Sight & Sound Theatres
Encyclopedia
Sight & Sound Theatres is a Christian theater company based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, operating the Millennium Theatre
and Living Waters Theatre in Strasburg, Pennsylvania
.
Glenn and Shirley Eshelman started Sight & Sound in the summer of 1976, with a 10-week multimedia show The Wonder of It All in an auditorium rented from Lancaster Bible College
. Based on that success, they built the original Sight & Sound Auditorium (now Living Waters Theatre) on Rt 896 near Strasburg, Pennsylvania
. In July 1976, the Sight & Sound Auditorium opened for the performance of A Land of Our Own. Live actors and actresses were eventually added to the productions, and Behold the Lamb debuted as the first full-length live stage production at the original Sight & Sound Auditorium in 1987. A larger facility, the Sight & Sound Entertainment Centre opened in March 1991.
However, after the success of their productions Noah and the premiere run of The Miracle of Christmas, the Entertainment Centre burned in January 1997, destroying the facility and most of the costumes and sets that were stored in their costume and set shops. The Living Waters Theatre was renovated to accommodate live stage productions until another large theater, christened The Millennium Theater
, was opened on September 1, 1998. The new theatre
featured more than 2,000 seats, a 300 feet (91.4 m) wraparound stage, and improved audio and visual effects.
Sight & Sound Theatres has opened a facility similar to the Millennium Theatre in Branson, Missouri
. The new theater opened in 2008.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, operating the Millennium Theatre
Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre
The Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the largest Christian live theatre in the United States, and one of the most popular live theatres in the Eastern US...
and Living Waters Theatre in Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road...
.
Glenn and Shirley Eshelman started Sight & Sound in the summer of 1976, with a 10-week multimedia show The Wonder of It All in an auditorium rented from Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster Bible College is a private, coeducational Bible college and graduate school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that "exists to educate Christian students to think and live a biblical worldview and to proclaim Christ by serving him in the Church and society."Traditional undergraduate students...
. Based on that success, they built the original Sight & Sound Auditorium (now Living Waters Theatre) on Rt 896 near Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road...
. In July 1976, the Sight & Sound Auditorium opened for the performance of A Land of Our Own. Live actors and actresses were eventually added to the productions, and Behold the Lamb debuted as the first full-length live stage production at the original Sight & Sound Auditorium in 1987. A larger facility, the Sight & Sound Entertainment Centre opened in March 1991.
However, after the success of their productions Noah and the premiere run of The Miracle of Christmas, the Entertainment Centre burned in January 1997, destroying the facility and most of the costumes and sets that were stored in their costume and set shops. The Living Waters Theatre was renovated to accommodate live stage productions until another large theater, christened The Millennium Theater
Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre
The Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the largest Christian live theatre in the United States, and one of the most popular live theatres in the Eastern US...
, was opened on September 1, 1998. The new theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
featured more than 2,000 seats, a 300 feet (91.4 m) wraparound stage, and improved audio and visual effects.
Sight & Sound Theatres has opened a facility similar to the Millennium Theatre in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
. The new theater opened in 2008.
Shows
- The Wonder of It All, 1975
- A Land of Our Own, 1976
- Behold the Lamb, 1987-2006, 2009
- The Eternal Flame, 1991-1992
- The Joys of Christmas, ?-1995
- Splendor of Easter
- Noah/Noah the Musical, 1995-2001, 2004,(Strasburg)- 2008-(Branson)
- The Miracle of Christmas, 1996-, (Strasburg)- 2009-(Branson)
- Holiday Time, 1997-?
- The Glory of Spring, 1997-?
- Celebrate America, 1997-?
- Abraham and Sarah: A Journey of Love, 2000-2004, 2008-2009
- Daniel: A Dream, a Den, a Deliverer, 2002-2003, 2008
- Psalms of David, 2005-2007,2010
- Ruth, 2005-2006
- In the Beginning, 2007-2009
- Daniel and the Lion's Den, 2008
- Voices of Christmas, 2007-2010
- Joseph, 2010-2011
- Jonah premiering 2012
External links
- Official Sight & Sound Theatres website
- Sight & Sound Plans Expansion - Announcement of Branson, Missouri theater.
- Past shows - Synopsis and run length information for Behold The Lamb, Noah, Daniel, & Abraham & Sarah.
- Current shows - Synopsis for Psalms of David, Ruth, The Miracle of Christmas, Behind The Scenes Tour, and In The Beginning.