THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603290206
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
``Speak the word and we'll set him free; Let your angel host destroy the world and conquer Calvary.''
- David T. Clydesdale, arranger/ songwriter of ``Let All Heaven Rejoice''
Witness the life, death and passion of Christ as seen from an angel's point of view.
Greenbrier Baptist Church will present its annual Easter passion play, ``Let All Heaven Rejoice,'' in Virginia Beach next weekend.
But this time out, the Chesapeake church will present a musical about the Easter passion as delivered by an angel.
``This gives the story an entirely different perspective,'' said Peggy A. Coglin, the production's director/producer. ``The fact that angels are involved makes it new and unique. We see their reaction to Christ's life. Even though God is all-knowing, this production takes the point of view that the angels didn't know what was going on. They react with anger at his arrest, with tears at his death and with joy at his resurrection.''
The production is a new musical arranged by top Christian musical arranger David T. Clydesdale, who combines his own upbeat Christian songs with new arrangements of traditional tunes connected by a dramatic narrative. The production's musical director is Chesapeake resident Brian K. Eure, worship leader at Greenbrier Baptist Church, director of the church choir and president of Eure Distributing Co.
``When I listened to the music and songs for the first time I was moved to tears,'' said Coglin, a Great Bridge resident who is also director of arts ministry at Greenbrier Baptist and co-director of the GBC Enrichment Center and School. ``It really hits on all emotional levels.''
What also hits on all emotional levels is the talents of the production's actors and singers.
``We have a very talented cast of individuals,'' Coglin said. ``They make the production what it is. For example, Chris Van Cleave is a very professional singer and actor with a wonderful and versatile singing voice. This is his first time playing Jesus for us, but he's toured for three years playing the lead in `Jesus Christ, Superstar.' ''
Coglin said she held open auditions and then in-church auditions in January to select actors and singers for the show.
Work on the production began in February, with the cast and singers rehearsing every week in the church sanctuary.
Chesapeake residents in the show include Tracy Gregory, a real estate agent, who will play both Satan and King Herod; Heather Van Cleave, daughter of Chris Van Cleave, who will play Mary, the mother of Christ; and David Harris, a member of the Greenbrier Baptist Church choir, manager of a Churchland bowling alley and a professional bowler, who will portray the angel Gabriel.
Virginia Beach residents in the show include Chris Van Cleave, a professional singer/songwriter/actor who will portray Christ; Jennifer Neal, disc jockey with Christian radio station WODC and once a member of the professional singing group The Continentals, who will portray the angel narrator; Jarrod Cotton, a veteran of the Commonwealth Musical Stage, who will play Joseph; and Andre Gowens, administrative assistant at Tallwood High and a member of the Virginia Opera chorus, who will play Michael the Archangel.
``This is in the true spirit of regional cooperation,'' Moore said. ``We are based in Chesapeake, use actors and singers from both Chesapeake and Virginia Beach and hold the production at the Virginia Beach Pavilion.''
This is the fourth year in a row the church has presented its annual Easter passion at the Pavilion, Moore said.
``We started out at Greenbrier Primary School, then we held it at Indian River High School and the next year we staged it at the Pavilion, and we've been there ever since,'' Coglin added. ``We grew rather rapidly.''
Coglin said the Pavilion is the perfect venue for this grand production, which will use the talents of more than 40 actors and singers and 50 choir members.
``We needed a special facility to accommodate this production,'' she said. ``We can only rent school space, for example, on weekends, but we can rent the Pavilion for an entire week to set everything up. And their technical staff is fantastic. I can't say enough about how good the staff has been to us.''
Coglin said Pavilion lighting director Tina Wellington was a great help.
``We don't use much scenery for this production, so the lighting is so very vital to us in helping present the right mood and atmosphere for various scenes,'' she said. ``Her expertise was important and a great benefit to us.''
The Pavilion's technical staff also is adept at adding the other special effects to embellish the Easter passion, including sound effects, smoke effects and a four-man stage crew to make Christ ascend into heaven, using four tethers to allow the actor who plays Jesus to ascend 20 feet above the stage.
``We're excited about this production,'' Coglin said. ``Using an angel's point of view, we hope we give the audience a new insight. It's the angelic celebration of Easter, and I think it helps us as humans to relate to the Easter story.'' MEMO: AT A GLANCE
What: Easter Celebration '96: ``Let All Heaven Rejoice,'' a musical
Easter passion play
Who: Presented by the arts ministry and choir of Greenbrier Baptist
Church
Where: Virginia Beach Pavilion Theater
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Tickets: Advance tickets are $6 and are available at the Pavilion box
office, all Heaven & Earth locations or Founder's Inn & Conference
Center guest services. Tickets also will be available at the door for
$8.
Call: For ticket reservations or more information, call 547-3898. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
The crucifixion scene from ``Let All Heaven Rejoice.''
by CNB