Newport Covenant and two Jewish Congregations Collaborate for a Staged Reading of the new musical A TIME TO LIVE inspired by the Book of Ruth – June 4 & 5, 2022.
Hope conquers grief and love defeats prejudice within intercultural relationships in this retelling of the beloved, ancient story.
When two women from Newport Covenant Church started collaborating more than 10 years ago on a musical, they did not know their show would also strike such a strong chord with Rabbi James (Jim) Mirel. The Rabbi attended the last of six performances in 2017 of A TIME TO LIVE and loved the show which intermingles the basics of the Book of Ruth with a good dose of ‘godly imagination.’ Newport’s long history of theatrical productions with the Creative Arts team was the perfect environment for Katheen (Kathee) Lyndon (book) and Brenda Giordano (music & lyrics) to produce a new musical which was well received by more than 900 who attended. The women have great passion for the story of Ruth, seeing many contemporary issues in this 3000-year-old story. “Christians and Jews are not always well versed in Scripture. I hope this show will cause them to return to the Bible and read the original.” states Kathee Lyndon who had memorized the book years before under the tutelage of Covenanter Keith Ferrin, well known for his memorization of Scripture.
Seeing their work on stage was gratifying, but there was more work to be done. Recognizing their need for professional input, the two writers enlisted the help of Cate Cammarata of New York’s CreateTheater who served as dramaturg in the refinement of the musical. With their revised work ready, Kathee and Brenda felt strongly that in addition to a Christian audience, the show needed to be seen by a Jewish audience, something one of their Jewish cast members, entertainer and musician Brian Morris, had been telling them for years. Brenda reached out to Rabbi Jim, and he replied instantly that he wanted to help, and help he did, first by encouraging his wife, Julia Mirel to audition (she plays the part of Boaz’s sister) and second by helping to find a Jewish congregation where the staged reading could be performed.
After founding Temple B’nai Torah, near Crossroads in Bellevue, Rabbi Jim now leads a congregation in Des Moines, Bet Chaverim. Both congregations are sponsors of the show along with Newport Covenant Church, 12800 Coal Creek Parkway SE, Bellevue, WA 98006 where the first staged reading will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at 7 pm. This will be Livestreamed through Facebook with recording available later. Temple B’nai Torah, 15727 NE 4th St, Bellevue, WA 98008, will host the second staged reading on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at 2:00 pm with a reception following.
This first weekend in June 2022 is Pentecost, significant for Jews and Christians. Called “Shavuot” (Feast of Weeks) by Jews, this holy day celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses as well as the wheat harvest festival and includes the reading of the Book of Ruth, perfect for A TIME TO LIVE. The staged reading will not have sets, props, costumes, or lights, but plenty of music and drama. The 15 very talented cast members are made up of Christians, Jews, and theater lovers. First Covenant Church is represented by the talented Tom LaPaze, playing Elimelech. The cast is accompanied by Aki Fujino on piano and music stands are used since the cast is ‘on book’. The audience is encouraged to participate by providing written responses with their impressions of the show. This is a free event with donations welcomed.
For more information and to register, see this announcement in Broadway World
You are also welcome to contact Brenda at 206.409.8726 or go to brendagiordano.com
June 5 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-staged-reading-of-the-musical-a-time-to-live-tickets-298772595877