Sight & Sound Theatres Jonah

The weekend before last, Fred drove us up to Pennsylvania for an overnight trip. We were finally watching my Christmas present happening. He got us tickets to see the show Jonah at Sight & Sound Theatres. He's been telling me about it for a few years, but we've never had the chance to go.

We had our friend, Tony, from our young adults group at church came and stayed with the boys. They just dig him and we do too! He got to our house just after Fred and I headed out. One of the nice pieces to our weekend is that we had no plans other than the show that night.

We made our way to the Lancaster Central Market to start the day. It was such a neat place. It was a wonderland of vendors. We ended up buying a handmade hot pad, black raspberry jam, an ultra long biscotti, orange cream milk (tastes like a creamsicle), and fresh spinach pasta. We could've spent an hour walking through it all again!

From there we went to a coffee shop where we picked up a bag of their coffee and Fred got a double shot of espresso. Then we went to a shop just a couple doors down, and as soon as we walked in we heard Christian music playing. It was a family owned sweet shop. We, well I, got several pieces of chocolate.

I finally was at the point of being hungry for dinner so we finished heading to the Sight and Sound Theatre location to find lunch.

I have to tell you, I was in wide eyed wonder as we saw the horses and buggies riding along the road. We even saw a man in his field with 6 horses hitched up, and it looked like he was tilling the soil. I would've loved to have stopped and watched him work all day.

We checked into our room at the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn which is next to the Sight & Sound property. We could've walked there if it hadn't been 25ºF! They have three different sections to their property. Our room as in the carriage house. It was a simple, clean room. I loved that it was a hop, skip, and a jump from the theater. There's a pond, walking trails, and farm animals that can be enjoyed when the weather improves!

After we ate a buffet dinner we headed directly to the theater. For future reference, make reservations early, around 5pm so that you're not rushing through dinner to make it to the theater in time.

I was wowed as we drove up to park at the theater. I had no idea how huge this place was going to be. I hadn't even read up about what we were seeing or what was involved. In a way, I'm glad because what I was about to see wouldn't have done justice just by reading about it. I do wish we would've read the book of Jonah before we saw the show. I've read it before, but it would've been great to have the story fresh in my mind.

We sat up in the balcony, right at the first row. The lights dimmed and the show began.

I'll be honest, I was kind of expecting a good ol' college try at a show, but this, for me, this was Broadway worthy! True, I've never seen a Broadway show, but this is exactly how I would picture one.

The set was phenomenal. It wasn't only in front of it; it was all around us! The sides of the stages would open up and the show would extend to the sides as well. Being there on opening night, I was a little concerned that there would be acting nerves, but you'd have thought they'd been doing Jonah for months!

Again, not knowing what to expect, it had every element that one could hope for. The songs were strong and fantastic. There was humor in the acts as well as the seriousness of the story. The set, I can't even tell you, the set blew me away. This is NO low budget show. They pulled out all the stops. The ship that Jonah is thrown from is 30,000 pounds! I'm telling you, the set and the set pieces were amazing!

One of my favorite parts of the whole show was the animals. They just brought such a wonderful element to the production. I mean, you imagine a dog our cats would be normal in a show, but how about a camel, alpaca, or llama? They're something adults and children alike will enjoy.

We had a 10-15 minute intermission, and we just stayed in our seats. During the intermission you can grab a snack like their signature roasted almonds, shop for souvenir, or take a potty break. What's great is, they allow you to bring snacks into the theater.

The second half of the show was just as wonderful as the first. I was sorry to see it come to a close. I felt like it went too quickly. As soon as it was over, I was ready to watch it again. There's so much that goes on during the show, I know I missed bits a pieces.

I'm hoping we can take the kids back in August. I think they'd love it so much. They've never been to a major production, and what better way to be exposed to one than with Jonah. I'm already looking forward to Jesus in 2018.

What production are you hoping to see this year?