Based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film the classic story has beenbrough to life by Stephen Schwartz's "miraculous music" (Time Out), including Academy Awards winning -song 'When You Believe' and Sean Cheesman's "astonishing choreography" (The Guardian). this epic, critically acclaimed production tells an inspiring tale of resilience and hope. Journey through the wonders of Ancient Egypt as two young men, raised together as brothers in a kingdom of privilege, find themselves suddenly divided by a secret past. One must rule as Pharoah, the other must rise up and free his true people; both face a destiny that will change history forever."
Watch the trailer:
The cast was amazing in all areas. This production is more than actors saying, and in this musical instance, singing lines. Prince of Egypt has plenty of complicated, fantastic, choreography, lifts, jumps, kicks, and man oh man, how those actors had the strength to hold fellow actors up in various instances for extended periods of time, I do not know.
The scenery/backgrounds are simple yet striking. The costumes of the actors often contribute to the setting, and pun intended when I say, props to the set designer!
The story was captivating from the opening scene. The casting was spot on, with each member playing their part with skill and detail. "Moses" and "Rameses" played off each other very well. As the story progresses, I was watching "Moses" and "Tzipporah", anticipating their love story. Tzipporah's father also grabbed the audience's attention with a fantastic stage presence, and quick wit. The High Priest was another amazingly well cast part of the crew. He was such a diabolical personality, with the slightest touch of humor. And his voice- what a range!
I've always loved the soundtrack to this show, and the cast didn't let me down with their performances. 'Deliver Us' and When You Believe still rate as favorites of mine, and have a set place in my play list.
Now, my one caution to families here...I don't think I need to say that its not a good plan to base your theology on an interpretation of a Bible story, rather than from the Bible itself. However, I'm saying it here. There are some creative liberties that have been taken throughout the production. One of the major ones is with the ending. I won't declare a spoiler alert, because the story is so well known. In this ending, Pharoah sees the error of his ways, and he and Moses come to a kind of understanding.
This will, no doubt put a few noses out of joint. It will also certainly provide talking points for discussions with your family, and hopefully, inspire you to read the actual account of Moses in the Old Testament.
So, I enjoyed it very much for its musical, theatrical elements. Ita was a delightfully engaging, family friendly show that can be appreciated by the whole family. It isn't 100% biblically accurate, but I think if you approach it as the fictitious interpretation that it is, you'll enjoy it as well.
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Buy or rent Prince of Egypt on digital starting December 5th!
Buy/Rent Here
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***Disclosure: Many thanks to NBC Universal for providing a sample of this product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.
