HISTORIC HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT 75th
Anniversary
Palmyra, NY June 29, 2012 – The first Hill Cumorah Pageant featured a
handful of performers in rented costumes using car headlights as
spotlights. The longest-running, outdoor religious drama
in the country will give a nod to its past this year with special exhibits and
speakers in celebration of its 75th anniversary.
Since 1937 the spectacular, annual Pageant has seen many changes
in scenery, sound recordings, special effects and costumes. Water curtains for vision scenes, explosions, earthquakes
and fire balls make today’s outdoor drama exciting for audiences of all ages. A
unique addition this year is the Commemorative Exhibits tent featuring a
photographic timeline of the pageant’s development. There are also
historic costume exhibits in the Hill Cumorah Visitor’s Center, 603 State Route
21, and in the Palmyra Museum, 132 Market St. Prior to performances, past
artistic directors and staff will speak about the history of the Pageant in the
Visitor’s Center. For a full schedule of special
exhibits and speakers, visit www.hillcumorah.org
or Facebook under “Hill Cumorah Pageant.”
The
annual pageant kicks off its week of performances Fri., July 13 at dusk. The
pageant, which is free and family-friendly, is something of a theatrical
miracle. More than 750 volunteers are cast into 1,200 roles within hours of
arriving. After just one week of rigorous rehearsals, the show
opens. The volunteers come here at their own expense from across the
country. They do not come to Palmyra just to practice their sword
fighting skills and learn dances, or to wear costumes and wigs in the humid New
York summer. For these people, this is a time of spiritual renewal in the
cradle of their faith. In addition to rehearsals, the cast also squeezes in
more than 1,800 hours of volunteer service. This year groups will be
landscaping at local parks, cataloging at an historic library and clearing
trail areas in Wayne, Ontario and Monroe counties.
“We
are delighted that these volunteers can bring a message of Christ-like service
from the stages into the communities” said Dwight Schwendiman, pageant
president.
Presented
annually by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1937, the
pageant is a theatrical representation of scenes from the Bible and the Book of
Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Performances by the all-volunteer
cast are July 13, 14 and 17-21 and begin nightly at 9 p.m. There is seating for
over 7,000 guests. Food is provided on-site by local service groups. The
Hill Cumorah is located on Highway 21, two miles north of Interstate 90, Exit
43. Parking and admission are free. Headsets are provided for Spanish
translation and American Sign Language interpretation is provided.
For
more information about the Hill Cumorah Pageant, call 315-597-5851, go to
www.hillcumorah.org or find us on
Facebook under “Hill Cumorah Pageant.”
