Sight and Sound Theatres
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Branson, Missouri
The nation’s most popular Christian theater company is all about immersing audiences in the Gospel story. Both Sight and Sound Theatres, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Branson, Missouri, produce Broadway-style musicals on massive stages that wrap around the audience on three sides. All 2,000 seats put you right in the middle of the action.
“For us, it’s hard to believe we’re going on 42 years of bringing the Bible to life,” said Sight and Sound CEO Matt Neff. “From the beginning, it started with a passion for storytelling but, more importantly, a passion for the Gospel.”
More than a million people attend Sight and Sound’s biblical productions each year, and because of that, producers have the resources to give detailed attention to the scripts, the scores and the set and costume design.
“Every time we do a new show, there’s an element of stretching and raising the bar,” Neff said. “We ask how can we most effectively tell the story, and we’re blessed with creative producers, artists and designers who don’t settle.”
The speed at which lighting and set technology has progressed thrills the creative team. Backdrops for “Jesus,” which debuted in Lancaster March 10, are produced on a massive LED screen in perfect color and saturation. The new musical focuses on Jesus’ interactions with people and follows their lives as they change forever.
Groups that visit the Branson location can also book a backstage tour. Members of the cast take groups behind the scenes to see the million watts of lights, 60,000 watts of sound and towering four-story set pieces.
Blue Gate Hospitality Company
Shipshewana, Indiana
The Blue Gate Restaurant and Theatre in the small town of Shipshewana, Indiana, is at the heart of the state’s Amish culture. Though the restaurant is already a household name throughout the state, the theater is gaining recognition as one of the best places for family-style entertainment in the Midwest.
For 2018, the Blue Gate has booked 300 shows, 75 different performers and three self-produced musicals. The lineup includes several Grammy-winners, comedians, Southern Gospel favorites and other acts appropriate for families. Larger acts play in the 1,200-seat event center, but many shows, including the original musicals, still perform in the Blue Gate’s intimate 350-seat theater.
“Artists tell us the theater is a fun place to perform,” said Andrew Rohrer, vice president of sales and marketing for the Blue Gate. “There’s no seat that’s more than 11 rows from the stage, and the venue isn’t showy or ostentatious. It’s very personal.”
The original musicals tell stories from the Amish point of view and include themes about love and virtue and the benefits of a simpler life. Producers take the shows on the road after their run in Shipshewana.
All show bookings include a dinner option. Blue Gate has become so famous for its homestyle Amish fare that the restaurant now has 1,200 seats, nine dining rooms and a full bakery.
