Bright Life Players to present 'Esther the Musical'
Deah Bresson, left, Samantha Hurst, John Wood and Liz Radcliffe.
Bright Life Players of Wooster is preparing another show with a message of perseverance under difficult circumstances. “Esther the Musical” is set for Friday, March 8; Saturday, March 9; Friday, March 15; and Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. as well as Sunday, March 17 at 2:30 p.m. The performances will run at First Church of God in Wooster. The show is a fundraiser for OneEighty.
Bright Life Players is a faith-based theatrical troupe, and Margaret Leatherman, musical director for the show, said the group came to the musical by first choosing the story they wanted to tell.
“We wanted to find a show we could really put our heart and soul into,” she said. “We settled on the story of Esther from the book in the Old Testament of the Bible. We started searching to see if there was a play centered around that story and found this musical. We felt guided to what we were supposed to do.”
Leatherman said the show is a very high-quality musical that the cast has been very pleased to work with. “It stays very close to the story in the Bible,” she said.
The cast has been rehearsing the show since the beginning of the year. “There are about 30 people in the show,” Leatherman said. “The youngest is 10 years old. Then we have several middle school and high school students. The rest are adults. It’s going really well, and we have a dedicated group of people who have worked hard through the entire process.”
Leatherman said in order to truly connect the cast with the story, they’ve taken time to study The book of Esther together. In the biblical story, as in the musical presented by Bright Life Players, Esther is an orphaned Hebrew girl who is born in Persia and becomes queen of that country.
When the Jews are faced with terrible persecution by royal decree, Esther finds she must trust the will of God. She feels the weight of the survival of her own people on her shoulders. The book of Esther features prominently in the Jewish festival of Purim.
“Our group’s mission is to offer back to the community,” Leatherman said. “The proceeds from the show will go to OneEighty of Wooster.”
OneEighty provides assistance and support in the community for victims of domestic violence and for those struggling with addiction and mental-health issues, helps with housing support, and offers a rape crisis center. With roots stretching back to the 1970s, the organization began using the name OneEighty in 2016. OneEighty serves Wayne and Holmes counties.
“They do a lot for the community,” Leatherman said. “The story of Esther, we felt, is a good connection with OneEighty, and we’re glad to offer support.”
The show will feature recorded music provided by the publisher with a dozen musical numbers included. “Esther the Musical” is directed by Kay Anderson with Lori Mae Reynolds serving as choreographer.
The First Church of God is located at 1953 Akron Road in Wooster. “The church is always wonderful in helping us, and we’re grateful for the available space,” Leatherman said.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for patrons age 12 and younger. A family-of-four package is $30, and a group rate of eight tickets or more is available at $8 each. Tickets are available online at www.brightlifeplayers.org or at the door.
Call Leatherman at 330-262-3691 for more information.