Woods Church To Tell Story Of Faith And Hope In “The Prince Of Egypt”

Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church will hold eight performances of “The Prince of Egypt” musical March 13-15 and 19-21.

The play follows the plot of the DreamWorks movie by the same name, which retells the biblical story in Exodus of Moses as he follows the call of God to free his people.

The play features new songs by lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz, as well as five songs that he wrote for the movie, including the Academy Award-winning song “When You Believe.” “The Prince of Egypt” will be the church’s ninth large-scale production.

“It was sort of an easy pick, since it is a Bible musical about Moses and Ramses and that story of the Old Testament,” said Dave Merrill, Woods Church’s director of music and the arts. “And it’s also a story about trust and to not give up; even when you think things are falling apart around you, have trust in God, and God will bring you home and find your path.”

Although the story originates from the Old Testament, its themes continue to resonate in the present.

“I think it’s so important to remind ourselves that hope is always with us, even in dark times,” said Anya Lengbeyer, who plays Moses’ wife, Tzipporah, in the production.

The church held auditions in November. The production has a cast of 60 and includes people of all ages from as far away as Arlington, Virginia, as well as from Severna Park and Annapolis. It will also showcase a 30-member choir.

“Being from about an hour and a half away, I was so nervous coming into this show knowing no one,” said Matthew Monaghan, who plays Ramses. “But everyone has been so kind and welcoming. I’m so glad to have found a home with these wonderful people!”

The play has provided unique creative challenges for the team.

“When we did ‘Hunchback,’ last year going in, I knew that was gigantic,” Merrill said. “But this one has so many different characters on both Ramses’ side and Moses’ side, and they have so many different storylines that all come together at the very end of the show. It’s just fascinating how all the different parts come together.

“Plus, for this one, we have to flood the sanctuary and part the Red Sea. How are we going to do that? There’s many large-scale, exciting things in this production that when you read on page, you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s nice.’ But trying to put it together in this space – that definitely has been an exciting adventure.”

Logistics have also been more of a challenge for this play than previous ones, including integrating the use of pre-recorded tracks and figuring out how to light everything in a space that will include the center aisle as the Red Sea.

The church has a team of 25 to 30 people to help make decisions and bring such a large musical together, including the Rev. J.C. Austin and choreographer Elysia Merrill, Dave Merrill’s wife.

The team has been rehearsing four days per week for the play since November.

“It’s a lot of commitment, but the reward is definitely worth it once we get to the final product,” Merrill said.

Woods Church is also working with local synagogues to have a rabbi speak with the cast about how the story of Moses and the Old Testament relate to both Jewish and Christian traditions.

“We’re trying to make this educational for those who are involved in addition to creating a musical,” Merrill shared.

The church will hold six evening performances at 7:30pm and two matinee performances at 2:00pm on Saturdays. Tickets are available at www.woodstix.org.