BWW Reviews: NOAH Entertains in a Very Big Way at Sight and Sound

Ask a local about Sight and Sound theatre and you will no doubt be hit with one of two opposing schools of thought. One is that it's the greatest place on earth, combining spectacle and God's Word; the other is that it can't possibly be a serious theatre since it's a giant religious tourist trap.

It's possible that both views have merit or that neither do. Having attended a performance of NOAH at Sight and Sound, there is a third possibility entirely: that it's a theatre with serious, hardworking actors and creatives who are presenting Biblical messages from a New Testament perspective. There is evangelizing, yes, as one might expect, before the show, and the conclusion of the show and a post-show statement by staff invite attendees to receive God's Word or to join them in prayer - but the show is indeed a show, of the Disney theatrical genre with massive effects, stunning sets and costumes, and musical performances that command attention.

Directed by Dan Deal, who's also worked with PRIMA Theatre in Lancaster, NOAH fits into the general category of musical extravaganza. With what feels like a cast of thousands, and looks like it as well when the stage is full, there's everything from singing to dancing to rhythmic gymnastics, there's live animals, animatronic elephants, penguins, giraffes and Galapagos turtles, and, in a masterful piece of set construction, an ark that in the second half is discovered to be built all the way around the audience, which is encompassed by it as if the spectators were in the hold with Noah's family. Four levels high, it is complete with animals, baskets, food storage, and everything else conceivably needed for the Ark's voyage - one could be forgiven for spending the second act simply studying the set.

If there's anything that a theatre lover can really complain about, presuming there's no objection to the giant spectacle form of musical presentation in the first place, it's the canned music. The music isn't bad - actually, it's quite decent - but one could hope for live sound. The sound of recorded music under the very fine live singing strikes a wrong chord.

The script isn't going to win any awards, but it's a perfectly serviceable retelling of the Biblical story of the Flood, with a few added scenes to make the story flow logically and to make it a full-length play without simply having the Ark float along for an excessive amount of time. (Some audience members could be heard grumbling that they did not recall certain events in the play as having been in Genesis. Apparently people really don't pay attention to pre-show announcements.) In that perfectly serviceable story, there's some truly excellent acting by the cast to be found. The most awkward thing in the script is the continual reference to God as "Jehovah-God," which is perhaps fine to devout Christian ears but simply isn't what the actual usage would have been at the time - the Name of God used here ubiquitously is not, in its original form, intended to be a pronounced word (and was not and still is not pronounced by Jews - in fact it can't be pronounced with any degree of accuracy as the original language is without vowel sounds for that word). "Lord of Hosts" or some such would be more authentic. But it's not entirely about that degree of authenticity - this is extravaganza, not a Biblical history class.

Among the very fine, and very large, cast, certain cast members must be singled out. Rejinald Woods, as Noah, is on stage for almost the entire show, and is in most musical numbers, as well as racing throughout the Ark, up and down ladders, and makes the feat look simple. Particularly noteworthy are his scenes with the evil ruler Lahab (Nathaniel Graves, Jr.), his soliloquy on the Ark followed by his duet with his wife, Emuwnah (a delightfully funny, if necessarily harried, Jaclyn Harnish), and his scenes with his son, Ham (an equally amusing Michael Fisher). Son Shem, played by Randy Jeter, is another great vocalist. Methuselah, played by Tim Coday, is also outstanding.

Two of the most notable musical pieces in the show other than Noah's soliloquy and the duet are the entry into the ungodly city of Nod, featuring drummers, dancers, and a general sense of spectacle rivaled perhaps only by DeMille's "The Ten Commandments", and the song and dance by Noah's daughters-in-law while engaged in their completion of baskets for the Ark - perhaps one of the most Disney-similar moments in the show and one that has the same feel as some of the numbers in the original "Mary Poppins". There's no insult in the comparison - Sight and Sound obviously has learned from Disney, and, frankly, Disney could now learn from Sight and Sound.

This show is family-friendly for the most part. Young children may be frightened by the very effective lightning and thunder effects employed as the rain starts, and though there's no visible debauchery in Nod, some audience members may feel uncomfortable listening to the pronouncements of how wonderful it is to have no deity to control their behavior. There are also a few discreet jokes regarding the possible odor and... disposal... problems of having an entire menagerie living aboard the Ark. The scene in which the evildoers of Nod torch the Ark and attempt to burn Noah and his family in it at the end of the first act may also be disquieting to children, especially as it's singularly realistic. But children (and many adults who don't want to admit it) will adore the parade of animals into the Ark as everything from goats to camels to orangutans to Noah's trusty and faithful (and incredibly well-trained) sheepdog makes an appearance.

If your taste runs to the spectacular, or if you're looking for wholesome fare that doesn't cloy, this show is more than appropriate - you may well love it. Fortunately there's a DVD available for sale at the theatre that will allow you to re-live the drama - and there is indeed drama in the show. If you love Disney-style theatricality and music, you will be delighted by the show. If you want a small theatre with an intimate feeling and moments of dramatic exaltation, this is the wrong show entirely: this is a huge production, with a stage easily twice the size of the average Broadway house and gigantic seating area - everything about this show is larger than life, and aimed at making a giant impression on the spectator. At that, this production succeeds admirably.

At Sight and Sound outside Lancaster through the first weekend of November. Visit www.sight-sound.com for tickets, and plan to order well in advance if going on a weekend; many weekend performances well into autumn are already sold out.

Photo Credit: Sight And Sound Theatre