Easter Pageant

Arizona Easter Pageant Continues 70-year-old Tradition

February 20 , 2008 by Editor

As 450 cast members take the stage for this year’s Arizona Easter Pageant, they will be participating in the 70th Anniversary of the event that has grown to be what is considered the world’s largest outdoor Easter Pageant.

Beginning in 1928, with a sunrise choir concert held atop a cotton wagon on the grounds of the Mesa Arizona Temple, the pageant has become a tradition that has been held consecutively each year since, except during the war years.

From those early beginnings, the pageant has evolved, expanding in size and seeing enhancements to the script, staging and production quality. One of the first “official” directors was Irwin Phelps, and the pageant was strictly a local production for years. However, in the mid-1980s, under direction of leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a new script was written by Chip Boynton and Craig Cardon; and the pageant became an official, Church-sponsored pageant.

As the years progressed, in order to shorten the pageant’s length, some musical numbers were deleted; however, no additional narration changes were made until 2004. At that time, Nanci Wudel, who served as assistant director for four years and as pageant director beginning in 2002, worked with Church headquarters, to write new narration for the existing script. She says technical flaws in the recording were corrected and the narration was made more “audience friendly.”

“While the original narration was beautiful, there were parts which we felt could be a bit more understandable to the audience, by using more simple and straightforward language. We wanted to make sure every scene was clearly understood,” Nanci says. For example, she explains, a scene was added before the dance of the 10 virgins to more fully explain the parable and what it is meant to teach. “Now, when the audience sees that dance, they know what the dancers are acting out,” she says.

At that same time, assistant director and musician Jenee Wright Prince worked with well-known composer Merrill Jensen on changes to musical arrangements and underscoring. “This new soundtrack, which required us to re-block the entire show due to all new timing, was first used in the 2005 performances,” says Nanci. Over the years, costumes have evolved as well, to more accurately reflect the time of Christ.

In 2003, Barbara Layton, who was the costume designer at that time and led a 25-woman committee, said, “I worked with several Biblical historians, including renowned Carma deJong Anderson, who has a doctorate in Biblical clothing. We tried to make everything we did—down to the smallest accessory—more authentic each year so people could get a taste of what was going on at the time of Christ,” she said. Currently, under the direction of costumer Elaine Huish, updates, new design and research, and refurbishing of costumes continues to take place on year round.

An all-electronic and computerized sound system and state-of-the-art, four-story, multi-level stage have been added in recent years, making the pageant an even more beautiful and inspiring production.

According to Wayne Leavitt, current pageant president, although the pageant has evolved over the years, the message, and intent remain the same. “It is presented out of our love for the Savior and a desire to share that with others,” Wayne says. “We want others to know that we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worship the Savior Jesus Christ.”

Most of all, Wayne says, the pageant is designed as a way to help people “gain a better understanding of Jesus Christ, to know him better and to feel his love.”

Nanci says the effort requires thousands of volunteer hours; yet, “Every year, we have to turn away hundreds of people who want to be in the cast. They are begging to participate. They love having the opportunity to be in the cast or to be involved in any way possible.”

This year, the tradition will continue, with a cast that is larger than ever before and with a new exhibit, opened to commemorate the pageant’s 70th Anniversary. The Reflections of Christ exhibit and documentary in the adjacent Visitors’ Center will be open during the day, beginning at 9 a.m., and before each performance.

The 65-minute pageant begins March 11, with a public-invited dress rehearsal, in English at 7 p.m. and Spanish at 8:30. Following that, English performances are March 12, 13, and 18 through 22 and Spanish performances are March 14 and 15, all beginning at 8 p.m.

Free parking is available on surrounding streets, west of Pioneer Park and behind Dairy Queen on Main Street.

Metal chairs are strictly first-come, first-served. No general reserved seating is available; and no block or reserved seating signs may be posted on chairs. For additional information, visit www.easterpageant.org or call (480) 964-7164.

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