Ready to look at your life through Heaven’s eyes? Then “let my people go” to the ENT Center for the Arts this weekend as STARZ Theater Company presents: “The Prince of Egypt,” January 16-18, at the Shockley Zalabak Theater.
“We’ve been working on this show since October, and this show has been so anticipated by our cast members and by our community,” STC Artistic Director Laura Bergen told FOX21’s Loving Living Local. “We cannot wait for opening night!”
Based on the Biblical story of Moses from the book of Exodus, the musical follows Moses and Ramses, once brothers, whose diverging paths reshape a nation. Based on the 1998 DreamWorks animation film, the stage adaptation made its world premiere at TheatreWorks in Silicon Valley, California, in October 2017, before its acclaimed West End debut in London in February 2020.
“When I watched the movie early on, I watched [the plagues] and it was just a beautiful work of art,” Cade Steinbart, who plays Ramses in STC’s production, told Loving Living Local. “I’m so excited to bring it on to the stage.”
While the film has been a favorite throughout the theater community for nearly 30 years, “The Prince of Egypt” musical wasn’t officially available for licensing to theater companies like STC until one year ago, on November 7, 2024.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for this one,” Bergen continued. “The five main songs from that film that everyone loves… you’ll hear them. They’re phenomenal. Stephen Schwartz was the composer for the stage adaptation, and he wrote a bunch of beautiful new songs. It’s a beautiful mix of favorites and new songs—that will be new favorites!”
With music and lyrics by Schwartz, a Golden Globe, Grammy, and three-time Academy Award winner, and a book by Philip LaZebnik, this sweeping production blends ten new songs with five favorites from the DreamWorks film, including the Oscar-winning “When You Believe,” a favorite of STC senior Grace Gillespie.
“I love ‘When You Believe’ because it’s where we find Moses at his end,” Gillespie, who portrays Tzipporah in the production, told Loving Living Local. “We’re able to encourage him and remind him that this story isn’t over, and if you have faith, we can accomplish anything.”
A total of 94 students have worked 16 weeks to bring STC’s production to the stage, marking the beginning of the company’s 13th season. Since 2014, the theater performance division of Turning Pointe Dance has offered theater experiences for students ages 9-18, building a positive culture, uplifting community, and bright futures by developing well-rounded performers and young leaders who understand the power and purpose of the arts.
“My favorite scene in the show is ‘For the Rest of My Life,’” Ethan Malick, who takes on the role of Moses, said. “This is toward the end of act two, in the deep emotional part of the show. There’s so much going on, and Moses is really questioning his faith and what he’s doing. It’s super powerful. It’s one of my favorite songs to sing.”
Audiences can catch five live performances of “The Prince of Egypt” this weekend, starting with the premiere on Friday, January 16, at 6 p.m. The 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, January 17, will have ASL interpreters visible in the lower-left section of the orchestra, followed by three encore performances Saturday night at 6 p.m., and at 1 and 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 18.
Tickets are available at STARZTheater.org, or directly through the ENT Center by clicking here. Use the code STC2Off to save $2 per ticket! (Code must be entered prior to selecting seats.)