A Miraculous Show for Such a Time as This…

Elijah Perkins as Moses with the dance core. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

Audience of One’s The Prince Of Egypt delivers a once in a lifetime theatrical experience.

To say that this production did not disappoint would be an understatement. I can honestly say that this is one of the best works of theatre I have ever seen in my life. From the cast to the choreography to the lighting design, director Angie Dee has checked all of the boxes on this and then some.

The dance core assisting Moses (Elijah Perkins) through his burning bush experience. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

I cannot possibly touch on all the great facets of this show in just one review but I will do my best to highlight as much as I can. First, I must give a shout out the choreographers, Jasmine Dillon and Ella Hunter. The brilliance for how they utilize this core of dancers is nothing short of stunning. The movements are so fluid and the story would not be told on the same level of excellence without it. They also prevent the beautiful projections used as the primary source of a set in this production from becoming ignored. These dancers greatly enhance every scene they fill and breathe life into every transition.

I was beyond impressed by Bryson Winchell, puppet artist, who created the fantastic horses that Moses and Rameses race upon in act 1. Photos cannot do his genius justice as you must see how they move paired with the actors who perfectly time the waving of the young prince’s capes in the “wind”.

Gabbi Miller as Nefertari and Sh’Ahr Blackburn as Ramses. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

The most impressive part of this production to me by far was the stellar cast. There is truly no weak link. With this being in the Music City vicinity, it should come as no surprise that the voices of AOO’s cast, dare I say, rival and even excel beyond those of the West End cast recording. Sh’Ahr Blackburn’s delivery of Ramses demanding vocals from top to bottom make his live performance sound like the very best takes from a day at the recording studio. Gabbi Miller’s powerful Nefertari delivers a gut wrenching “Heartless” mourning the death of their son.

Lisa Graham as Tuya and Elijah Perkins as Moses. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

Lisa Graham’s Tuya drew my attention like a moth to a flame every time she entered a scene. She has the most captivating stage presence I have seen in a long time. Her intentional use of gesture is a masterclass in moving with intention. She is aptly paired with Elliot Winston Robinson’s Seti. Moses questions his Pharoah, the man he once called father, about why he did the terrible things he discovered depicted in the historical hieroglyphics. Robinson portrays this terribly cruel leader from Egypt’s history as a human you can almost empathize with as he vulnerably sings his response of “sometimes one must do things, make a bitter choice that scares your soul, this I never wanted.”

The Hebrews rejoice and take awe in at the parting of the Red Sea. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

Emma Coren Haley’s performance as Miriam is the ideal blend of acting and singing. She is a true storyteller and the faith she depicts in this role is moving not just for everyone she shares the stage with but overflows out into the audience as well. As I stated before, there are no weak links in this cast. Every song sung is example after example of healthy and moving vocals. Another standout is Scott Stewart as Jethro singing the ever-popular hit, “Through Heaven’s Eyes”. Keanu Aiono-Netzler provides commanding vocals woven throughout as Hotep, the consistently plotting high priest. Jada Wasserman, in the role of Yocheved, delivering the Hebrew pleas of a grieving mother in “Deliver Us” with a guttural yet haunting beauty. She is then featured in several flashback moments, and each time you are reminded of why her journey is so heartbreakingly courageous.

Elijah Perkins radiates as Moses. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

Elijah Perkins as Moses is nothing short of brilliant. In fact, after I saw the production, I found myself looking up Broadway productions I must have somehow missed him in and wondering how AOO obtained a union actor for this role. I was shocked to find out that he is not a Broadway veteran because his performance is just that level of quality. He gives a multidimensional Moses throughout this show. Going from a more ignorant and carefree royal to a humbled desert dweller to the Biblical patriarch who felt ill-equipped to lead his people out of captivity, Perkins delivers at every moment. His acting is nuanced and his singing is golden. The way he interacts with the rest of the cast is breathtaking. A giving scene partner, he truly makes you believe that he is Moses and not himself. I believe that if he wanted to, Perkins could find himself on a Broadway stage and anyone who works with him would be all the better for it.

Real life and stage husband, Moses, Elijah Perkins, with wife, Tzipporah, Emma Perkins. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

Before I knew that his wife, in real life, Emma Perkins, was portraying his on-stage wife, Tzipporah, I was noting how unmatched their chemistry was compared to anything I’ve ever seen on stage before. Emma is truly a triple threat performer with impressively well-balanced vocals, dancing, and acting. She is mesmerizing during her entrance scene as a captured Midianite forced to dance for the newly crowned Pharaoh to be. She is a consummate professional in her own right, with an electric stage presence that offers the perfect pairing with Moses. I would love to see this power couple in future shows because it’s not always that a real-life marriage translates this well to the stage.

Director, Angie Dee, had a brilliant vision for this show and knew how to assemble the right team to make it a reality! I commend Braden Bruce for his exceptional musical direction (including of the stage side choir who definitely adds to the powerful delivery of Schwartz’s genius score). Cooper Davis, sound engineer, for the most seamless sound design I’ve experiences in over a decade at least. Christian Bare along with Angie Dee for providing a lighting design that made photographing this production a dream. The costumes were also so beautiful, a combination of sourcing from Jordan and Emma Perkins at Centerstage and Spotlight Costumes. Stage Manager, Rachel Vanatta and her entire backstage crew are to be commended for the seamless scene changes.

Scott Stewart as Jethro and Elijah Perkins as Moses along with the company of The Prince of Egypt. Projections were beautifully designed by Gaines Odom. (Photo Credit: Jessica Lynn French)

I cannot recommend this production more. In fact, I will be returning with my whole family to see this a second time. This story has withstood the test of time. Although the musical itself does deviate a bit from the Biblical account, taking artistic liberties, Philip LaZebnik’s book paired with Stephen Schwartz’s score and lyrics gives us a thought-provoking depiction. This is a huge undertaking for even the most well-funded professional theatre companies and Audience of One has absolutely delivered a home run. It’s not often that we get to experience such a large-scale production done so well outside of New York City, so do not let this one pass you by. In many ways, this story is still relevant to us today. May we all see the humanity in everyone around us and never give up hope that all people, no matter can and should be treated with dignity. You will leave uplifted and inspired to believe that miracles can happen. The Prince of Egypt shows now through August 2, 2026 at The Capitol Theatre. For more tickets and more information, go to: www.audienceofoneproductions.com.

Editor’s Note: I will admit that I am bias when it comes to this musical as a show. I have a long history with it myself starting with a love for the DreamWorks movie that I grew up watching. I interviewed Scott Schwartz (composer, Stephen Schwartz’s son) back in 2016 for a featured article publication when he was directing a concert staging of the musical during the workshopping season. He had this to say about the stage production: “One of the things that’s so great about the show is that it delivers all the songs from the movie along with wonderful new songs in addition. ‘Footprints on the Sand,’ a song that Moses sings in act one, expresses his very powerful desire for some meaning in his life.” When I asked him if there was a path for it to go to Broadway, he responded, “There was and is so much enthusiasm around this movie, score and story that it got to the point about two and half years ago that the original writers said ‘let’s give this a shot!’ It became clear that there was a real desire by artists and theaters around the country to have a stage adaptation. We did a private reading in February of this year, and the writers did a lot of editing after that and they will likely make more edits after this upcoming concert reading. At this moment, we don’t know what journey this show will take but trust that it will find the path it’s meant to be on.”

When The Prince of Egypt made it’s way to a West End debut, I immediately booked tickets to London. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic led to an early closure of the production before I could go see it. So, I was very excited to see that it was being produced by Audience of One here in Middle Tennessee!